On the premiere episode of The Great Food Truck Race, the teams of food trucks started out in Hollywood, but their first day of selling actually took place in Beverly Hills. Soon after, a Speed Bump moved them to San Francisco. This turn of events by no means made it easy for the first-time food truck operators. In the name of the game, one team must go home every week based on the lowest profit. FN Dish has the exclusive exit interview with the latest team cut from the race.

The eight teams had a rough start in California. The challenge in Beverly Hills of upselling to upmarket customers seemed to work in bolstering profits for most of the teams. But moving to San Francisco meant the low-earning teams would be put at more of a disadvantage because they had to leave in order of profit, from highest to lowest.

The Frankfoota Truck earned the least in Beverly Hills, putting them in last place at the start of the second day. But Murphy’s Spud Truck wasn’t far behind. Opening late in Beverly Hills had cost them sales — and San Francisco wouldn’t be much different. Not being able to get their griddle started had the team redoing the menu and once again opening late. It turned out a valve on the propane tank wasn’t turned on. In the bottom two, only $60 separated Murphy’s Spud Truck from The Frankfoota Truck. But it wasn’t enough to save the Murphy’s team.

FN Dish caught up with Suellen from Murphy’s Spud Truck to chat about her team’s time on the show.

What do you think was the biggest challenge in operating a food truck for the first time?
I think the biggest challenge operating a food truck was learning how everything worked. Not having an oven was a huge setback for us.

A late start selling in Beverly Hills was a bit of a setback for you guys. Is there something you would have done differently?
We had originally planned to go through the canyon to get to Beverly Hills, but my daughter thought it was getting too dangerous for her brother to drive the truck on, so we turned around. It set us back, but I love the fact that she was more concerned for her brother’s safety than the time factor!

People seemed to love your Irish grilled cheese. What are some other dishes from your menu that you guys are proud of that we didn’t get to see?
The Irish grilled cheese got rave reviews. We were also planning on Irish nachos, Irish balls (tater tots made with Irish cheddar cheese) and corned beef sliders.

In San Francisco, at the SOMA StrEat Food Park, you had the perfect venue for selling, but also the most competitive. Not being able to start your propane resulted in changing your menu to a dish that didn’t need cooking. In hindsight, would you have tried to find a different way to cook and still make your nachos, or would you have set the price higher for the salad you ended up making?
We have talked about it a lot since then and realized that if we had just charged $1 more for our salads, we would have not been eliminated in that challenge.

In the beginning you said you all gave up your jobs to be on the show. Would you want the chance to work together again as a family? Would it be a food truck or a restaurant? What’s the next step?
Right now my daughter and I have started a sauce company, “Perfectly Dressed Sauces,” and plan on opening a restaurant as soon as we can get some capital.

What advice would you give the remaining food truck rookies in the competition? Who are you rooting for?
My advice for the other trucks would be to not be too focused on winning, but more focused on the experience. I wish we would have enjoyed the experience a little more instead of stressing over trying to win. I am rooting for Aloha Plate. They have so much fun together and have such a great attitude! Go, Hawaii!

Watch The Great Food Truck Race on Sundays at 9pm/8c, and keep coming back to FN Dish for exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes content.

The seven remaining teams had a wet start in Portland on Episode 2 of The Great Food Truck Race. With little foot traffic, sales were slow, and each team was stuck with its chosen location because of Portland’s street vendor regulations. Boardwalk Breakfast Empire and Tikka Tikka Taco chose to set up residence at local food cart pods, whereas the other teams partnered with local business, but neither location was more advantageous than the other. Besides that, a set of surprises from Tyler made for an even more challenging weekend. But one team that was headed for success suddenly took a turn for the worse.

Just as the teams started to rank up sales, Tyler issued a Speed Bump, banning any restocking of food and forcing the teams to stretch what they already had. Later he surprised the teams with a Truck Stop challenge: The teams would have to exclusively sell dishes made with an exotic local shellfish called geoduck, priced at $10 or less. Once the teams reached $200 in sales, they would have the chance of racing to find a token worth $500 at a nearby park.

Despite a day of inconsistent sales, Boardwalk Breakfast Empire reached the sales goal first and quickly made their way to the park. Unfortunately, after a number of wrong turns, they missed their opportunity of getting there first. The ladies of Bowled and Beautiful snatched up the token. But Boardwalk wasn’t the only team plagued by bad luck: The girls of The Frankfoota Truck were only four sales shy of making the sales goal, but they ran out of product. It was between them and Boardwalk at elimination, with a slim $72 difference in profits. In the end, Boardwalk’s misfortune cost them the race.

FN Dish caught up with the team from Boardwalk Breakfast Empire to chat about their time on the show.

Coming from owning a restaurant, how different was it for you to adapt to a food truck? Or was it no different at all?
It was a little bit confined, in terms of space, but less confining in the figurative sense, in that the overhead is less and the business is portable. However, cooking and selling food is cooking and selling food.

In Portland, it almost looked like you guys wouldn’t have any customers in the food truck park you chose to sell from, but business picked up. How was the reception in Portland? Did the fact that you guys created a specialty, the Portland Pancake Club, help sales?
We wanted to be in a place where there were other trucks selling food and not on an “island” for ourselves. We didn’t know how the food park would look from just speaking to the owner on the phone. Once we arrived at the location, we were a bit disappointed. The rain didn’t help either. However, as the day wore on, we did have some sales — but not enough. And, yes, it definitely helped that we created a dish especially for Portland.

If it wasn’t for getting lost on the way to the park to find the token worth $500, your team would have been spared from elimination. But in the end, only $72 separated your team from the Frankfoota girls. Do you have any regrets? Do you think you should have sold your dishes at a higher price point or possibly have chosen a different venue to sell at?
We have no regrets about what we cooked or how we sold our food. We got many rave reviews on our food. We worked well as a team and nailed the geoduck challenge. If we didn’t get lost, we likely would have made it to the park first. We were very proud of that. We all need a few navigation lessons — that is our only regret!

At elimination, Tyler delivered the good news that the profits from all the food truck sales from that weekend would be donated to the charity you founded, Sea Bright Rising, which benefits the victims of Hurricane Sandy. What did that news mean for you?
We were thrilled to hear Tyler say that, and so appreciative of the generosity of Food Network. People assume that since the storm was 10 months ago, that things are back to normal. But that is far from the truth. Sea Bright still needs lots of help, and lots of money, so the attention that this will bring to Sea Bright Rising is great.

Now that the race is over, what’s next for you? Would you consider opening up a food truck in the future, or do you think a restaurant is more likely?
We have many irons in the fire, and we are weighing them carefully. The food truck industry is certainly on fire, so that is a direction we are considering. We all get along great and feel like family, so we would look forward to being in business together.

What advice would you give the remaining food truck rookies in the competition? Who are you rooting for?
We are rooting for ALL our friends from The Great Food Truck Race, Season 4. And, considering our blunders, we are not ones to give advice. Have fun, and don’t take the show — or yourselves — too seriously!

Watch The Great Food Truck Race on Sundays at 9pm/8c, and keep coming back to FN Dish for exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes content.

The six remaining teams rolled into Pocatello, Idaho, on Episode 3 of The Great Food Truck Race, ready to take on any challenges that Tyler threw at them. But for many teams, completing the challenges was the least of their worries, as a few setbacks put a number of them in the red, and nearing the end of day two, the only hope for most was racing to win one of three prize tokens to offset their sales losses. At elimination time, the race came to an end for a team that was all too familiar with being among the bottom finalists.

This week the teams would see a set of challenges that had them first cooking with no starches, and then cooking exclusively with one of the most popular starches: the state’s biggest crop, the potato. Most of the teams were able to find good sales locations, but Aloha Plate and The Frankfoota Truck ended up going outside of the city limits, which led Tyler to dock their profits according to the time they spent out of Pocatello. Philly’s Finest Sambonis got into an accident with a store sign and had to pay an insurance deductible, which took them from third place to fifth place, putting them in the bottom two. The girls of The Frankfoota Truck didn’t make it in time to win any of the three tokens and also ended up in the bottom two. In the end, they made the least profit and were sent back home to Brooklyn.

FN Dish caught up with The Frankfoota Truck team to chat about their time on the show.

What do you think was the biggest challenge in operating a food truck for the first time?
The fact that none of us have ever worked together in such close quarters was definitely a struggle. We were constantly bumping heads, literally and figuratively speaking. On top of that, we had no clue what we were doing. We took a crash course in truck operation, and then were given the keys to a BEAST of a vehicle that had a mind of its own. We had trouble with everything from figuring out how to get our water heater on to lighting the pilot.

At the motocross races, you were going back and forth on pricing strategy and ended up selling at lower prices. Did your team regret that choice?
We’d be lying if we told you that we don’t think about what the outcome could have been like had we upped the prices on our dogs at PMXP. But at the end of the day, regretting the decision doesn’t change a thing. So the answer is no, The Frankfootas don’t live their lives on regrets. We keep calm and chive on.

At elimination when you found out that you and Philly’s were in the bottom two, you felt that if you got saved, it would be because of Philly’s $500 fine, which would make it an undeserved win. Is there anything you think you could have done differently to keep you from getting into the bottom two?
For one thing, we could’ve won the challenge. That would’ve helped us out BIG TIME! We were slacking when it came to scouting locations, which is a tremendous part of excelling in this competition. If you don’t know where the crowd is and they can’t find you, your business isn’t going to get very far. That was pretty evident while we were posted up at the hardware store parking lot. The whole “if you build it, they will come” mentality definitely doesn’t apply here!

At elimination, Tyler said you girls were “an unforgettable team in every sense of the word. Three sassy girls decked out in red, white and blue — what could be more awesome?” In your opinion, what made your team so great?
We’re from Brooklyn, the borough that breeds awesome: Jay-Z, Biggie Smalls, Mae West, Spike Lee and Mel Brooks. You get some serious street credibility just for having a 7-1-8 area code. We came into this game with a “we don’t care” attitude, and I think that’s what made it so fun for us and everyone else that we were fortunate enough to work with.

Now that you’re back in Brooklyn, are you working on getting a food truck? What are your plans?
We don’t have a truck yet, but it’s in the works. Right now we’re looking to secure financing to get one on the road. When we do get it, our first line of business is to do a military tour overseas. We want to fly The Frankfoota Truck to Iraq and Afghanistan to serve our troops the way they’ve been serving us for over 10 years now. We’ve got a lot of love and utmost respect for all the men and women that have been fighting the good fight for our country, and we want to personally let them know that we can’t wait for each and every one of them to come home. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

What advice would you give the remaining food truck teams in the competition? Who are you rooting for?
Who is going to want to listen to the losers that got thrown off the show? All we can tell them is to have fun and make the most of this entire experience. Being a part of The Great Food Truck Race was the best thing that ever happened to us. Even though we didn’t make it very far, we walked away with some of the most incredible memories and stories we’ll be telling over cocktails for years to come. Oh yeah, and try not to kill one another. As far as who we’re rooting for, that’s a no-brainer: Aloha Plate, hands down.

Watch The Great Food Truck Race on Sundays at 9pm/8c, and keep coming back to FN Dish for exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes content.

The five remaining teams came into Rapid City, S.D., on Episode 4 of The Great Food Truck Race with a goal in mind. For some it was keeping their previous leads, but for others it was breaking out of the middle of the pack or stopping a downward spiral. A Speed Bump didn’t do much to break the teams’ resolve, and a Truck Stop challenge involving buffalo just made them even more determined to follow through. However, a bad choice of location and poor planning resulted in low sales for one team. At elimination, a team that had held a lead in a previous stop took a nosedive to the bottom.

This week the teams had their follow cars towed on day one, making restocking and roaming the city that much more difficult. Later on, butchering and cooking with buffalo turned out to be a fun adventure, but what most teams didn’t count on was running out of food before the challenge was complete, which is what plagued Philly’s Finest Sambonis and Bowled and Beautiful. At elimination, $122 separated the two teams at the bottom. In the end, Bowled and Beautiful fell from the previous city’s top spot to last place, all because of bad location choices and disappointing sales.

FN Dish caught up with the team from Bowled and Beautiful to chat about their time on the show.

What do you think was the biggest challenge in operating a food truck for the first time? Do you think having culinary schooling gave you an advantage?
I think the biggest challenge in operating a food truck for the first time was making the right connections to secure a spot to sell in an area we knew no one in and nothing about. We learned early on that location was everything and choosing the wrong one could result in going home. I believe that our culinary background definitely helped us out in two areas. Number one would be that while in school we were not only graded on taste but also on how fast we could prepare a meal. Second would be that we were taught to make several different dishes using the same ingredients. The Art Institute of L.A. definitely prepared us for those challenges on the road.

In the previous cities, you ladies were always in the top two, often neck and neck with Aloha Plate. What do you think was the biggest reason you lost your lead in Rapid City and ended up at the bottom?
The prime location we had planned on was taken by The Slide Show and Aloha Plate, and we were forced to locate to another spot. We chose a hotel near the City Square, but unfortunately there was not enough visibility for the crowd to see our truck. Being in an area like that was exactly what took our lead and advantage away.

Rapid City was a tough town for you three. Setting up at the hotel turned out to be a bust, then later you ran out of buffalo meat and couldn’t make the $1,500 sales goal. At any point during all of that, did you think you were done, or were you holding out hope until the end?
We absolutely held out hope to the very end. We are not quitters; losing was not an option for us. We knew going into this that the team going home could separate us by as little as $10. That could have been one bowl, and every penny counts.

At elimination, when Tyler said that only $122 separated the bottom two, what was going through your minds?
When Tyler announced that only $122 separated us at elimination, it was devastating. A million things ran through our heads, but the one that stood out was: Should we have charged more for our bowls? Charging $1 more for a bowl would have saved us. We were known for undercharging our food in the race. I understand it’s a competition, but I also believe in being fair and honest with our customers. I just didn’t feel right charging $20 or more when I knew the real cost of what it took to make that meal.

What’s next for you three? Is a food truck in your culinary future?
Bowled and Beautiful is not going anywhere. This show only gave us more drive and determination to really make this dream a reality. In the near future, you will see a Bowled and Beautiful truck — we promise!

What do your kids think about you doing the show?
Our children are extremely proud of their Mother Truckers. I believe it taught them a life lesson to never give up on your dreams and that we are in charge of our destiny, and when you want something bad enough, you will find a way to make it happen.

Watch The Great Food Truck Race on Sundays at 9pm/8c, and keep coming back to FN Dish for exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes content.

The next stop on Episode 5 of The Great Food Truck Race was a turning point for the four remaining food trucks. This was the chance for those who’d perpetually been in the middle or in the bottom to break out of their rut. But the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul proved to bring double the difficulty the teams had expected. Tyler promised the teams wouldn’t have a Speed Bump on day one, but he ended up springing a Truck Stop challenge on them, one that none of the teams were able to accomplish. On day two, another Truck Stop was much more attainable for all the teams but one, leading to its elimination.

Twin Truck Stops saw the teams cooking up foods to cater to local Minnesotans’ tastes, which in Minneapolis meant food on a stick and in St. Paul was cooking with the infamous Spam. The teams didn’t count on the rainy weather putting a damper on sales, but it did, and day one proved to be a bust for everyone concerned. Day two was the turning point Tyler had alluded to, and it resulted in success for just three teams, who would move on to the next city. Only $1 separated the top two teams, but more than $1,000 separated the bottom two, Philly’s Finest Sambonis and The Slide Show. In the end, The Slide Show faced challenges that were too difficult to conquer.

FN Dish caught up with the members from The Slide Show to chat about their time on the show.

Coming from working in restaurants, how different was it adapting to a food truck?
The work space is much tighter in a food truck, and you have limited supplies and equipment.

How surprised were you by Tyler’s Truck Stop challenge on Saturday? Did you ever think that it would turn out the way it did, with no team making the sales goal?
We weren’t surprised at all. We were expecting the unexpected as we got farther along in the race. It wasn’t surprising that no one made the sales goal because $1,500 is a massive amount of money for food on a stick.

In both Minneapolis and St. Paul, your team struggled to bring in a high volume of customers. What do you think was the biggest issue there?
The weather was a big issue. The rain definitely killed our foot traffic.

At elimination, Tyler revealed that only $1 separated two of the four remaining teams. What was going through your minds when you heard that?
We were excited! We thought that meant we still had a chance, and we could have easily earned one more dollar than the losing team. But when Tyler said that the $1 separation was between the top-two teams, we knew we were in trouble.

Now that the race is over, what’s next for you all? Are you considering operating a food truck or going back to the restaurant world?
We want to own and operate a food truck along with a brick-and-mortar restaurant.

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned from doing the competition?
Das: The competition was a lot more about strategy than cooking and making good food. It’s a strategy-based competition where food comes secondary, and that’s the crazy part!

Moe: I learned how to manage my time better and work faster.

Ahren: I gained a much greater respect for food truck operators, and this competition show further confirmed that with God I can do anything I put my mind to. Being on The Great Food Truck Race pushes you to be a better chef and person, and I am so thankful and blessed to have gotten the opportunity to be on the show.

Watch The Great Food Truck Race on Sundays at 9pm/8c, and keep coming back to FN Dish for exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes content.

On tonight’s finale of The Great Food Truck Race, three teams put in their last push to make as many sales as they could while battling challenges thrown at them by Tyler. However, only two teams made the last leg of the race, as one was eliminated right in the middle of the episode. The final two teams did their best to secure prime locations in Arlington, Va., and then in Washington, D.C. But by the end it was clear that one team had succeeded in accomplishing Tyler’s final challenge. Would that put them in the path for the win, or would the other team’s sales beat them to the punch? FN Dish has the exclusive interview with the winning team.

In the end, Aloha Plate managed to come out on top, securing the keys to their food truck and claiming the award of $50,000. Even though Tikka Tikka Taco had very strong sales in Annapolis, Md., they failed to keep the momentum going in the last two cities. Aloha Plate was able to rally up more customers and won both challenges: the crab cooking challenge on Kent Island and the sales challenge in D.C., where the teams swapped signature dishes. In front of the nation’s Capitol, the guys from a little island in Hawaii were declared the winners. Relive the moment below.

FN Dish caught up with Adam, Lanai and Shawn to chat about their win. Read the interview below.

You guys were never in the bottom two and never lost a challenge until Chicago. What did it feel like finishing in the bottom for the first time?
Lanai: It took some wind out of our sails, and although the first day in Chicago was good, we had some trouble after that. We just couldn’t get into our groove. Being in the bottom for the first time kind of ruined our momentum and it was discouraging, but it made us fight harder for the next time!

Your “thin it to win it” strategy backfired in Maryland when you didn’t have enough ingredients on hand for making the crab dish. But you won the challenge anyway. How did you guys pull it off?
Lanai: That was all Chef Adam! This guy is pretty amazing. His cool, calm approach has always helped him in the kitchen. It came down to creativity with what you have to use — kind of like how we grew up back home.
Adam: We utilized what was left on the truck and presented it like a championship heavyweight fighter in his last round.

In D.C., what was it like selling your competition’s dish? Did it make you think of Tikka Tikka Taco in a different way?
Lanai: What a clever challenge! We didn’t have too much trouble with it, though. One of the bright sides for us is Adam knows his spices, so we had an advantage.

Besides your winning moment, what has been the most memorable moment on the show?
Lanai: There were so many it’s hard to choose. Talk about a great life experience! It has been amazing and emotional all the way. Every time one of our customers got up to dance the hula, it got us a little choked up. And of course winning the Spam challenge was pretty amazing too.

Everywhere you guys went, the aloha spirit seemed to follow. Do you think you could have done this journey without it? What has it meant for you to see this kind of love?
Lanai: Yes! Everyone wants something from Hawaii. If you have never been to our islands, the curiosity to try our foods is always there. It was the one feeling that I will take with me forever. Being in the front of the truck meeting the people, one of the common comments we got was “mahalo for bringing us together.” That’s what aloha and our culture is about. We share our food to bring people together. When you come to Hawaii, the first thing we do is cook for you or bring you to eat. We can’t thank everyone who shared their time with us enough.

What do you think it was about your food that kept people coming, whether you were serving geoduck, Spam or whatever ingredient Tyler threw at you guys?
Lanai: We made sure we didn’t put ourselves in the corner with a name or one brand. You knew for the most part what the other trucks were serving just by their name. All you knew looking at our truck is that you were going to get something from paradise. Who doesn’t want a piece of paradise?
Adam: No matter what we created on the truck, we kept it real — as real as we could with what we had to work with! Hawaii’s flavors were created by all the ethnicities that surround the pacific, so I tried to keep that flavor profile along with familiar dishes we grew up with.
Shawn: Growing up in Hawaii, we had lots of different cultures. And nowadays people like fusion in foods.

Coming into the show, what did you think would be the most difficult part of the race? And now looking back, do you feel the same way?
Lanai: Location! Finding a location in a foreign territory had me stressed out every day. Looking back and just thinking about it still stresses me out! One bad choice and you’re packing it up and headed home. Look what happened to Bowled and Beautiful.
Adam: The most difficult part, traveling in a car on long drives. Not knowing where we are going until the last minute. Now that I look back, it was awesome, except for when we got lost!
Shawn: Finding the groove with the team. We never really worked together in a kitchen and never worked in a tight space in a food truck. It was all new to us.

What are you planning to do or have done with the prize money? Will you keep your truck around on the mainland, or are you headed back to Hawaii?
Lanai: We are keeping the truck on the mainland and hoping to expand. We are planning on opening a brick and mortar. Our goal is to keep sharing aloha with the rest of America, spreading aloha through our food!

Visit The Great Food Truck Race page for behind-the-scenes content and read all the exit interviews from the eliminated teams.

There could be only one winner of The Great Food Truck Race, Season 4. Three teams made it into the finale, but halfway through, one was eliminated, leaving two teams to duke it out in Arlington, Va., and Washington, D.C. As the finish line drew closer, the challenges got even more difficult. But by the end, one of them won the final challenge and earned a cash prize. The other team had to hope their sales were good enough to get them a lead. FN Dish has the exclusive interview with the runner-up from the race. Read the winner’s interview here.

In the end, Aloha Plate’s persistence at selling won them the race and the team of Tikka Tikka Taco came in second place. It came down to which team could secure the best location, and Aloha Plate lucked out. Tikka Tikka Taco struggled to secure locations in their last cities and lost precious time. They also couldn’t meet Tyler’s final challenge of selling their competitor’s signature dish. In front of the nation’s Capitol, Aloha Plate won their truck and the $50,000, but that doesn’t mean it’s over for Tikka Tikka Taco. FN Dish caught up with the guys to chat about their win. Read the interview below.

Throughout the show you guys put out fusion food that people loved. Was there any point during the competition where you thought fusion might not work in a certain city? Did you ever second-guess a dish?
We definitely guessed and second-guessed every decision; it was a strength of our team! We let all opinions out in the open and worked through them until there was a clear winner of an idea. At the end of it, our biggest regret was not adding more Tikka spice to the crab dish. Mike made the decision to scale back not because we were afraid of them not liking it, but because crab is usually not served with heavy flavoring. It’s naturally delicious. It turned out to be a $3,000 mistake.

How did you guys come up with your menu of Tikka tacos, naanchos and other unique dishes?
Evolution, baby! I ate a lot of Indo-Pak food growing up, and everyone has their own way of eating it. Since I also loved Mexican food, I got used to just throwing the meat and vegetables I wanted into the naan and topping it with the yogurt — fajita style. From there, I just started trying it different ways, and our concept evolved into what it is now. Pretty amazing!

What was going through your minds when Tyler announced that Chicago would be the beginning of the finale? Did it change your strategy at all?
Two things immediately popped into my mind: 1. Thank God we are starting with a $1,000 lead in the finale, and 2. Shoot, that means we aren’t narrowing the competition here in Chicago. As much as we love those boys from Philly, we didn’t want them heading east with us and getting closer to home.

You guys had a great plan for selling the Ditka sausages, offering a discount on the other menu items if customers purchased the special. Do you think that’s what got you ahead of everyone else, securing you the Truck Stop win?
Yes, absolutely! People really wanted our food, too, so when they ordered it we cross-sold the Ditkas. It made it so low-risk they couldn’t help but try it. I think that was a solid plan.

You had a really strong day in Annapolis, making more than $5,000, but when it came to Arlington and D.C., you guys had a hard time getting customers. You ended up not being able to sell all 50 of your specials to meet the final challenge. Why do you think there was that big of a difference among the locations?
The difference was simple: We knew we were heading to Annapolis as soon as Tyler told us. So, we had an entire 700-mile drive in which we could do our homework, come up with a solid plan, attract attention in advance, and then execute upon arrival. With Arlington and D.C., it was literally “head there now and sell!” With no advance time to plan, it was pretty much all luck from there. We had to make quick decisions, and we made the wrong ones. We competed hard, cooked and planned well, but lost in the end — no shame in that. And we are proud of what we accomplished.

Shaun and Michael, what did it mean for you guys to take this journey together with your uncle? Has the competition changed your relationship?
You know, it’s interesting. I would say our relationship didn’t change, it changed back! Growing up, we always lived a short drive away from Amoo and would spend every precious minute we could with him. As adults, we live farther away from him and aren’t lucky enough to see him as often. Being on the road for two months together felt like old times. We have learned so much from Amoo, our sense of style, music, cooking ability — so much of who we are! We are forever grateful to him and love him even more than we can possibly show in a quick interview.

At elimination, Tyler informed you that the Fallen Patriot Fund would be getting a donation to honor your fallen friend. What did that mean to you, Shaun?
Shaun: I thought it was pretty awesome! It’s nice to hear his name spoken on a national stage and know that he is remembered not just by his family and also everyone he served with, but by America too. He deserves that recognition and for America to know what he sacrificed for this country.

Is there a future for Tikka Tikka Taco in St. Louis or elsewhere? What’s next for you?
You better believe it. In fact, people can help us get launched! We are going to attempt a crowd funding campaign, so please look us up on social media and follow us through our journey. The food and the concept is too good to let go of. Look out for updates on how you can help us get started!

Visit The Great Food Truck Race page for behind-the-scenes content and read all the exit interviews from the eliminated teams.

In a Food Trucks first, three teams competed in the finale, which began in Chicago. But in a surprise elimination, one team was sent packing halfway through the final leg of the race. After just getting by in the bottom more than once, Philly’s Finest Sambonis made it to the top three by the skin of their teeth. But then after a Truck Stop challenge based on taste in Maryland, the luck finally ran out: The team wouldn’t be making it to the final two cities of Annapolis, Md., and Washington, D.C. FN Dish has the exclusive interview with the guys of Philly’s Finest Sambonis.

These guys from Philly put out some great authentic cheese steaks, never compromising the integrity of their food. They even showed they could be contenders after winning in San Francisco, but a bunch of blunders afterward brought them very close to getting sent home too many times. But no accident, misstep or fight could get these guys down; their brotherly love kept them together. FN Dish caught up with Erik and Joe from Philly’s Finest Sambonis to chat about their time on the show and their plans for the future. Read the interview below.

When you found out that Chicago was just the start of the finale, what was going through your minds?
We were really excited because it guaranteed we would finish up on the East Coast, where it would be difficult to knock us out.

In Chicago, you went out of your way to get ingredients to have more-authentic cheese steaks. Do you think it was worth the trouble? It seemed like your biggest challenge in every city was just getting the right bread!
We wanted to bring the Philly experience any chance we could, so driving out of the way was an easy choice. It’s a simple respect to the customer. We knew we would have a tough time finding bread from the start, but it was way harder than we expected. While we were definitely aware our product was not nearly as cost effective as the other two teams, we didn’t want to disappoint the people buying our food. They expected and wanted cheese steaks.

In Chicago you guys lost a lot of time searching for locations. What do you think was the most difficult aspect about selling in Chicago?
Chicago is an extremely difficult city to navigate a food truck in with the limited parking and traffic, but not being able to park at North Beach was absolutely crucial. When we pulled up we were under the impression it was OK to park there. We would’ve won that challenge guaranteed, but sometimes all it takes is a cop having a bad day to ruin a good thing. Having to drive away from the thousands of people there was heartbreaking and probably cost us a legit shot at winning. The same thing happened at the end of day one. Shift change was a mood change, and moving around in that traffic was obviously the worst in the country!

In Annapolis, you had one of the best customer turnouts. Was there anything you did differently to get that response, or do you think it was all because of East Coast support?
Annapolis was an incredible place. The traffic wasn’t bad and there were fewer restrictions than Chicago. After coming up so small on day two in Chicago, we had a plan A, B, C, D all the way to a plan Z to ensure that wouldn’t happen again. We were in other people’s backyards a lot of the time (we didn’t realize there is a Hawaiian island in every city), so it definitely didn’t hurt being so close to home. East Coast love was flowing in Annapolis, for sure, and being close to Philly doesn’t mean they get to eat a real cheese steak on a regular basis. They’ve had them, which just makes the craving sink in even more!

Winning the Truck Stop challenge in Maryland would have meant your team would have been spared elimination. How did it feel when you didn’t win the challenge? Is there anything you would have done differently with the dish?
It never feels good to lose. Especially when the judge tells you that the presentation was lacking but the taste was “perfect,” and then picks the winner as the only dish he said he couldn’t taste the crab. That was a true heartbreaker, and doing anything differently wasn’t an option because we sold out the night before and needed to use what we had left on the truck.

During the run of the show you guys had a lot of drama but still came out in one piece. What keeps you guys sticking together?
Fight, forgive and forget. We may seem rough around the edges, but anybody who knows us or met us on the show will tell you we are three of the most humble, fun-loving guys on the planet. For every tense minute or mistake (the bread was an honest mistake, we swear) there were hours of smiles and laughter shared with each other, the customers and the other teams.

We’ve seen you guys make really awesome cheese steak sandwiches. What’s your secret to the best Philly cheese steak?
Truthfully our secret is how much we care about our food. We make sure every cheese steak is seasoned, perfectly cooked and most importantly served with a smile. We want people to come for the Samboni and stay for the party.

What’s next for you guys? Is a food truck in the works?
You will most definitely see a Samboni truck on the streets of Philly, and if we have our way, we will be taking that truck back across the country to serve some Sambonis from Philly with love. The first time we can work on a truck without a call from Tyler looming will be a great day!

Visit The Great Food Truck Race page for behind-the-scenes content and read all the exit interviews from the eliminated teams.

On the Season 5 premiere of The Great Food Truck Race, eight teams of food truck rookies began the cross-country competition in Santa Barbara, Calif., but they soon found they would be moving their trucks to Venice in a Speed Bump challenge. What they didn’t know was that it would also become their first Truck Stop challenge, with Tyler sending special guests and food truck experts to taste test each of their signature dishes. Unfortunately one team wasn’t able to roll with all the challenges, and along the way, a number of small missteps added up to a major failure in getting out their main product. FN Dish has the exclusive exit interview with the first team cut from the race.

The team from Chatty Chicken came in with a goal of selling Greg Sr.’s Southern fried chicken. Setting up in Southern California may have seemed like a hard sell, but it’s what transpired that made it tough going for this family from Tennessee. Not having oil for the deep fryer was strike No. 1. Not putting out food in a timely matter, strike No. 2. Leaving for the grocery store without the cash box was not a good idea, and then forgetting the key just made it even worse. Having lost precious time for selling, and offering a menu without their star dish, easily put the team in the bottom. Even though just $60 separated the bottom two teams, it wasn’t enough to save Chatty Chicken from elimination.

Did you ever think your team was at a disadvantage selling comfort food in Southern California? Did you change your sales tactics because of the location?
Chatty Chicken: Coming from a small town in the South, the food we serve is comfort food — each region has its own style of comfort food. I think SoCal comfort food is more fish tacos or poke poke. I know the bacon truck had a hard time with bacon there. I think they didn’t, for the most part, want to eat anything fried. We did have some customers try our chicken and loved it, and for those folks we are thankful. Yes, we did change our sales tactics by serving grilled chicken instead of fried.

You lost time in Venice when the cash box and keys were left behind when going on your shopping trip to buy more oil, and then the fryer didn’t work. Do you think coming up with a plan B earlier in the day, like the grilled chicken idea, might have saved you?
CC: If we could go back in time, we would have never gone to the store. We don’t think we have ever had a more disastrous or stressful trip to the store in our lives! If we’d had a hammer, we think we would have done the old Southern lost key technique — bust that sucker wide open! Yes, we should have had a plan B or better yet a plan Z for grilled chicken and pork, and forget the fryer altogether. After all, that sweet tea sauce makes anything lip-smacking, finger-licking good!

What’s next for you now that you’ve gotten a taste of the food truck business? Do you think it’s the next step for your family business, or do you have other plans?
CC: Our goal is to have a Chatty Chicken truck up and running in Chattanooga, serving our chicken dishes and specialty sauces. We just need to get finances together.

What was the biggest obstacle in operating a food truck business for the first time?
CC: Our biggest obstacles were: not having a fryer working, after all, our signature dish was Southern Fried Chicken, and also having refrigeration problems. We wish we would have videoed the truck walk-through. Although we did ask a lot of questions, we still missed some things, i.e., oil capacity. Plus, it is a lot different than a brick and mortar — not a whole lot of room to get around in. We wish we had a little more time to look at our truck before blastoff.

What advice would you give the remaining teams? And who are you rooting for?
CC: Being we were the first team to get the boot, it’s hard to give them advice other than have fun and make the most of this incredible journey! We had a great time and made lots of new friends. It’s hard for us to pick a favorite to root for, so to all of our newfound friends: We wish y’all the very best, and always make sure you have the key to your cash box!

If you had the chance to start the competition over, what’s the No. 1 thing you would have done differently?
CC: No frying of anything! But seriously, we had the time of our lives. You took this small-town country family to California, a place we had never been to before, gave us the opportunity of a lifetime, and for that we are forever grateful. We are truly blessed for being part of this great show and for the many friends we made while we were there. Like our grandpappy used to say, “You folks are finer than a frog’s hair split three ways.”

On this week’s episode of The Great Food Truck Race, the teams found themselves headed to Tucson, Ariz. Some hoped the change in location from California to the Southwest would be a seamless transition that wouldn’t require much modification in menu or strategy. A Truck Stop challenge of selling a local favorite, and later a Speed Bump that relocated the food trucks to a local festival, both tested the teams’ marketing abilities. But the challenges were easier for some more than for others. One team in particular wasn’t able to get out of the rut they had put themselves into in the previous city. FN Dish has the exclusive exit interview with the latest team cut from the race.

Gourmet Graduates came into Tucson with “an all or nothing” strategy. Having been in the bottom in the first week, they had nothing to lose. Unfortunately, a number of issues in finding good locations to sell their menu of gourmet dorm-room dishes led to low sales, which contributed to their being in the bottom again. Arguments among the team members didn’t help with morale, either. Closing early on the final day of sales was also a contributing factor. In the end Tyler felt that they should have done much better at marketing their brand, which was the goal he gave all the teams on their first day. A full-blown marketing strategy might have made the difference. Ultimately $184 separated them from Middle Feast. Gourmet Graduates left the race without their truck, with only their dreams in tow.

You guys were in the bottom three in week one. What was your goal going into the second week of competition to break out of the bottom?
Gourmet Graduates: Our goal going into the second week was to find and correct our mistakes that kept us from being No. 1. We really wanted to focus on securing a location with heavier foot traffic.

This time Tyler challenged the food truck teams to come up with a marketing plan. How did your team take on the challenge?
GG: We used our marketing tools very efficiently and we were able to take customers from other trucks that were still not open, giving us the advantage on neighboring competition.

How easy or difficult was it incorporating Sonoran hot dogs into your menu as part of Tyler’s Truck Stop challenge?
GG: Incorporating the Sonoran hot dog in our menu was a win for us, because it gave us the opportunity to showcase our ability to adjust and combine flavors/textures that would make our dog stand out from the pack.

Your team presented a really good jingle at the Folk Music Festival. Did you see your sales improve afterward?
GG: Thanks to our high energy and explosive personalities, we were able to create a jingle that people enjoyed, which led to more customers stopping by the truck, not just for good food, but entertainment as well.

Why did you guys decide to close early on day two instead of staying open later?
GG: There were numerous reasons why we decided to close early. The foot traffic had decreased significantly, our propane tank was running on fumes, our top competitors had closed their doors and, most importantly, we were confident in our overall sales in Arizona.

How would you describe your team’s relationship? There was a moment between Keese and Roberto where you two almost lost it.
GG: With both of us being one of four siblings, we are used to bumping heads with those who have similar personalities to one another. But at the end of the day, when you have three passionate, young entrepreneurs, all with the common goal of being successful, there’s no doubt about it that there will be some differences.

What was the biggest obstacle in operating a food truck business for the first time?
GG: Aside from trying to find parking for a 14-foot food truck, getting used to the limited space and appliances were obstacles we had to adjust to immediately if we wanted to make it out of the Venice Beach brawl alive.

As recent culinary school graduates, what’s next for you guys? Is operating a food truck still in your future, or maybe something else?
GG: Being able to operate a food truck for the first time and successfully spread our brand was an awesome experience, without a doubt. However, it opened our eyes to the unlimited possibilities. In a perfect world, the Gourmet Graduates are looking to spread our cuisine on a larger scale by reaching out to fans/foodies on a national televised scale. In other words, we are heading to Hollywood.

What advice would you give the remaining teams, and which one are you rooting for?
GG: Don’t make the same mistakes that we did. “If it’s not broke, then don’t fix it.” Really focus on building your brand; it’s the foundation of your business. Lastly, work together and trust your teammates to execute on a larger scale. We are rooting for our friends Beach Cruiser. They represent a group of young, hip and goal-oriented individuals, just like us. Best of luck, guys! Kick some butt!

On this week’s episode of The Great Food Truck Race, the teams found themselves rolling into Austin. For the team of Lone Star Chuck Wagon, selling in their own state seemed to be a match made in heaven, but Tyler’s challenges would have everything turned upside down. For some it turned out to be a stroke of good luck, but for two teams in particular, it produced one of the closest eliminations in the show’s history, with just a $6 difference. FN Dish has the exclusive exit interview with the latest team cut from the race.

On Day 1, the teams were paired off to test their partnership skills. Lone Star Chuck Wagon chose to partner with Military Moms. At first it seemed to be a strong relationship, but a lack of foot traffic did not help their mutual sales. A Speed Bump moved all the teams to one location, a Match.com event at a local bar, but sales were mixed at best, and only those teams who came up with unique marketing tactics managed to make a profit. The biggest upheaval came later, when a Truck Stop challenge had the teams swapping trucks, each team selling the other’s dishes out of the other’s vehicle. For a moment Military Moms had success in Lone Star Chuck Wagon’s truck, but at elimination time, they came up in the bottom. Military Moms was ultimately eliminated.

How did your team feel about partnering with Lone Star Chuck Wagon, especially since their team picked yours? And why did your two teams stay together even after Tyler gave all the teams the option of breaking the partnerships?
Military Moms: Who doesn’t feel good about being picked first? Lone Star was our biggest competition, and why not compete right alongside the best? We had a great time seeing how each other operated. When Tyler gave us the option to break the partnerships, we decided to stay at our location with Lone Star. It was too risky to move at that time of day. We didn’t want to waste time and money by moving. We were both hoping everyone else was experiencing the same. We felt safe because sitting right next to them we could keep track of how much money they’d made, and they had been on top for two prior rounds.

In Tucson, your team was in third place, but just a week later in Austin you dropped to last place. What do you think was the reason for the change?
MM: Austin is known for “keeping it weird.” That would sum up the whole weekend. There is so much competition with other local food trucks and great restaurants in this town. We found a spot that usually had a lot of foot traffic, but there were a few events going on that weekend in Austin and we just didn’t get the customer base that we had in Tucson.

When Tyler said only $6 separated the bottom two, how did that make you all feel?
MM: The whole thing is a bit of a Charlie Foxtrot! Running a food truck is one thing; learning how to do it on TV is a great reality show. Six dollars is less than the cost of a sandwich. We really didn’t see it coming. It was a brutal elimination. We figured it out when Tyler asked if anyone wanted to hand in their keys. I was hoping that another team was going to give theirs up. We stood proud of what our team of rookies had accomplished.

Why do you think your team struggled at the dating event during Tyler’s Speed Bump?
MM: It’s been a while since we’ve been involved in the dating scene, but we were up for the challenge. We’re not as young as some of the other teams, but we managed to round up some customers. Who doesn’t want some home cooking from their “Moms”? And who brings their “Moms” speed dating?

What did it mean to you when Tyler said that your earnings would be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project?
MM: Being eliminated was bittersweet. We weren’t ready to leave yet, but felt so honored by Tyler’s gesture that our earnings from the weekend would go to an organization that is very close to our and many other military families’ hearts. We also saved all of our tips from our time on the race and are making a donation to The Fisher House Foundation at an upcoming Marine Corps Marathon in October.

What was the biggest obstacle in operating a food truck business for the first time?
MM: The cooking part was easy, but operating the actual food truck was a little tricky at first. The parking was the most insane. We like a big city to explore, but not with a food truck. It was a crash course in operations. As military spouses, you have no choice but to learn to adapt quickly to new situations.

In hindsight, is there anything you think you would have done differently?
MM: We wouldn’t change a thing about our experience on this race. There was so much to learn and experience in such a short amount of time, and we accomplished so much. We are nothing but proud of our time on the race and cannot wait to see what happens next.

What’s next for you ladies? Is operating a food truck in your future?
MM: The future of our truck is a given. It has grown into so much more. We have had such an amazing outpouring of support. Military spouses are amazing women! Watch our social media; this has gone nuts and you haven’t seen the last of Pink Camo. We are planning to build this business into something much bigger than just a truck, or should I say a few trucks. Stay tuned, because this is just the beginning. Carol had an empty truck in a barn ready to launch. We have seen the power of the Pink Camo.

What advice would you give the remaining teams, and which one are you rooting for?
MM: We have great respect for the remaining teams and wish everyone the very best. Our advice to the teams would be to use what you’ve learned so far and take chances. Trust your instincts and follow your heart. It is a dream, after all, and making dreams come true takes passion and hard work. Our eye is still on our “partners,” the Lone Star Chuck Wagon. Can’t wait to see what happens next. Make your “Moms” proud!

More from this Episode
Top Moments (Photos)
Truck-Stop Truck Swap (Video)

On this week’s episode of The Great Food Truck Race, the teams headed to Oklahoma City. On Day 1, unbeknownst to the teams, Tyler already had a Speed Bump challenge in play, timing the teams on who would open first. Despite getting a speech from Tyler about the importance of time management, not all the teams rushed to open. In an ironic turn of events, the team that won the Speed Bump challenge ended up being the team to go home. FN Dish has the exclusive exit interview with the latest team cut from the race.

Madres Mexican Meals, which was in the bottom the week before in Austin, came into Oklahoma City energized and ready to take on new challenges. Winning the Speed Bump gave them a selling advantage when Tyler closed up all the other trucks. A Truck Stop challenge, which came later, had the teams selling a local Oklahoma specialty, fried onion burgers, which placed them on a level playing field. But not all the teams found success. Lone Star Chuck Wagon and Madres Mexican Meals were the only two teams that weren’t able to meet Tyler’s goal of selling 50 burgers. And at elimination time, both were in the bottom. Not keeping the momentum they had found the day earlier proved to be the downfall for Madres Mexican Meals, and they were ultimately eliminated.

What was your strategy going into Oklahoma City after nearly being eliminated in Austin?
Madres Mexican Meals: The strategy for OKC was basically to sell our little hearts out! People in the past cities gravitated to the truck because of the food and the fact that my mom was actually working the truck. Another big thing for us was making sure we locked in a few locations to park. Our issue in Austin was that we only had one location and that was because Gretta had secured it.

You guys had trouble selling at the racetrack. Javier, you seemed to say that you thought maybe being pushier might have worked to drum up more sales, but you said you’re not that kind of people. Do you have any regrets?
MMM: For sure we have regrets. Upon arriving to the racetrack we had some issues with the truck to begin with. But aside from that, the fact was that the races were ending, and people just weren’t into it. I do feel like we could have done more to rally people and get them to the truck. This journey was a learning process, and moving forward I’m going to start getting in people’s faces!

What was your initial reaction to finding out you would have to sell onion burgers in the Truck Stop challenge? Were you worried it would alienate your customers who were expecting Mexican food?
MMM: The onion burgers were not our friends. It was a bit nerve-wracking knowing people were not interested in the onion burgers, via social media. We had people come to the truck and simply turn around because we couldn’t serve our Mexican food.

Do you think you could have done anything differently (location, sales strategy, etc.) to sell the burgers instead of being shut down by Tyler when it reached 8:30 p.m., the cutoff time?
MMM: Now that everything is said and done, yes, we could have done a lot of things differently. Better locations, more locations, we could have turned the burger into a Mexican burger. We could have reached out to more people. In the moment you just scramble, and all we could do is hope for the best and not give up.

At elimination, Tyler called your family “a ray of sunshine.” What did it mean to compete for you all? And do you think you achieved everything you set out to do? Especially for you, Javier, to prove to your father that being a chef is an honorable job?
MMM: Tyler’s comment made us feel good! It was very important to us as a family team to show the dynamics of our family. We had our ups and downs, we embraced the other teams as part of our own family, we were emotional, but at the end of it all we were united. My mom and wife dropped everything to help me achieve my dream, and for that I am forever grateful. I grew up telling everyone that I was going to be on the Food Network someday, and that is exactly what I did! I got to showcase my culture’s food, my mother’s recipes (we won best dish!) and we did it as a family. Most importantly, I know I gained the respect of my dad. I never needed him to understand what I did; I needed him to respect it. I know my dad has always loved me and has only wanted the best for me.

Overall, what was the biggest obstacle in operating a food truck business for the first time?
MMM: The small space and not having all the equipment we needed. It’s not the easiest thing to make salsa by hand. We had to learn how to improvise and adapt. That’s the name of the game! We were told that this would be the hardest thing we would ever do … and it was! Would I do it again? Heck yeah!

Javier, what’s next for you? Is operating a food truck in your future? Or do you plan on going back to working in restaurants?
MMM: I want to take the Madres brand to another level. I want to create a line of salsas of all heat levels. I want to write a cookbook to share my mother’s recipes with those who aren’t around the corner. I want to shoot a cooking show pilot with my mom. I do want my own truck, and I want to continue this journey across America sharing my mother’s recipes. For the Crespos, the race has just begun. (Business partners wanted. Call me!)

What advice would you give the remaining teams, and is there one you’re rooting for?
MMM: My mother would tell the remaining teams to “be nice to each other!” I would advise the other teams to focus on what you’re doing and not what the other teams are doing. As a family team we are rooting for another family team, Middle Feast!

More from this Episode
Top Moments (Photos)
Early Risers’ Speed Bump (Video)

On this week’s episode of The Great Food Truck Race, the teams headed to St. Louis. Right away Tyler Florence had the rookies start on their Speed Bump challenge, which would have them earning their seed money for a change. In a surprise twist, Tyler visited each truck to do some quality control and found everyone’s dishes were lacking. The next day he sent the teams out on a Truck Stop cooking challenge, the reward of which had the potential to save one team from elimination. Unfortunately it didn’t play out that way. FN Dish has the exclusive exit interview with the latest team cut from the race.

In the weeks leading up to St. Louis, the team to beat was Beach Cruiser, which won either first or second place at every elimination. But their luck would run out, leaving room for others to surpass them in sales and popularity. Setting lower prices on their toasted ravioli in the Speed Bump challenge on Day One was where the tailspin began. Selling at a lower price point throughout both days in St. Louis contributed to the team’s low earnings. But what Tyler saw as their biggest downfall was a signature dish that didn’t live up to its quality potential, but correcting it by Day Two was too late. Not winning the potential to have their till doubled in the Truck Stop cooking challenge sealed Beach Cruiser’s fate and sent the former top food truckers home.

What was your strategy going into St. Louis, especially because you guys had gotten second place in Oklahoma City the week before?
Beach Cruiser: The key ingredients to winning a city is researching the weekend hot spots, partnering with good locals, and finding a place that has lots of foot traffic and ideally serves beverages but not food. Going into St. Louis we kept our strategy pretty much the same but took Tyler’s lesson of time management from the week before to heart and focused a lot more on cutting prep time.

What made you stick to your prices, instead of switching to a higher price point like the other teams did? In hindsight do you think pricing differently would have helped?
BC: Yeah, raising our prices definitely could have helped because it wasn’t much of a money difference that sent us home. It was smart for the other teams to raise prices to earn more for the competition. We struggled with that decision because outside of the competition we all already had high-end prices, and if we personally can’t afford $20 tacos, it’s hard to ask that of our customers.

On Day One you guys couldn’t find ingredients like cilantro or jalapenos, and only after Tyler tasted your tacos did you go out and find the ingredients you had been missing. Do you regret not sourcing ingredients earlier on?
BC: That was a tough one. We were penalized last week for taking too much prep time. So we simplified our ingredients and menu to accommodate. It was a calculated risk that ultimately backfired.

At the beginning of Day Two, Tyler called all the trucks together. What was running through your heads when he said your team would go home if elimination were right now?
BC: It was a wake-up call, for sure. It didn’t matter how well we did in any other city or on any other day — at this point in the competition, one mistake can send us home. We gave up everything we had to make this dream a reality. In those last few hours we had to give every ounce of energy and be the best food truck we know how for even a chance at staying in the competition.

At elimination, how did you feel to find out you were so close to staying in the competition?
BC: It’s pretty heartbreaking to watch your dreams and all that you worked so hard for slip just out of reach.

Overall, what was the biggest obstacle in operating a food truck business for the first time?
BC: Depends which one of us you’re talking to! Overall it seems estimating customer demands and location, location, location. To stay in business you have to know when, where and how many customers to expect — not to mention make sure you have the right permits and permissions to do so.

What’s next for you? Is operating a food truck still in your future? Has this competition fired you up even more?
BC: We loved running a food truck. Never in our entire lives have we worked harder or felt more fulfilled than we did in this competition. From the people to the food to the challenges, we can honestly say that our hearts are 100 percent in this business. We feel proud of the work we did, and leaving this competition does fire us up even more. It’s challenging to have proven that we can run a successful food truck business, yet can’t afford the truck itself. The best things in life don’t come easy. Getting the Beach Cruiser truck up and running is no exception.

What advice would you give the remaining teams, and is there one you’re rooting for?
BC: Stay true to yourselves and your brand. As long as you work your hardest and do your best, you will never have any regrets. It’s too tough a call at this point to root for any one team. Behind the scenes, we’ve become friends with and respect the work of the teams moving forward. We truly believe all three are running successful businesses and deserve to keep their truck. Go get ‘em, guys!

This week’s episode of The Great Food Truck Race saw the teams riding into Alabama. They started the day with a shrimping challenge in Bayou La Batre. Next they moved to Mobile, adding three seafood dishes to their menus at Tyler Florence’s request. But lengthy prep time led to some unhappy customers. Tyler then tasked them with selling brunch dishes, which he’d taste to determine the two teams that would get a chance to cook in a seafood challenge. In an ironic turn of events, the team that won was ultimately sent home. FN Dish has the exclusive exit interview with the latest team cut from the race.

Despite winning the seafood challenge in Mobile, Let There Be Bacon made the least amount of sales among the three teams and was sent packing back to Cleveland. But throughout the competition, the team showed great resilience. In the first episode, they were in second-to-last place, and with each successive week they moved up in standing; just the week prior in Episode 5, they finished in second place. The secret to these underdogs’ success? Knowing their customer base and marketing right to them, in turn building a Bacon Army of dedicated followers. Their failure in Mobile came down mainly to two things: not having enough bacon in their dishes and not being able to open fast enough. Both compromised their sales, putting them at the bottom.

You guys came into Alabama hoping to focus more on the bacon, but when you found out you had to sell seafood dishes, did that put a wrench in your plans?
Let There Be Bacon: We feel we increased the food quality by bringing seafood into the mix. Having to carry three proteins on the menu in the midst of a pork shortage was a burden from a cost perspective. Bacon is supposed to be the staple of our menu, our brand, but the price had been rising and hit $7.99 per pound by the time we got to Mobile. Working on the limited budget we had, we tried to strike a balance between quantity and quality that we were comfortable with.

Tyler called you out for taking too long with prep. And you lost a lot of customers because of it. Did you regret buying that shrimp? Are you almost thankful you didn’t win the 100 pounds?
LTBB: Really good food takes time, and we were working as hard and as fast as we could. Yes, ultimately, we regretted the decision to purchase that shrimp. And winning it? It would’ve been great to have the free product — we could’ve spent more on other ingredients. But at the same time, 100 pounds of frozen uncleaned shrimp is not our idea of a good time. Fifteen pounds was tough enough.

Tyler praised you guys for your marketing tactics, creating a Bacon Army following along the way. How much do you think marketing helped you, from simply creating that jingle to utilizing social media in an effective way?
LTBB: Our single greatest attribute is being able to connect with our customers on a personal level. Our customers are family, and Bacon Army is a real force. You saw the lines in St. Louis. The fact that fans we didn’t even know started making websites and videos dedicated to the truck really helped to spread the Bacon love. We put a lot of work into our social media, and a catchy song didn’t hurt. We felt without a doubt we had the best pitchman in the business in Matt, and the crowds really responded in kind.

Matt, you had a strong reaction to the long lines of customers. What was going through your mind then? How did you recover? It looks like Jon gave you a pep talk.
LTBB: What was going through my mind? I saw the other trucks open and selling. I saw our customers walking to their line. I saw the frustrated faces of our remaining loyal customers. I didn’t want to let anyone down — not my customers, not my team, not my family, not anyone. All the stress and pressure just caved in on me. Jon talked me off the ledge. He calmed me down and put me back on course. That’s Cleveland, Ohio, for you.

During your time in Alabama, how was the team’s morale? Did you guys have a going-in-winning mentality ahead of the challenges?
LTBB: We had high hopes coming into Mobile. Our morale before the challenge was high; we had ultimate faith in our grits dish. After what transpired the first week we told ourselves never again, and we always showed up “in it to win it.” But we tried to keep ourselves grounded and never feel completely safe.

It seems at points a few roadblocks might have shaken up the morale, like not being able to prep fast enough or not being able to buy seafood from the local purveyor before the seafood challenge. How did you guys deal with setbacks like that?
LTBB: When these things happened we just made adjustments and moved on to the best of our abilities. Each team member works through frustration differently, and the competition is a real showcase of human dynamics. The important thing is that what happens on the truck stays on the truck. Nothing should be taken personally. It’s simply passion in the raw.

After winning the big seafood challenge, which was worth an extra $1,000, did you ever think you would be sent home at elimination? Did you feel you were safe and going on to the next city?
LTBB: We were still very concerned given the extra prep time we took and a bogus shopping trip. Time is money, and we knew we came up short regardless of the challenge. The competition in Mobile was very high and small mistakes are costly.

What was the overall hardest part of operating a food truck for the first time?
LTBB: Parking. No, seriously, finding parking is a beast.

What’s next for you guys? Will there be an Ohio Bacon truck in the future?
LTBB: The Bacon Army marches on. Expect to see us on the streets of Cleveland soon.

Seven weeks of cooking, selling, marketing and plain physical exhaustion has culminated in the finale of The Great Food Truck Race, Season 5. Lone Star Chuck Wagon and Middle Feast, the remaining two teams to last through Tyler’s numerous Speed Bumps and Truck Stop challenges, found themselves starting in Tampa and ending in Key West. This five-city finale running over 450 miles in Florida wouldn’t be a breeze. Tyler once again tested their marketing abilities, their food quality and their hustle to sell. But only one team walked away with the keys to their truck and $50,000 to turn their dream into a reality.

Going into the finale, Middle Feast rode in on a high after coming in first in Mobile, Ala., and they had no problem keeping the momentum going. Challenged to cook alligator and frog’s legs, they triumphed and got Tyler to double the seed money they had earned together with Lone Star earlier. With that they were able to stock up on the ingredients they needed to sell their five best dishes at prices Tyler had set for both teams. In the final city, Key West, Middle Feast decided to stay close to their competitors, Lone Star, and realized it was going to be a close finish. But in the end, $700 made the difference, and Middle Feast came in victorious. Chef Tommy, his sister Hilla and their friend Arkadi left with their state-of-the-art food truck, $50,000 and an American dream realized.

Coming into the show, what did you think would be the most-difficult part of the race?
Middle Feast: When we first started the show we were afraid that, because our food is different, people might not want to buy it. But as we moved forward we realized that it is for our advantage and people were more interested in our food.

What was it like winning the cooking challenge in the Everglades and for Tyler to say it’s the best dish he’s tasted from you?
MF: Winning the cooking challenge in the Everglades was one of the greatest things that happened to us in the whole race. We’ve never won any food challenges before, and this one was the most-important one — the one that would double our seed money and give us a head start in the finale. When Tyler said that it was our best dish so far it made us feel really proud.

Why did you decide not to use the alligator meat and just use the frog’s legs for your dish?
MF: We decided not to use the alligator meat because we didn’t really like the taste of the meat and didn’t know what to expect on the tenderness level. The frog was easier and surprisingly tasty.

In your radio spot, you started off with a dialogue pointing out how ordinary your competition’s food was. Was your strategy to sell the fact that your food was unique and different?
MF: At this point in the race, we understood that our biggest fear of not being an ordinary food truck was actually our biggest advantage. So we decided to use that in our radio commercial and promote ourselves as a unique, different and delicious food truck. We think it was worth it.

What kind of responses did you get about your food?
MF: We got great reviews for our food. People liked seeing something different. They loved the spices and the fresh dishes.

You guys seemed to have a strategy at play in Key West. Do you think it worked?
MF: Our strategy in Key West was to stay close to our competitors by parking near Lone Star Chuck Wagon on both days. We think that it was a good strategy because that way we could see what was going on with Lone Star at all times and see how we were doing compared to them. Plus, by taking first place in Mobile and making over $2,000 in sales more than Lone Star we felt it would definitely put some pressure on them seeing us so close.

Can you talk about your team’s relationship? From what it looks like, you three are really close. How did that help during the race?
MF: Being so far away from home, the three of us are the closest thing that we have to a family in the United States. We are very close, sensitive and supportive of each other, and we think that this is the very first reason why we got that far in the race. Of course we had our moments of not agreeing with each other or raising (slightly) our voices, but it didn’t last too long because there is no “I” in a team and we all knew to put our egos to sleep.

What was going through your minds when Tyler announced your team had won?
MF: When Tyler announced that we had won we were shocked. It was a dream come true! We parked very close to Lone Star the whole time, but we didn’t know how close they were. Until Tyler announced it, we had no clue.

What are you planning to do with the prize money? Where will you be setting up your food truck business?
MF: We are going to start our business in Los Angeles in hopes of growing and becoming known for our passion to create great food. We plan to invest the money into starting our food truck and catering business. The amazing journey on The Great Food Truck Race, however, showed us that there is a nationwide appetite for great Middle Eastern food, and we will definitely be interested in setting up shops/franchises all over in due time. We would like to thank all the people who bought our food and supported us — and the business owners who teamed up with us. Thanks for helping us win!

Going into the Season 5 finale of The Great Food Truck Race, the remaining two teams, Lone Star Chuck Wagon and Middle Feast, both had what it took to win. Both teams placed first twice before. Both knew their brand and the customer base they were marketing to. And throughout the seven weeks of competition, both teams honed their menus to the best quality they could offer. But in the end only one team could win their own state-of-the-art food truck and $50,000 in prize money to jump-start their culinary dreams.

In the end Lone Star Chuck Wagon didn’t pick up the momentum needed to bring home the win for Texas. Although they succeeded in many of the challenges with which Tyler had roadblocked the teams, they failed to make enough sales and ran out of product. And those are two strikes no food truck team wants to have leading up to the finale. Although it wasn’t in the cards for Lance, his wife, Rachel, and their friend Andrea to win it in Florida, that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the line. The future still holds many possibilities for this trio of former restaurant servers with an entrepreneurial spirit.

What did your team think of partnering up with Middle Feast in Naples? Do you think you could have earned more sales on your own?
Lone Star Chuck Wagon: Initially we thought it would be great to partner with Middle Feast to earn our seed money. But when we saw the ingredients, we knew we would have an advantage. We probably could have made more on our own, but we were happy that we started on an even playing field.

What did it feel like when Middle Feast won the cooking challenge in the Everglades? Going into it you guys seemed really confident about the dish.
LSCW: Congrats to Middle Feast for beating us in the cooking challenge. We were incredibly proud of the dish we prepared. We thought outside of the box and really adapted two difficult proteins into one dish. We tried to transform the ingredients into a winning dish, but we were edged out. We wish we could have tasted Middle Feast’s winning dish, to see what we were missing.

Rachel and Andrea got in a tiff over the burger buns selling out, and Andrea wanted to sell a burger wrap. Lance, do you think that continuing to sell the item as a burger wrap was a good decision? Or might Rachel’s idea have worked better?
LSCW: At the end of the day, we got really good feedback on the burger wrap. We used what we had on hand and adapted in a stressful situation. Maybe one day you will see that dish on one of our menus!

Was the $184.50 in seed money a disadvantage from the beginning?
LSCW: The lack of seed money was a huge disadvantage. Then when Middle Feast doubled their seed money, we were even deeper into the hole. Every second, and every sale, counted in the finale, and running out of ingredients definitely contributed to our downfall.

At one point, Lance, you said “it’s a relief most of all” for the race to be over. What were all of you feeling once Tyler called the end of the race?
LSCW: When Tyler ended the race, we all had a sigh of relief. This was the hardest weekend by far, on an already difficult seven-week journey. We learned a lot about ourselves and stretched our limits further than we knew possible. We were thrilled to have made it to the end and went out with a fight. There were no regrets, and we are proud of our showing.

At elimination Tyler encouraged you to go out and get your products ready for what could possibly happen next. What is next for your BBQ sauce and rub company?
LSCW: Big things are in store for Kramer’s BBQ! Our award-winning sauce and rubs can be purchased online, and they will be hitting store shelves soon. We will continue to release fantastic products that will help everyone, from gourmet chefs to the backyard griller.

Will you guys try the food truck business again? What are your future plans?
LSCW: This is only the beginning for us! Whether it will be a food truck, a restaurant or even another TV show, you haven’t seen the last of Lone Star Chuck Wagon or Kramer’s! Thanks to everyone for your support and encouragement through this whole process. We can’t wait to see what the next chapter will be.

More from this Episode:
Finale Highlights (Photos)
Into the Recording Studio (Video)