'Ridiculous prices' called out as Australia copies U.S. favourite: '$19 plus surcharge'

Being able to enjoy a meal outside in the warmer months is one of life's simple pleasures, in my humble opinion. Whether it's a casual picnic, a campfire feast or a more upscale alfresco dining situation, food just tastes better when eaten outside and, preferably, with a view.

Like most people, I love a good food truck. Once a concept that you'd mainly associate with America, food trucks are now ubiquitous in the land down under - from music festivals to family events and breweries.

While the convenience and novelty of a food truck is something that has translated from the U.S. to our home soil, the prices have not. It's a bone of contention for many Aussies who have shared their gripes at the prices attached to meals served from a mobile shopfront.

"What's the deal with the ridiculous prices from food trucks in Melbourne?" one Reddit post reads. "I was at a festival yesterday and, as usual, there were lots of food trucks there. Bought a 'large' hot chips, which was smaller than a medium chips you'd get at most fish and chip places, and it was $14 + credit card surcharge. A souvlaki was $19 + credit card surcharge."

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The post continues: "Meanwhile, I walked 2 minutes down the road and there was a pizza place where you could get a large pizza that easily fed 2 people for $15."

"Why are food trucks more expensive than the restaurants here in Syd? What is their appeal?" another thread asks.

Why are food trucks so expensive in Australia?

Olsen Fabricus, who owns the popular Dope Fusion food truck at Chuck and Sons Brewery in Sydney, tells Yahoo Lifestyle that the primary reason for the higher prices is due, in part, to the irregular operating hours of food trucks.

"Many operators are only open on weekends or for events, making them less attractive to large suppliers," he says. "Consequently, food trucks receive fewer discounts, often leading operators to purchase supplies from local supermarkets and butchers."

"Additionally, staff wages tend to be higher to attract employees willing to work irregular, short hours," he continues. "Other contributing factors to higher prices include travel distance to operating locations and the costs associated with fuel, gas, and transportation of storage containers."

The irregularity of hours, and the fact that food trucks are still seen as something of a novelty, rather than a necessity, is just one way in which Australia's food truck scene differs from that of the US - where the phenomenon really took off in 2008 as a response to the global financial crisis (although its history goes back way further than that).

American food trucks vs Australian

In New York, for example, food trucks are an incredibly popular and affordable lunch and dinner option, with every type of cuisine on offer from the bustling streets of Bryant Park where bankers queue for heaping plates of halal food to trendy food stall events like Smorgasburg in Brooklyn where locals and tourists alike flock to try to latest Instagrammable munchies.

In fact, food trucks are so central to the city's existence that you can do a tour of them in Jackson Heights, Queens with a company called Turnstile Tours (and, just quietly, I strongly recommend you do).

Over two hours, you can walk through one of the world's most interesting and diverse boroughs, sampling from vendors who are slinging everything from tacos to Himalayan momo to delectable Colombian arepas and Bengali fuska, with nothing costing more than about $10.

In places like Jackson Heights, food trucks are a means for immigrants to not only make a living but to connect with members of their community and create a sense of belonging. However, there are numerous obstacles, such as limited licences and fierce competition, that make being a food truck vendor extremely difficult - something that Olsen says is also the case here.

"The rates [for operating a food truck] are different with every council but from what I know is that they're all quite high," he tells Yahoo Lifestyle. "Getting approval to operate in your council area can sometimes take over 12 months and that approval can also be changed at any time even if you haven't done anything wrong. If one local complains, you'll hear from council."

He continues: "Food trucks are fairly new to Australia so there's a lot that the government and councils aren't sure about when it comes to permits and approvals being issued when asked for yet."

Are brick-and-mortar stores better than food trucks?

It is for this reason, among others, that food truck operators often aspire to take their enterprises off of wheels, and into brick-and-mortar stores. Jackson Heights' beloved Arepa Lady was able to do just that and, here in Sydney, Smokey Mary BBQ has also managed to turn a successful truck into a thriving permanent business on Sydney's Northern Beaches.

Although the apparent stability of a storefront might seem like the dream, Olsen cautions that it has its drawbacks too.

While he cites things like consistent income and a fit-for-purpose kitchen for food prep as just some of the pros of having a restaurant, he also notes that "rent, overheads and outgoings can really suck during quiet periods."

"You also can't take it [the restaurant] to big events that usually make more money in just a few days or even hours than you would normally make in a week at the shop," he adds.

What is the future of food trucks in Australia?

So, other than jumping on a flight to New York to enjoy world-class, affordable food truck fare, what can Aussies do to better enjoy all that mobile food vendors have to offer?

The answer might just be patience with Olsen noting that, while the food truck business is well and truly established in the States, it is still "early days" for the industry Down Under.

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"Australia is very much following/copying the USA (aka the 'Godfathers of food trucks'), but it can be hit and miss here," he says. "Not many people in Australia think that food trucks can produce good quality food out of a small box."

"The biggest challenge is staff," he adds. "It's been very hard finding the right people since Covid. The possibilities are endless, but are limited to who you have in your crew."

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