It’s been a long time coming but there will be food trucks officially at MIA Park!

Six local food brands have been selected as part of the first food trucks at the Museum grounds, offering a variety of snacks to visitors. The current participants have been approved after a lengthy delay after the first season was expected to start last year. The chosen food operators are expected to start selling in time for the Autumn 2017 season when temperatures will be more conducive to outdoor eating.

The initiative has come through a partnership with Qatar Museums and Qatar Development Bank to further the Qatar National Vision 2030. It is expected that additional food operators will be selected to provide services at other Museum sites in Qatar. Due to licensing and other regulations, the initiative is not suited to home food businesses, who are currently able to sell their products at the seasonal MIA Bazaar.

Food Trucks in Qatar

A few Food Trucks do exist in Qatar, with the Burgeri bus making its rounds across Qatar, and the smaller food trucks, carts, and stalls that have been located at previous editions of QIFF, and the Magical Festival Village. It is felt that these outdoor experiences have encouraged F&B brands to seriously consider mobile food operations as a cheaper and quicker method to directly sell to consumers.

The first food trucks to be approved by Qatar Museums Authority are:

• Doha Bus Café – this will be hosted on the hop-on-hop-off tourist bus, with Qatari food and drinks on the menu.
• Coffee-Bike – already a successful brand with ‘bikes’ in Doha Festival City, this is an organic coffee brand with sandwiches, desserts, and cold beverages.
• Dareen Sweets – a regular at QIFF, this is a Qatari brand known for their beautifully packaged homemade biscuits and cakes.
• Ice Rolls – the Thai dessert phenomena has become a big hit across Doha with several F&B brands selling their own versions. Expect food entertainment as you watch your ice cream being freshly rolled in front of your eyes.
• Burger and Burmait – an American-style burger concept with ingredients sourced locally.
• Poori & Karak – this is a popular stop for lovers of Karak and chapati; it will tempt the hungry with its rich buttery smells.

It’s a great first step to supporting a homegrown food truck industry with the selected brands offering a variety of snacks and beverages. The real test will be whether this initiative can further the good foundations being laid to encourage new and interesting ideas to be developed.

In other parts of the world food trucks have developed organically through the efforts of local business owners and owner-entrepreneurs. Menus are vibrant and reflect the food heritage of global cuisines, usually with a fusion twist.

For Food Truck Version 2.0 we look forward to seeing food concepts come through with a food story or journey in their bites. Big flavours are a must!