The owners of some of the most successful trucks are using the knowledge, fame and bankability gained from operating their mobile eateries to start sit-down restaurants.
“To grow a restaurant from the ground up is impossible,” said Eric Tjahyadi, who with his brother Erwin and two other partners started the Komodo Truck with its Asian-influenced food two years ago.
That was in the middle of a recession, when it was tough to start any business, let alone one as notoriously vulnerable as a restaurant.
But the truck, which costs far less to operate than a bricks-and-mortar establishment, was a hit, racking up good reviews and, more important, devoted fans. In March, the Tjahyadi brothers opened their Komodo Cafe in the Pico-Robertson area.