Saturday, December 17, 2011

The first food truck in Paris


It may not be the best photo you'll find on PDP, but I absolutely wanted to share this slice of Parisian news that I just came across with, by coincidence. This, lady and gentlemen, is a "gourmet" food truck and It may not seem very extraordinary to you, but for us Parisians it is! It's called Le camion qui fume ("the truck that smokes") and it was "invented" by chef Kristin, a Californian girl (what a surprise!) who came to Paris to attend a cooking school (Ferrandi). The interesting part is that she also seems to be an expert at promoting the concept on the Internet (Website, Facebook, Twitter... you name it). I photographed the truck at Place de la Madeleine, but it moves everyday. I wish her all the success she deserves and next time I see the truck, I will surely try the food (see a review on this blog and/or this one).

18 comments:

  1. I have recently heard of this truck from Lost in Cheeseland (the 2nd blog you referenced). I am very much looking forward to tracking this down when I'm in Paris next month! I'm Canadian but we love a good burger as much as the Americans!

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  2. when it comes to food we californians aren't always "gourmet".....but we surely are inventive......the first truck i heard of years ago was the "Kogi" truck here in the LA and Orange County area......Kogi makes 'Korean Tacos".........the concept of twittering where it was located for the night made "mob" scenes and long long lines......but it was oh so much fun!!

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  3. I've seen a few reports on this marketing and culinary trend in larger cities in the U.S. The Twitter and Facebook announcements of the truck's location and time is part of the lure. You need to have good food to survive, but the fun aspect of the social media announcements apparently is important for business.

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  4. Great vintage looking photo and a perfect sign of the times!

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  5. So, how does a burger truck work in Paris? Is it popular? Very interesting... I can honestly say I have never been to a truck for lunch or dinner. I think they are only popular in large cities. :)

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  6. Here's wishing lots of success to this enterprising chef—I guess for her, Paris really is a moveable feast! The only "back-home" food I missed when I lived in Paris was a really good cheeseburger; good to know there's a place to satisfy that craving—just in case.

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  7. I keep a log of Food Trucks in the Hollywood (Los Angeles) California area. You can see the variety of foods at

    http://www.panoramio.com/group/32965

    Bon Appétit

    The Secret_Ingredient

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  8. I've always been given the impression that there is little profit margin in the food business; the money usually comes from the selling of drinks/beverages. So I can understand the economics of having a portable restaurant -- much less expensive than a brick and mortar place. But Paris is not about sensible economics. It's about romantic outdoor cafes:) The truck is not romantic enough!ha!:)

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  9. @Hauke. "... licence des mœurs ;-)" LOL! Yep...

    @Sarah " I'm Canadian but we love a good burger as much as the Americans!" I won't blame you, I like them too!

    @Donna and @Jeff ".the concept of twittering where it was located for the night made "mob" scenes and long long lines" and " the fun aspect of the social media announcements apparently is important for business."
    I'm not surprised, it's pretty clever actually. The line was not too long the day I took this photo, but it was really raining.

    @Michael "Great vintage looking photo and a perfect sign of the times!" Well, I had to "vintage it" a little for the original one was a bit dull.

    @Christie "So, how does a burger truck work in Paris? Is it popular? Very interesting..." I don't know. One thing I can tell you is that they have a of press. To be honest the concept already existed only not like a "fancy" thing to do with online marketing.

    @Alexa "Here's wishing lots of success to this enterprising chef" I do to. Especially because enterprising in France is very complicated. You have all sorts of rules to comply with which make it difficult. I'm even surprised she has the right to deliver food in a truck within Paris.

    @M. Preston. Wow! Thanks for the info. That's why I love my readers, they always add a little something that is helpful to everyone.

    @Trishia "I've always been given the impression that there is little profit margin in the food business" Well you can make good money with a restaurant providing you do a good marketing. The problem in Paris is the cost of a good place; you can easily pay up to a million euros for a "pas de porte" (It's not the rent, but the price of the clientele - I don't know the translation in English) in a good area.

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  10. 10 Euros for Burger and Chips? I'd want it cooked by Michel Roux for that price!

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  11. I know that Coffee Parisien has burgers. I've not had one, I always have their salmon and rice. The theme is American diner, so maybe the burgers are good. I've only been to the rue Princesse location.

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  12. Hey all, there are now a lot of great burgers in Paris these days, but unfortunately for Rich Painter, the only cheap ones are at McDonalds.

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  13. I guess I'm fortunate to live in the LA area; we've had food trucks here for a long time and there are so many different ones. It's a great way for up-and-coming restaurateurs to "get their feet wet" without investing in a lot of overhead costs. I was under the impression that the idea originated in Portland but I don't have proof of that.

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  14. I'm astonished the culture police haven't raided and marked as to non-French for Paris.... A California-esk moving eatery in Paris....Aaaarrgggghhhh....

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