Veterans find success in the competitive food truck world

For 15 years, Alex Del Castillo served his country as a cook in the U.S. Navy. When he went into business, he knew it had been time well spent.

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“In the Navy, you get an attitude of checking things before you go, and going over checklists,” said Del Castillo, who opened a food truck, Taceaux Loceaux, in New Orleans in 2009.

“This goes well with running a restaurant or a food truck. If you can cook on a sailboat, then a food truck is even nicer, because it’s a lot more still.”

Eight years later, Del Castillo’s whimsical takes on Mexican classics have made Taceaux Loceaux one of the Crescent City’s longest standing food trucks.

It’s a success story that’s being told across the country. Despite local challenges and bureaucratic hurdles, military veterans throughout the U.S. are opening gourmet food trucks with inventive dishes that go way beyond hot dogs, hamburgers, fries and pretzels. Thanks to their military backgrounds, their perseverance and their savvy use of social media, the vets say food trucks serving quality chow are more popular than ever.

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But nothing comes easy, even in The Big Easy. New Orleans wasn’t very food-truck friendly when he got started, Del Castillo said.

“The city allowed 100 food trucks in New Orleans, but they counted ice cream trucks as food trucks. My wife and I helped form a coalition and brought our issues to city council and changed the laws.

Many of the food truck owners say social media has played a huge role in their success.

“During presidential campaigning season, apropos of immigration, they talked about how there was a taco truck on every corner, as I think as a form of fear mongering,” Del Castillo said.

“We thought, ‘We love the idea of a taco truck on every corner,’ and came up with the hashtag #atacotruckoneverycorner and used it in our social media. I think people liked it and can agree a taco truck on every corner is a great thing.”

Air Force veteran Richard Myrick, author of "Running a Food Truck for Dummies" and editor-in-chief of the trade website Mobile-Cuisine.com, agreed that social media is a vital component of running a food truck.

“Not only does social media allow a food truck owner to post their next parking location or event they’ll be attending, but it gives them the ability to see what their customers are saying about them,” he said. “This information can give insight into how to make their food and service better than it already it is. It also allows them to speak directly to their customers and share information about their food truck brand and staff.”

Last year, when Savannah, Ga., passed an ordinance allowing four food trucks to operate in the city, Allison Terrill and her Canadian boyfriend, Frederic Theriault, launched the Squeaky Beaver Food Truck. Its specialty: the Canadian delicacy known as poutine — french fries and cheese curds topped with a light brown gravy.