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Austin food trailer delights FCES attendees

The Paperboy food trailer has gained a significant following in Austin thanks to its locally sourced food. In four years, the business has added a second trailer and is getting ready to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant.

The Paperboy food trailer has attracted a strong following in Austin.

October 21, 2019 by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Attendees at last week's Fast Casual Executive Summit in Austin had a chance to taste some outstanding breakfast and lunch food from one of the city's top food trailers, Paperboy. This marked the first time a mobile kitchen was included on the summit's pre-conference food tour, and judging by attendee response, it isn't likely to be the last.

Ryan Harms serves FCES attendees.

Paperboy, one of three stops on one of six food tours last Sunday, was cited as the highlight by the attendees who happened to choose the tour. The other two stops were both brick-and-mortar restaurants.

Summit attendees received the royal treatment and were served sit-down style at a picnic table on the spacious lot where Paperboy has a permanent presence. The guests watched the Paperboy team work the order and pickup windows which stayed busy for the full duration on the lunch time visit.

One customer told Food Truck Operator she was in town for the Austin City Limits music festival, and was interested in eating at Paperboy because of its positive Yelp reviews. The woman also said she liked the all-day breakfast menu and believed there would be less of a wait at a trailer than at a brick-and-mortar restaurant on a Sunday afternoon.

A local favorite

Located in a predominantly residential section in the central part of the city, Paperboy has received a 4.5 out of five in 401 Yelp reviews, many of which praise the quality of the food, the ambiance and the friendly staff. Many Yelpers particularly liked the bacon-eggs-and-cheese sandwich and the hash.

The menu features yogurt parfait, bacon-eggs-and-cheese sandwich on a buttermilk bun, steak and egg sandwich, Texas hash, BLT, egg plant "bahn mi," grains and greens, along with sides and beverages. All items are priced under $10 except for the $12 steak and egg sandwich, which includes Texas wagyu, mushroom onion relish, chimichurri and an egg on a buttermilk bun.

Customers place orders on a tablet.

The trailer uses locally sourced ingredients, with bread, juices, sauces and preserves made in-house. Owner Ryan Harms said all food is prepared from scratch in the trailer's kitchen except for the bread, which is prepared at a local hotel.

"We're trying to create as much of a restaurant experience as possible," Harms told Food Truck Operator during the visit.

Harms launched Paperboy four years ago after returning to Texas from California and has gained an extensive following and a lot of favorable media coverage. The Austin-American Statesman selected Paperboy as one of the best food trucks and trailers in Austin in 2018.

A competitive foodservice market

Winning accolades for a mobile kitchen is no easy feat in Austin, which is considered one of the best food truck cities in the country. Webstaurant Store recently named Austin the second-best food truck city after Los Angeles in its listing of the nation's 10 top food truck cities.

Harms recently opened a second trailer adjacent to a coffee house, and will soon open a 2,500-square-foot brick-and-mortar restaurant. The restaurant will have indoor and outdoor seating, a rooftop patio and garden, and an order/pick up window. It will also boast an extended menu, including coffee, pastries, breakfast hand pies, quiche and more. There will also be an expanded weekend brunch menu that will serve cocktails.

Once the restaurant opens, Harms said he will be adding to his current eight-person staff.

Photos courtesy of Networld Media Group.