Yum Yum on the Go

http://apps.zapporoo.com/view/089fi3626751txg9/

The present invention relates generally to a simple, user-friendly application that is designed to aggregate local information on food trucks, their locations, their menus, and their prices. The app is a shell that the user can upload information from food truck web sites and Twitter feeds, so that all of a local area’s food truck information for a particular day is displayed on one page. Local addresses can hotlink to map. Users could also contact truck for advance orders using linked phone numbers.

Upon entering the app, there would be at least three swipable screens. The app would open up on a list of food trucks within (perameter select: miles radius) X miles of the user’s location. Each food truck would be listed in a cell that would have the title of the food truck, and its location (“1313 Mockingbird ln, Columbia * 5.5 miles * map). Each food truck cell could be populated with the truck’s logo, or it could have a one- or two-word statement of its offering. If this is not possible, an icon/emoji on the right side could be used, such as a chicken leg, a taco, a hamburger, a hot dog, a sushi roll, ice cream, or something like.

A thumb tap onto a food truck cell/list would bring the user to a full-page food truck entry, to include the name of the food truck, location, a map-it/directions hyperlink. Also, a brief menu and cost. On this page, I would like to explore the possibility of pre-ordering from this point: selecting an entrée, a side, a drink, having the cost totaled, and giving the user an opportunity to pay in advance.

Each food truck listing on the food truck screen would go to a page similar to this. Most food truck menus are abbreviated (only four or five sandwiches, three or four sides, and two or three desserts), so most menus may be able to fit on the screen. The screen could scroll down for more extensive lists of items. An advertising banner on the bottom could be available, both on the main Food Truck/take-out/restaurant screens, and on the individual food truck/restaurant screens. Another possibility for each individual food truck/restaurant screen would be something of a promo space that a food truck could pay a small amount for, something like an advertisement for a coming festival appearance or a list of future stops. Also, for each food truck or restaurant page, an “access Web site” button could enable the user to navigate via Safari or Chrome to the truck/restaurant’s Web site.

For fast-food/take-out places, and for restaurants, the navigation would be the same. On each page would be lists of area restaurants, and each listing would go to a restaurant page.

Each food truck and restaurant page would be loaded using basics from the food truck’s and restaurant’s Web page. Most all of the trucks and establishments have Web sites with location and menu information.

In terms of accessing a Food Truck’s location, there could be a hierarchy of items to hit upon. First the truck’s Web site, next the truck’s Twitter account (if any), and then the Food Truck’s actual location by way of the telephone number. For the telephone number, it is most likely on the Web site, but not necessarily the truck’s location. (It could be the phone number of an owner who sits in an office or works from home while his employees service the truck on site.) Communication between the app and the food truck would be optimal, where the food truck owner/operator agrees to be located and presents information as up to date as possible.

In terms of communications with the food truck, I believe food trucks would benefit from being located. They would not only have a higher likelihood of a steady flow of customers, they would have more customers. And with information bringing in food truck customers, food trucks could levy that information to better manage their inventory. A lot of times, food trucks run out of supplies. Long wait times at busy lunch moments can be annoying. What if a truck could take orders and process cash transactions before it even got on site? For example, Would food trucks be interested in taking lunch orders until, say, 10 am., prepare as much of this food as possible for cooking on site from 10:30 until it opened at 11 a.m.? Those who pre-ordered and pre-paid could come pick up their food at 11 or shortly afterward, and then serve the walk-ups. Perhaps some arrangement like this could allow trucks to cut wait times, and better insure that inventory stays stocked.