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?
Probably, the industry that needs the most innovative designs is that of catering. Some concepts have certainly emerged and 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 their favorite restaurant's food with the full experience they are used to. The design could offer peace of mind or inspiration to restaurant workers around the world who need to recover from the reverses of the crisis.
The agile kitchen survives
The crux of Lee's project stems from pressure from restaurant owners who pay monthly rent. With fewer diners, many owners find themselves without the means to finance their spaces. Lee has thought of a physical and 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 of the truck is meant for cooking and the bottom quarter of the truck detaches and forms the seating area. The upper module unhooked from the lower one is then able to stand on special folding pillars.
Food truck with separate seats. Can it work?
Okay, food trucks are a smart option for some cities, but the idea of a separate seating module may not be as ideal for every city as currently designed.
With warmer temperatures and milder climates, eating outside 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 cooking can encounter potentially insurmountable obstacles.
Thankfully, however, like time, today's design is constantly evolving and constantly improving its weaknesses. Even that of food trucks.
