Most business models involving food trucks start with the mobile version of the eatery before migrating to the more expensive brick and mortar (B&M) concept and we have heard of many success stories about this.  But nowadays we also hear of large corporate food brands using the mobile food truck platform as a marketing tool.  Many restaurants are also expanding into food trucks in order to reach a wider audience and one such is the Dim Ssam A Go Go Truck of Sakaya Kitchen.

Chef Richard Hales

Chef/owner Richard Hales opened his Asian-fusion restaurant in midtown Miami in 2009 and later launched the Dim Ssam Truck in 2010 with plans to use this for catering events.  Dim Ssam became so successful on the street that another truck was launched in 2012 called Sakaya Kitchen A Go Go.  Both trucks are now full time catering operations, providing full-service, on-site catering including liquor bars, waiters and custom menus but can still be seen at events when they are not booked. 

Hales has shown how the food truck concept can help in getting one’s menu known to more people by bringing it to the streets.  When customers don’t want to seek the food truck, they would simply go to the restaurant.  In fact, the business has been so successful that a second Sakaya Kitchen was launched downtown in 2011 and another B&M resto, Blackbrick Chinese in 2013.

Here are a few more similar cases featured in Seattle Weekly.  

Photos from Sakaya Kitchen’s FB page.