Coronavirus Qld: App update a lifeline for food truck operators

After being told they’d have to shut down, Queensland’s food truck vendors have been thrown a lifeline with an innovative way to maintain social distancing.

A MOBILE application is helping food truck vendors stay afloat during tough times, while also helping customers get their snacks safely and from the comfort of their home.

The Australian Mobile Food Vendors Group has updated its Where the Truck food van app, now allowing customers place and pay for orders and arrange pick-up or delivery.

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The group’s director Frank Rusitovskiis said the app now catered to the unprecedented social distancing regulations, while also providing hope to struggling food-truck workers.

“We decided we needed to look at how we can evolve and how vendors can evolve in these times,” Mr Rusitovskiis said.

“So we edited the app and spoke to the Department of Health and they provided us advice as to how to go about to operate safely, which was a very important part of us moving forward.

“It’s an opportunity to provide a contactless ordering and delivery service.”

King of the Wings food truck operator Dylan Pires is ‘appy’ again thanks to a mobile app update. Picture: Steve Pohlner/AAP

King of the Wings food truck owner Dylan Pires said he was thankful for the “really cool” concept, after being told to shut down his business.

“When we were told to shut down it dramatically changed our business, because we relied on walk-up customers,” Mr Pires said.

“Uber Eats became our predominant trade when the shutdown happened, but obviously with their 35 per cent fee we have to pay them, it was killing us.

“We were using it to just pay our wages, but Where the Truck only charges 7 per cent, which has been really helpful because we’re an independent business; it’s a really cool concept.

“There’s so much uncertainty within the industry at the moment, and this gives people hope; they are contemplating giving up and that would be catastrophic to us.”