The Great Food Truck Race is back, and this season the starting line is in Santa Barbara, Calif. Tyler greets the new teams, which are Madres Mexican Meals, Military Moms, Lone Star Chuck Wagon, Beach Cruiser, Gourmet Graduates, Let There Be Bacon, Middle Feast and Chatty Chicken.
It's More Than a Competition
Michelle, Wendy and Carol from Military Moms get emotional seeing their truck for the first time, because it pictures dog tags. "They're symbolic of our husbands and I wear it all the time when he's gone," says Carol. Winning their food truck and $50,000 would help launch their dreams of owning their own business.
Signature Dishes on the Line
Tyler meets the teams on the beach, and he hands out the challenge and the seed money, $200 to create "three finely tuned dishes" for their menus. The teams will be selling in Santa Barbara for Day One. There's a briefcase in each of the trucks, but Tyler warns them that they can't open it until later in the race.
Cultural Adaptability
"I want to make Middle Eastern food that people have heard of before," says Tommy, so he's decided upon hummus and shawarma, but he can't find tahini or cumin for his recipes. Switching to plan B, Tommy settles on making shakshuka, a breakfast dish, and schnitzel, for which he needs chicken breast.
Shopping with a Plan in Hand
Lance's idea is to "buy as much stuff as possible" so they won't have to run and restock later. Amanda and Rachel help him gather all the items for his planned Tex-Mex menu, which they're hoping will blow away the competition with "big, bold Texas flavors."
Shrewd Business Tactics
Matt has no problem getting customers to stop by the Let There Be Bacon truck, especially because he's such a good salesman. His approach is to offer a three-course menu with an appetizer, an entree and dessert, because, he says, "Why sell to one person once when you can sell to one person thrice?"
Anything But a Well-Oiled Machine
The family team from Chatty Chicken runs into an issue when they don't buy enough cooking oil to deep-fry. Greg Sr. must pan-fry his Southern fried chicken, which takes too long, leaving customers waiting. "We try the best we can," says Megan, who has to return one customer's money.
Small Fish in a Big Pond
The team from Madres Mexican Meals has been racking up sales in Santa Barbara, but before the team knows it, Tyler calls with the first Speed Bump. All the teams must pack it up and move to Venice Beach. With "one of the most-vibrant food truck scenes in the country," Tyler says, they're entering "the big leagues."
Home Turf Advantage
Beach Cruiser is excited to be headed home. "We're getting the word out to everybody to come," says Nicole, arranging for a friend to save them two spots, which they share with Let There Be Bacon. "I feel like I could be juggling chainsaws on horseback right now," says Matt, who finds customers avoiding them.
Taste Testers Undercover
What the teams don't know is that Venice is also a Truck Stop challenge. Tyler sends Jim and Sabin of Cousins Maine Lobster food truck to taste the teams' best dishes. Julius of Gourmet Graduates offers his team's spicy chicken roll-up. "It's like delicious grub food," says Sabin. "It kind of reminds me of college."
The Family Connection
The cousins reveal their favorite dish as the huevos rancheros from Madres Mexican Meals. "It was excellent," says Sabin. "It felt like we were a part of your family." The team is rewarded with $500 to add to its till. "All this stress that we're going through," says Luisa, "it's very worth it.
Bringing in the Late-Night Revelers
Tyler sends the food trucks back out into Venice to sell into the night to finish their second day of sales. Beach Cruiser has no issue attracting a ravenous crowd. "This is the type of crowd that I want at my truck everywhere we go," says Shane. But not every team is having the same experience.
Risking Closing Early
Let There Be Bacon closes shop because they can't get the water to work, and they're worried they'll be fined by the health department. Gourmet Graduates can't get a single customer, even after trying every tactic, so the team also closes early. "I'm just praying that we made enough," says Keese.
Bringing Home the Big Bucks
Despite having the hometown advantage, Beach Cruiser places second, which proves the race isn't a day at the beach. Lone Star Chuck Wagon comes in first place with a total of $1,511. "If I have my own truck," says Lance, "I can do whatever I wanna do, and I'm not making anyone else rich."
The First Team Out
Tyler reveals that Chatty Chicken is in last place, pointing out that only $60 separated them from Let There Be Bacon. The team spent too much time shopping instead of selling. Being in the race "did allow us to get a taste of a food truck," says Greg Sr. "You're not gonna see the last of Chatty Chicken."
Trace the Race in Season 5
Follow along The Great Food Truck Race with photo galleries and exclusive videos, plus hear from the eliminated teams.
