The limits that Covid has imposed on us are hard. But, if nothing else, following the projects created to combat the pandemic helped us pass the time. Has it been a year already?
Arguably, the industry that needs the most innovative designs is the restaurant industry. Some concepts have certainly emerged and are worthy of further steps, especially those that have food trucks as their object.
The design of Jungsoo Lee, a modular reinterpretation of the food truck, incorporates a removable area to allow guests to enjoy the food from their favorite restaurant with the full experience they are accustomed to. The design could offer peace of mind or inspiration to restaurant workers around the world who need to recover from the downturns of the crisis.
The agile kitchen survives
The crux of Lee's project arises from pressure from restaurant owners who pay monthly rent. With fewer diners, many owners find themselves without the means to finance their spaces. Lee thought of a physical, transportable space where chefs can cook and guests can eat safely, to be rented at low cost, even on a monthly basis.
Each truck in Lee's design consists of two modules: the top portion of the truck is meant for cooking and the bottom quarter of the truck detaches and forms the seating area. The upper module, detached from the lower one, is then able to support itself on special folding pillars.
Food truck with separate seats. Can it work?
Ok, food trucks are a smart option for some cities, but the idea of a separate seating module may not be ideal for every city as currently designed.
With warmer temperatures and warmer climates, eating outdoors is a natural consequence. For colder cities like Stockholm, Chicago or London, how do you do it? Eating outdoors is not that convenient.
Transforming physical locations into mobile on-the-road catering services with exposed seating areas introduces a new, heavy unknown.
If the uncertainty of a city's ever-changing climate comes into play, the concept of agile cuisine may encounter potentially insurmountable obstacles.
Thankfully, however, like time, today's design is constantly evolving and constantly improving its weaknesses. Even that of food trucks.
