VERO BEACH — Thousands of hungry foodies flocked to Riverside Park in Vero Beach Saturday evening, anxious to try a taste of several dishes during the 4-hour Food Truck Frenzy put on by The Buggy Bunch.
Some came with a game plan, having scoped out what food trucks would be participating. Others opted for whichever truck had the shortest line of people clamoring for grub.
“We didn’t know what to expect,” said Rebecca Schlitt, the director of business and administration for The Buggy Bunch.
The group heard about the growing trend that is food truck gatherings and decided it might be a successful event in Vero Beach.
Halfway through the “frenzy” the crowd’s estimated size was 6,000 – with a steady stream of people coming and going, the final tally of visitors to the park could be well over that.
“We’re always looking for fun things for families to do,” Schlitt said, which prompted the inaugural Food Truck Frenzy under the oaks.
Founded in 2009, The Buggy Bunch continues to work toward raising community awareness of its existence – which is why the group decided to hold the Frenzy.
“It’s not a huge money-maker for us,” Schlitt said, though the group will benefit from a portion of the funds the food truck vendors paid to participate.
Food truck operators were bustling about their mobile restaurants, filling orders as quickly as humanly possible – leaving them with scant time to talk about the event and their participation.
Brad Cadiere, of Sun Side Fun Cajun Food, said he was happy with the Food Truck Frenzy.
“It’s a great event,” he said, pausing for a mere second while dishing up a plate. “The Buggy Bunch did a wonderful job.”
Page Rochlus and Roy Wolfe drove from Melbourne to partake in the wide range of food offerings.
“Everything’s amazing,” Rochlus said, adding that she often experiences the food trucks of Orlando and wanted to sample the South Florida food trucks that attended.
The best thing they’d eaten? Burgers from Bite Gastrotruck. Rochlus had a burger with chipotle mayo and a bacon and onion jam. Wolfe opted for a barbecue burger topped with onion rings, bacon and grilled onions.
Rochlus said the best part of food truck events like the one at Riverside Park is the variety and quality of food, noting she can practically travel the world without leaving the country. There were trucks serving up Japanese, Portuguese, Philippine, Central American fare.
Starting with Japanese Flair were Vero Beach residents Robert and Estelita Cable and their daughter, 6-year-old Christina.
“We’re pretty much full,” Robert Cable said while finishing up what had been a very full plate of Japanese food.
The Cables said they were surprised by how busy the park was and how quickly it filled up.
The wide-open field next to the Vero Beach Museum of Art was nearly filled just a half-hour into the event and traffic backed up across Barber Bridge and slowed to a mere crawl.
“I didn’t think it’d be like this,” Robert said.
