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Syracuse Taco Truck Makes Profit During Pandemic Syracuse Taco Truck Profits Despite Pandemic.

Despite Obstacles from the pandemic a Taco Truck increased their profit.

By Michael Cortez

Olenych: “No, I’m not knowing what was gonna happen from day to day, let alone kind of down the road if there was kind of a light at the end of the tunnel sort of thing, just you know just something extremely stressful time, all the way around.”

Ives: “Personally it’s kinda of boring cant wait for it to be over.”

Reporter: While many Restaurant workers were looking for better days during COVID-19,The Papa Gallo Taco Truck was successful during the pandemic. Brianna Petrocci, the Taco Truck Manager, says that this was the most profitable year to date.

Petrocci: “”We increased our sales by about 60%. In total, we were able to do neighborhoods this year which helped us maintain throughout the season after 99% of our events got cancel.”

Reporter: The Taco Trucks Mobility helped attract people stuck at home. The Truck was asked to go to different neighborhoods around the Syracuse area and provide group contact less catering.

Reporter: In order to avoid long lines during the pandemic the papa gallo taco truck decided to use the app called street food finder not only so they can post their location for people but so they can order online and have complete contact less delivery.

Reporter: Neighborhood catering accounted for 50 percent of their business in 2020.

Petrocci: “We would have orders every three minutes and we would get them out as fast as we can.”

Reporter: The Papa Gallo Mexican Resturant helps with the deliveries and the necessities for tacos. Petrocci says that the taco truck owes a lot to the people of Syracuse.

Petrocci: “We couldn’t have done it without our community so we are thankful for that.”

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS)- COVID-19 closures and restrictions around the country caused more than 100,000 restaurants to close earlier this year with the recent surge of cases around the country and restrictions starting to get implemented again. Business owners around the country can look at how the Papa Gallo Taco Truck in Syracuse was able to adapt and be successful a couple of months ago.

Back in April, the Papa Gallo Food Truck was put on pause because of COVID-19, delayed the beginning of the food truck season. At the beginning of May, the Papa Gallo Taco Truck started to operate and did not look back. The manager of the Papa Gallo Taco Truck, Brianna Petrocci, emphasized that her truck was able to do something others were unable to when most restaurants were closed.

“We increased our sales by about 60%. In total, we were able to do neighborhoods this year, which helped us maintain,”  Petrocci said.

They were able to bring food to people in neighborhoods stuck inside with their children. The truck’s mobility gave the Papa Gallo Taco Truck access to many neighborhoods in Syracuse as they used the mobility and systems to allow for 100% socially distant food delivery.

“Our community support was our saving grace,” Petrocci said. “Life is about adapting to change, which is exactly what we did. While times were tough, we did what we had to do to adapt to the new world.”

The Papa Gallo Taco Truck began to go into local neighborhoods and be a community catering service. One neighbor would host and let the Taco Truck park in the driveway, and the others could go and get their food with no contact. The Papa Gallo Taco Truck started to use the app Street Food Finder to place orders online to reduce the amount of contact needed between the truck and guests. This neighborhood program helped Papa Gallo as it contributed more than 50% of its 2020 revenue.

“We couldn’t have done it without our community, so we are thankful for that,” Petrocci said. “I’ve developed a mindset that you should love your job. You spend way too much time at work to not enjoy it. And I’ve made that happen.”

The Papa Gallo Taco Trucks hopes to continue its success next year. Petrocci said even if next year is uncertain, food trucks are built to adapt. She hopes that she can start a new project next year.

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