Business & Tech

Food Trucks Aim to Break Record

An upcoming rally staged by a local business is planned to be the biggest – ever!

It’s not uncommon for food truck rallies to have 10, 20 or maybe even 30 trucks. But, 100-plus in a single location is the stuff records are made of.

That’s the hope of Candy and Jeremy Gomez as they set out to host “The World’s Largest Food Truck Rally EVER (The 100 Truck Rally)” Aug. 31 at the Florida State Fairgrounds, 4800 U.S. Highway 301.

The Carrollwood couple owns Generation Food Truck, a company that promotes food truck rallies. The Gomezes also own Not Your Ordinary Food Truck, which specializes in wild game and exotic dishes.

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Through Generation Food Truck, the Gomezes have been promoting both local businesses and helping out in the community. Generation Food Truck has been responsible for staging rallies throughout the Tampa Bay area in recent months, including events at Ben Hill Middle School and Bearss Groves. The company also co-sponsored a fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation with D-1 Sports Training in Citrus Park.

Jeremy Gomez, who has worked in the food service industry off and on since he was about 14, says the promotion company enables him to help others in the business while giving back to the community.

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“After my daughter was born, I wanted to give back,” he explained.

The idea for the Guinness World Record-breaking attempt rally in Tampa came about after Miami staged a similar event in April that pulled in 64 trucks, according to an article by The Tampa Tribune.

"We decided we can do Tampa proud," Jeremy Gomez told The Tribune. "We've already done rallies in Tampa with 35 to 40 trucks."

Jeremy Gomez told Patch recently that he does believe a record will be set during the August event.

“This is the largest gathering of food trucks ever,” he said. “Gourmet trucks are coming from as far as South Carolina for this event.”

The rally takes place from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31 at the fairgrounds. While entry is free, parking costs $6. In addition to food, the event will feature live music all day at two separate locations, Gomez said.

For those who are worried about August heat, “There will be indoor, air conditioned seating.”

Beer will also be available for anyone 21 and older and leashed pets can come along for the fun, Gomez said.

Want to keep up with event planning as it happens? Just follow Generation Food Truck on Facebook.


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