Moving up the West Coast, the food truck teams enter Portland, Ore., where Tyler gives them their next challenge free of surprises — for now. The teams will be able to offer a full menu without any price restrictions, but there are two things they must adhere to: Portland does not allow the use of Styrofoam, and there is no selling on city streets.
Shopping Smarts
The teams were provided $350 in seed money, but besides salt and sugar on the trucks, they have to restock their food and supplies from scratch. The Frankfoota girls decide not to spend all the seed money and set aside $100 just in case they need to restock later, but that decision might not be the smartest.
Partnering or Parking — No Other Options
Since they can't sell on city streets, the trucks must sell on private property, which means partnering with a local business, which for The Slide Show was in front of a local cafe, or parking in a food cart pod, which is what Tikka Tikka Taco and Boardwalk Breakfast Empire did on opposite ends of town. Most of the teams were finding it hard to sell due to a lack of foot traffic no matter the location.
The Rules of Supply and Demand
Just as the teams get a flow of business, Tyler calls them with a Speed Bump: they may not restock their food, as he says "thin to win," they must stretch what they've got but still offer the most bang for your buck. While other trucks raise prices, with Aloha selling as high as $25, Bowled and Beautiful lowers theirs to $7, not necessarily the best strategy.
Box Full of Surprises
Philly's Finest Sambonis, The Frankfoota Truck and Tikka Tikka Taco are the first three teams to run out of food. So they decide to take up residence in various grocery store parking lots, waiting for the next call from Tyler, giving them permission to restock. Instead Tyler has a very special Truck Stop challenge for them. He's sending them all an exotic product they must now exclusively utilize and sell.
Making it Work No Matter What
According to Tyler, all the trucks must sell geoduck dishes, priced at $10 or less. The first team to make $100 in sales can head to Council Crest Park where they will find a token worth $500 to be added to their till. Most of the truck teams take the easy way out, deciding to fry the shellfish. Tikka Tikka Taco's solution isn't any different as Michael says "my game plan always is: if it's confusing, just throw it in a tortilla."
The Islanders' Advantage
None of the teams have ever worked with — most, let alone seen — geoduck before except for Aloha Plate. Geoduck is a specialty in Hawaii, says Adam, "it tastes like the ocean and is very versatile." Called mirugai in Japanese, it's typically eaten raw. Adam cuts the shellfish into pieces, pounds it to tenderize it and serves it in lettuce wraps with special sauce.
Early to Finish but Late to Win
Boardwalk Breakfast Empire is the first team to reach the sales goal, which Tyler increased to $200 halfway through the challenge. Luckily for the team, their location at the pod is close by the park. However, what would have been a 15-minute trip turns into an hourlong search. After a number of wrong turns, they get to the park and realize it's too late — the token was snatched up by another team.
A Bold Victory
Bowled and Beautiful arrives at the site of the token first. That means $500 will be added to their sales total. The ladies celebrate their win on the Vista Point, where the other teams that get there after them, as Tyler said, will just have to settle for the view and nothing more.
Back to Being Underdogs
With just four orders short but no product left, the girls of The Frankfoota Truck weren't able to meet the $200 goal. They wrap things up and pack up the truck, resolved that they might be the next team to go home during elimination.
Waiting for the Verdict
In downtown Portland, the teams assemble to meet Tyler, who will reveal the winning and losing teams. All of the teams had a bit of a struggle starting out in a new city with different rules. But the girls of The Frankfoota Truck had it the hardest, deciding not to spend all their seed money, getting a $60 parking violation and not completing the Truck Stop challenge.
A Weekend Full of Highs and Lows
Portland proved to be a challenge for the teams, since they were pretty much locked into the locations they picked and couldn't freely roam for customers. Tyler calls it one of the most intense weekends ever. But, he says, "It's clear that each one of you has the potential to be a major force in the food truck world." So, the question is, who will it be?
Surprising First Place for Aloha Plate
Even though Bowled and Beautiful won the token worth $500, Aloha Plate comes in first place — a surprise for both teams. As Tyler points out, the ladies' pricing strategy was to blame, as their profits proved it, coming in second place, $1,000 behind Aloha Plate.
Happy Ending for Boardwalk Breakfast Empire
Tyler announces that The Frankfoota Truck made sixth place by just $72, which means Boardwalk Breakfast Empire is last. But before the team can exit the race, he surprises them with a donation to the Sea Bright Rising Charitable Foundation, which helps victims of Hurricane Sandy. Joanne says, "Just because we're going home doesn't mean we're losers." The team goes back to Jersey with their heads held up high. Read the team's exit interview on FN Dish.
More from The Great Food Truck Race
Get the latest on the race with exclusive behind-the-scenes content and exit interviews from the eliminated trucks on FN Dish.
