Food Trucks Make Event Dining Fun

How to Have a Food Truck at Your Event

Food trucks are all the culinary rage these days, and having one at your event is an easy, fun way to give guests lots of options and introduce them to innovative global cuisine.

Read on for tips on booking a food truck at your next event, and to find some of the best food trucks in the area.

Before Booking
Finding a Food Truck
Featured Food Trucks
City-Specific Guidelines
Take a Field Trip

Before Booking

Talk to Your Venue

Before booking a food truck, it's important to speak to your event venue, as they may have specific catering guidelines. (If you haven't chosen a venue yet, Explore Seattle Southside can help!)

Things to discuss:

  • Where will the truck park? Trucks need a space on flat ground of at least 10 feet in width by approximately 30 feet in length, with an area for customers to stand while ordering. The venue can also help determine where the truck should be set up on the property, whether that's the parking lot, a patio, near a ballroom, or somewhere else. Note that food truck operators need access to a restroom (within 500 feet) when serving for longer than an hour.
  • Will it be catered or available for purchase? The average food truck needs a sales minimum of ($800-$1,000), and/or at least 60 customers per three to four hours of service to cover their time and costs. Some food trucks may require you to deposit a minimum amount.

Finding a Food Truck

The next step is finding your food truck. The Washington State Food Truck Association keeps a list of member food trucks permitted to work in King County, and also offers a paid matchmaking service to help connect you with the right food truck for your event.

Additionally, you can contact the team at Seattle Southside, who can connect you with Culinex, a commissary kitchen from which many food trucks in our region operate.

Featured Food Trucks

Neighborhood Cafe

Neighborhood Cafe is famous for its unique "Filipino-inspired" brunch fare. This locally owned and operated business has a cafe in Tukwila, an outpost in SEA airport, and a food truck that caters to events. They also make some of the region's best coffee and bubble tea. Guests will go crazy over the signature milk teas, Vietnamese iced coffee, and specialty lattes in flavors like ube and black sesame. Owner Max Heigh is a Seattle native who also runs Sam Choy's Poke to the Max, which also has a restaurant and food truck available for catering.

Note: You can also rent Neighborhood Cafe's Boba/Cafe Cart for your event!

For more information, email info@neighborhoodsea.com.

Creole Soul

Creole Soul offers an authentic taste of Louisiana, serving Southern comfort food like perfectly fried catfish, crawfish mac n' cheese, and even gator on a stick. Everything is made fresh by the owner, Hampton Isom, who hails from New Orleans and runs the food truck, along with a restaurant and bar in Des Moines. The former flight attendant and pro basketball player has said he's fulfilling his lifelong dream of running a food business. It's a favorite of local companies such as Blue Origin and Microsoft, and it's a common sight at Seattle's major sports stadiums.

To book the truck for events, use the contact form on the Creole Soul website.

El Koreano

Tukwila-based El Koreano combines Mexican and Korean cuisine, and the result is as surprising as it is delicious. Guests will enjoy items like a mouth-watering Korean fried chicken torta with pickled daikon and a sweet and spicy chili sauce, or a quesadilla made with kimchi fried rice. This Tukwila-based company serves events throughout the Puget Sound region and can accomodate up to 200 people.

To learn more, use the contact form on the El Koreano website.

City-Specific Guidelines

City of SeaTac

For events taking place in the City of SeaTac, the participating food truck must have a business license or endorsement from the City of SeaTac. If you are working with a food truck that has not operated in SeaTac previously, they can find a checklist for all the paperwork needed on the City of SeaTac website.

City of Des Moines

Food trucks operating in the City of Des Moines must have their general City of Des Moines business license, L&I insignia, King County health permit, proof of insurance, and a fire inspection and permit from a regional fire authority dated within the past 12 months. See this document for a list of participating fire agencies that will be acknowledged by South King Fire.

City of Tukwila

The City of Tukwila requires a business license, L&I insignia, health permit, proof of insurance, and a fire inspection. Details on acquiring a city business license can be found here.

Take a Food Truck Field Trip

If circumstances don't allow you to have a food truck at your venue, you can always take a field trip to find one of our many local food trucks. StreetFoodFinder is a fantastic resource for finding food trucks in the region, whether you're looking for regular events or pop-ups. You can also visit a parked food truck like Birreria la Santa Tacos in Des Moines. Whether you visit a food truck or have a food truck visit you, get a taste of Seattle Southside and the many flavors that make up our incredible region.

We're Here to Help

Need help finding the perfect food truck, or coordinating just the right vendors for your event? Reach out to our meetings experts - we'd be happy to help!

Christy Maggio

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Christy Maggio

Content Wizard

Your trusty guide through the labyrinthine realms of nerdy wonders, gastronomic delights and adventures of epic or micro proportions.
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