OnlyBurger loses close food truck competition

After a close battle with Oklahoma City-based Big Truck Tacos, OnlyBurger fell short of winning the Food Network’s food truck contest, the network announced Sunday night.

The competition, which began Aug. 28, allowed followers to vote online and via text message for their favorite food trucks to appear on the Food Network’s next season of “The Great Food Trucks Race.” Although OnlyBurger appeared to be in first place on the leaderboard when voting closed Sept. 10, Big Truck Tacos ended up winning the $10,000 cash prize and the chance to appear on the show for a grand prize of $50,000.

Before the results were announced, OnlyBurger co-owner Brian Bottger said his food truck had been highly ranked from the contest’s beginning—it began its run in the contest at fifth place and later moved to third and eventually first place on the contest’s leaderboard. Although OnlyBurger employees were confident that their place on the scoreboard indicated a win, Food Network public relations representatives had said the leaderboard did not necessarily represent all the votes that each truck had received.

The final tally was calculated after the leaderboard was last seen by consumers, wrote Lauren Mueller, the Food Network’s public relations manager, in an e-mail.

Bottger said OnlyBurger was nominated by numerous customers to take part in the contest. The food truck used Twitter, Facebook and promotional handouts and posters to encourage customers to vote in the contest.