Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts’ FS Taste Truck, which toured the western United States last year, has been parked for the season, but the company plans to bring the vehicle back in the coming year.
During 2013, the truck traveled more than 1,000 miles (1,609 km) and stopped in eight destinations.
More than 7,000 diners enjoyed dishes from the FS Taste Truck, where menu items averaged US$7.25 per dish. The most popular dishes included beef short ribs with smoked mozzarella, arugula and salsa verde in Santa Barbara, California; a kalbi short rib quesadilla with kimchi, molcajete salsa, green onion, cilantro and radish in Los Angeles; and green chile stew in Santa Fe.
The FS Taste Truck also donated a portion of its total proceeds to Chefs to End Hunger, a charity that works with U.S. hotels, restaurants and foodservice operations to redistribute excess prepared food to those in need.
“The response was overwhelming,” said Guy Rigby, Four Seasons’ vice president, food and beverage, Americas. “No one expected a food truck from Four Seasons, but when they tasted the street-style offerings from our chefs, they were sold. Ultimately, it was the perfect vehicle — pun intended — to let our chefs’ creativity run wild while connecting with the community. Because of its success, we are looking to repeat the initiative in a different region of the Unites States in 2014.”