Lunch food trucks on hold due to low traffic and fire safety

Food trucks are not currently on the dining schedule for this semester due to ongoing negotiations for a new location.

“Due to the lack of business, we only have two food trucks that might still be interested in being on campus for lunch,” Director of Dining Services Robert Coffey wrote in an email Monday.

Coffey noted that dining services has been in contact with Duke University Occupational and Environmental Safety Office. The concern that both departments share is that last semester, food trucks were stationed in the fire lane of Telecom Circle, which poses a potential safety hazard.

“They had bad numbers to start,” said senior Chris Taylor, co-director of Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee. “With it being winter, food trucks don’t do as well when it’s cold out for obvious reasons.”

Coffey said he would release more information when decisions are made but a timeline is still undetermined.

Taylor said that DUSDAC has thus far not been included in discussions about the future of lunch food trucks. He noted the challenge of balancing the interests of all involved.

Taylor said that DUSDAC is committed to keeping the food trucks on campus for lunch. He said that since the West Union is closed this semester and several hundred students have returned from studying abroad, DUSDAC expects an increase in demand for food trucks as an option at lunchtime.

“We’re going to try to get a new spot, better advertising and trying out different trucks,” Taylor said.