Finally, an easy way to find food trucks locally
Santa Cruz has been on the cutting edge of certain food trends, like pop-ups, but where are all the food trucks? Rest assured, they’ve been hard to find, but they are here. And now, thanks to Food Trucks a Go Go, they are much easier to locate. The company, owned by Lali Kates (also owner of Aunt Lali’s ice cream truck), started putting on food truck events in September. The next one, which will also feature a beer garden, will be at Skypark on Friday, Nov. 13. Kates talked to us about how she keeps Go Go going.
What does Food Trucks a Go Go do?
LALI KATES: We are a food truck event company. We create food truck gatherings, or “Go Go” gatherings, as we’re calling them, for mobile food businesses in the area. They can be public or private. Businesses have contacted us to supply food trucks for their private events. The overall feeling at these events is high-energy and a lot of fun.
Do you only do these events in Scotts Valley?
We are currently operating on a monthly basis in Scotts Valley, and having conversations with various other people around the county for events in their locations as well.
Why hasn’t there been much happening with food trucks in Santa Cruz County?
That’s part of the reason why we’re up and running—to get us on the map and to create more of these events for everybody. For the past number of years, so many of my clients have been asking ‘why isn’t there anything like that here? Will you get something going?’ We have food trucks here. I wouldn’t say there’s a lot. We’re not as populated as San Jose and all the other larger cities. We’re newbies down here and just trying to make it exciting and fun for everybody.
What’s the best thing about food trucks?
When you go to a restaurant, there’s the menu of all the restaurant’s fabulous food. When you come to a food truck event, you also have the fabulous food, if you imagine each food truck is its own restaurant. So it creates many more options for people to choose from, which creates excitement. And it’s just really fun being in the middle of all the food trucks and hearing the music and talking to everybody—people gathering and sharing picnic tables. It’s a whole community.
The next “Go Go” is 4:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, Skypark, 361 Kings Village Road, Scotts Valley. Free. foodtrucksagogo.com.
SMELL ON WHEELS Lali Kates puts food trucks on the map with monthly Go Go gatherings in Scotts Valley. PHOTO: CHIP SCHEUER
