BILLINGS — A packed August event calendar is giving Billings food truck owners a boost, bringing bigger crowds and strong sales even as rising costs and unpredictable weather create challenges.
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The scene was especially busy Saturday, as 40 food trucks rolled into the 8th annual Food Truck Battle on the Yellowstone, drawing customers with everything from teriyaki and loaded fries to elote and mac and cheese.
The wide range of unique options is part of the appeal for many customers.
“I think it’s just more fun. It’s convenient,” said Trish Grant, who was visiting the Food Truck Battle. “Once you find out who’s where, you can go find them.”
Grant said she is a fan of Mia’s Wok, one of the longtime food truck businesses in Billings.
Tobee Keutla, owner of Mia’s Wok, said the local food truck scene looks very different from what it was when the business started 22 years ago. Today, food trucks have developed loyal followings, helped in part by social media, which allows customers to track where their favorite vendors will be.
“Well, 22 years ago the food truck scene was not a whole lot,” Keutla said. “We still do well, and one thing about the food trucks, we all have our followers, so it's awesome."
The annual event is also a fundraiser for Montana veterans and has raised more than $350,000 since it began in 2018, according to organizers. Ten percent of gross food truck sales at the event, along with proceeds from beer, raffle sales and donations, goes to nonprofits supporting Montana veterans.
For some vendors, the event was one piece of an unusually busy month.
Gabriel Espino, an owner of It’s Roasted, said August has been packed with events, including MontanaFair, Crow Fair, the Food Truck Battle, and this year's Yellowstone International Air Show.
“The month of August, we have events every weekend,” Espino said. “We’re at all the big events. So it’s chaotic.”
It’s Roasted has won the battle's People's Choice award four years in a row. The mobile truck started in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic as a small tent operation. The business now also has a brick-and-mortar restaurant. Espino said the demand from events has been so strong that the restaurant has closed on some days in August while the team focused on the mobile operation.
He said the business is on track for its best year yet.
“It’s crazy. A lot of caffeine and a lot of corn," Espino joked.
Events can be a significant source of new customers for food trucks. A national food truck industry survey found 37% of operators identified events as their top customer acquisition driver.
MontanaFair is particularly significant for local vendors. The nine-day fair draws more than 200,000 visitors to MetraPark each August, creating a large audience for food and beverage businesses.
Related: Food Trucks: Trend that 'tempts your tastebuds' grows in popularity in Billings
But the busy season does come with challenges. Owners said food and supply costs remain high, forcing some vendors to raise prices or find ways to offset thinner margins.
Adam Himman, owner of Piles of Pasta, said he has noticed the effects of the economy during the past year.
“Sales have probably gone down a little bit overall,” Himman said. “But there’s still people coming out and supporting everybody ... I think you can definitely feel that the economy has hit a little bit.”
Himman said he tries to keep prices as consistent as possible despite higher costs.
The mobile model also offers some advantages over a traditional restaurant. Himman can take his truck to breweries, events, and other locations rather than relying on customers to come to a permanent storefront.
"We do alright. We also have DoorDash that we do," he said. "I can pick when I want to open and don't have the overhead cost of having a building to pay for."
Weather, however, can quickly change the equation. Keutla said rain and extreme heat slowed business at some events this summer, although August overall has been strong.
“A couple of events was too hot or the rain,” Keutla said. “It slowed the business down a little bit. But overall, I think August has been really wonderful for us.”
Espino experienced the heat firsthand. He said his business had to close early at one event when temperatures reached about 105 degrees at this year's Strawberry Festival, and fewer customers came out. Still, he said events have helped make the month successful.
“We've chosen to not raise our prices and just make that up in volume, and doing these events really helps,” said Espino.
For vendors, the growth of the scene also brings more competition. Espino said new trucks regularly enter the market, while others eventually leave.
“There's always more food trucks, but you kind of see that churn every two years of stuff going for sale. It's just like any business, right?” he said. “The top 20% do 80% of the business, and then kind of everyone else fights for the rest."
But he sees the relationship between trucks as more collaborative than competitive. A busy food truck scene gives customers more options and can help introduce people to businesses they may not otherwise find.
For Keutla, that community support is what matters most.
“Economy changes, but, you know, people are still there for you,” Keutla said. “Without the people, the food truck scene would not be where we are now.”
For Billings food trucks, August has brought crowds, long hours and plenty of miles, and as the summer event season winds down, owners say loyal customers and passion remain the key ingredients keeping the industry moving.
“It's that joke, right? You leave your 9 to 5 to work 9 to 9, and sometimes for less money. You've got to go through it to grow through it," said Espino. "When you love what you do, right, you kind of can work a little harder."
