Famous Food Market hosts the Famous Food Truck Market every year, providing food and fun each time. This year, the festival was to take place from October 1st – November 7th (Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays) at Smith Haven Mall. According to Events Long Island, the festival would include over 8 Food trucks and family fun for a 6-week series. They also promised to encompass different cultures of food that would provide a wide variety of tastes and dietary restrictions. The organizers of the event said, “With Farmers markets being one of the top things to do as we recover from Covid-19 pandemic, we thought there was no better way to serve our local community and the businesses that serve this area.”
Unfortunately, the food truck festival did not last long after it began on October 1st. After the first weekend of the event, “apparently,” some of the vendors inside of the mall complained that the vendors were taking business away from them.
This caused the festival to be cancelled for the foreseeable future. Famous Food Market made a post on their Facebook page on October 12th that stated: “Due to circumstances beyond our control, the Food Truck Market @ Smith Haven mall through November 7th has to close.” Many patrons were disappointed as they drove into an empty parking lot with empty stomachs, craving their food trucks meals just to leave empty handed. “The mall committee should have taken that into consideration before allowing the festival to happen” says Kevbe Apoe, a food truck shopper from Centereach, NY. “There is a fair chance that people will visit the trucks and then head to the mall afterwards,” Apoe added.
Some people feel as though the complaints made by the food court businesses were unnecessary, and some feel that this could have been prevented by better planning. Either way, people are not happy with the fact that there are no Food Trucks at Smith Haven Mall.
Food Truck fans will have to wait for the next location to enjoy their gyros, tacos, and pulled pork grilled cheeses. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned and the food court did not want outside vendors on their turf. Hopefully the Famous Food Truck Market will return to a more “Vendor-Friendly” area and successfully serve Long Island with the food truck flavors we’ve been craving.
In the last decade, food trucks have become more popular than ever. Who would have thought that eating food from the side of the road would be so popular in 2021. These large, decorated vehicles with on-board kitchens and freezers serve people all over the world by specializing in their own cuisines and creating unique spins on everyday meals.
Food trucks have become a major part of the American dining experience. Right here on Long Island, you can enjoy a seemingly endless variety of foods from all over the world, anywhere there is pavement. Food Truck festivals are a popular way for the owners to get exposure for their trucks. They create an opportunity for multiple vendors to gather in one place to sell and promote their food. For the customer, this is food truck heaven. Usually, a parking lot or an open field with multiple food trucks and vendors for customers to choose from.
