Riviera Reporter
Riviera Reporter
THE FRENCH RIVIERA'S ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWS MAGAZINE
THE FRENCH RIVIERA'S ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWS MAGAZINE

Street food: a moveable feast from food trucks

Glenn and Richard graduated from culinary schools and worked in 4-star establishments before deciding to branch out on their own. In October 2013 they set up Le Vieux Taco Burger Truck in Antibes, er… sort of.

Le Vieux Taco is part of the Street Food Movement – mobile takeaway, which took off in the UK in 2011; they support local growers and actively recycle. Glenn and Richard also use neighbourhood businesses – accounting, banking, insurance – to contribute to the community.

Taco TruckPhoto: Corrosive PicturesBut les food trucks are not appreciated by local eateries, who say these moveable restaurants are unfair competition (concurrence déloyale), setting up anywhere while traditional restaurants are suffering.

Unfortunately local mairies are feeling pressure from the restaurant unions and so these rolling businesses – such as Le Vieux Taco, Coup de food in Cannes, Riviera Food Truck in Valbonne or Le Camion de Sophie in Nice – are not given permits to be in city centres.

“I like to stay positive and hope that one day, with the help of customers and by offering healthy and good street food, we’ll be allotted spots in city centres,” Glenn tells the Reporter. “We don’t think it’s unfair competition and maybe restaurants are complaining about the trucks because they’re afraid of what they don’t know. We have no problems with restaurants nor do we have time for this kind of war.”

Homemade burgers from €7.50 with English farmhouse cheddar and brioche buns. See www.levieuxtaco.fr

Popular: Riviera Community