April Fool’s Day can be a minefield for the blogosphere, which is why more than a few fans thought Manila Machine was just messing around last Friday when it Tweeted, “Thanks for an epic lunch run today everyone! And now some news… The Manila Machine is off the streets.” The truck was the only one selected for Jonathan Gold’s last tasting event and it has enjoyed more than its share of favorable reviews since launching just ten months ago, but nonetheless it announces that it “will no longer be roaming the streets and freeways of Southern California… at least for the time being.”
Big bummer for anyone who fell for its Filipino street food and probably a worse sign for trucks that don’t enjoy the same high profile as Manila Machine did. The owners’ explanation, strangely enough, is that it has already achieved everything it ever set out to do and much more. The truck only expected to make it six months as a goal and it did that and much more, kicking ass and taking awards to prove it.
Yeah, we’re not buying that and either is Midtown Lunch, who calls “bullshit” and demands to hear Manila Machine admit that their closure comes not due to its six month survival plan, but because “running a food truck sucks” and they probably weren’t making any money. There’s probably a golden mean between the two sides here, but the end result is the same: We’re losing one of the few trucks we would fight to keep.
[Manila Machine Should Tell the Truth: They’re Closing Because Running a Food Truck Sucks [Midtown Lunch]
