Bhubaneswar: The trend of street food on wheels is gaining popularity in Bhubaneswar, both among the young and old alike.
And there is no one particular hub with these “meals on wheels” setting shop in every corner of the city. From Airport Road at Khandagiri to Shaheed Nagar, and from Food Street near Infosys Road to Khaogali behind Ram Mandir, these places are always crowded. Exotic dishes and cuisines served at reasonable prices go on to attract crowds of customers.
From delicious Mexican food to authentic Chinese dishes, from biriyani to variety of rolls, one can treat the taste buds with these pocket-friendly delicacies. Food trucks like Food Factory, Qdoba, So Yummy, The Veg, and MFC are some of the names that have joined the bandwagon to serve the city’s oodies.
“We have at least 100 customers every day and the number booms up during weekends and holidays. Such popularity and acceptance was unfathomable. We are now working on three other outlets in the city, which are to be opened within a few months. But my dream is to take the number to 100 in the next five years,” says Arjun Nayak, owner of Qdoba, who is an alumni of IIHM, Pune.
The food on wheels culture had started five years back and it has been picking pace since then. It has been inspiring many young individuals to become food entrepreneurs and set up their food trucks. The investment is comparatively low and convenience draws out the foodies.
“My husband and I had set up this food truck. During the initial days, we hadn’t thought that we would make such a good business. Eventually the demand for our menu increased and we had to add more number of dishes. We prepare all types of fried starter dishes, and people seem to be loving it,” says the owner of MFC.
“It’s been more than a year now, that they have set up the food trucks in the Infosys area and this is a bliss for the college going students like us. The quality and quantity is praiseworthy and price is affordable. Personally, I am a big fan of sizzling brownie,” says Sneha, a student of CIPET.