POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Whether it be mofongo, mangu, tostones, or rice and beans, Polk County is becoming a hot spot for Hispanic restaurants, in particular: food trucks.
Within the last five to seven years, Lakeland, Dundee, Lake Wales, and Winter Haven have seen food trucks come and go. However, these Hispanic food trucks have stayed and only grown in number and popularity.
These establishments include Cuatro Jibaros, El Gallito #7, The Arepazo Grill, and Parada Tropical, among others. With a growing Hispanic following and general appreciation for international food, could it be that county residents are excited for more restaurants and food trucks to open?
According to the social media accounts of Arepazo Grill and Cuatro Jibaros, these trucks have been open since 2016 and March 2017 respectively. These businesses have acquired a following of two to three thousand fans. With similar numbers across the board for the other food trucks, it is a slow but steady increase of customers enjoying this sort of cuisine throughout Polk County.
“All of these food trucks have their strong suits, as well as great customer service, food, and prices and are run by good people,” Julie Bermudez, a frequent customer of Hispanic food trucks said.
Many of these food trucks are within 10-15 minutes of the downtown area of the city and have decent foot traffic. These food trucks offer authentic Puerto Rican and Venezuelan cuisine that fills a sentiment of home for many. The arepas, mofongo, tripletas are just a few of the popular dishes offered.
Polk County communities can expect higher demand for Hispanic cuisine.
”Many people fall in love with Puerto Rican cuisine and Hispanic cuisine in general and are left wanting to return,” Bermudez said.
With an increasing Hispanic population in the county and more food trucks popping up, it is inevitable that Hispanic food will continue to be in high demand for months and maybe years to come. These food trucks are filling a niche in the market, and it is only going to grow.
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