Truckin'

Goldfarb Answers Pressing Question: ‘Where’s the Beef’

With his Picnick Smoked truck shut down by maniacal meat-seekers three days in a row, Will Goldfarb is just a little bit swamped right now — but he finally found a second to call us back from his bunker-commissary to assure us he’ll be back with reinforcements tomorrow. Goldfarb says he and his partner, Kevin Pomplun, served 60 people their first day, then 100, and today they managed to serve 150 before closing at 1 p.m. Tomorrow they’ll be back with 225 portions. Needless to say, the truck won’t reach its hoped-for 7 a.m.–till–7 p.m. opening hours anytime soon, and it won’t be serving breakfast just yet, though Goldfarb is toying with ideas like pulled-pork eggs Benedict and smoked hot chocolate.

For our part, we wonder whether the truck can afford to keep prices at, for instance, $8.50 for a generous portion of Kobe brisket. Is the lack of rent and high turnover compensating? (After all, it’s currently taking the team just half an hour to serve the equivalent of one turn at a restaurant.) “There are times when we look at the prices we’re charging people and say, ‘Jesus, that’s not enough,’” Goldfarb admits. “I don’t think there’s any question that not having a rent is nice, but at the same time you’re trading one sweat for the other. You have less overhead, but you have two more hours each way of transportation and the lifting. I don’t know if you’ve ever lifted a trailer but, it’s pretty heavy.” Anyway, we’ll let the man get back to work … But not before asking what tomorrow’s special is. “Getting open! That’s the special of the week this week.”

Earlier: Picnick Smoked Once Again Sells Out Mid-Lunch

Goldfarb Answers Pressing Question: ‘Where’s the Beef’