The Grilled Cheese Truck facts for kids
The Grilled Cheese Truck's logo
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| Food truck company specializing in grilled cheese sandwiches | |
| Industry | Fast food |
| Successor | TRIG Acquisition 1, Inc. |
| Founded | Los Angeles, 2009 |
| Founder | Dave Danhi and Michele Grant |
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Area served
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Southern California, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Antonio, and Austin |
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Key people
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Dave Danhi |
The Grilled Cheese Truck was a popular food truck company. It was famous for serving gourmet, or "chef-driven," grilled cheese sandwiches. The company started in Los Angeles in 2009. It later grew to serve customers across Southern California, Phoenix, San Antonio, and Austin.
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About the Truck
The Grilled Cheese Truck began as a partnership. It was started by Dave Danhi, a chef from Los Angeles, and Michele Grant, who was also a chef and a business owner.
Dave Danhi got the idea for the truck after a grilled cheese competition. He saw how much people loved grilled cheese. He also noticed all the food trucks lined up outside the event. This gave him the idea to combine the two. He decided to open a food truck just for grilled cheese sandwiches.
After talking with Michele Grant, they decided to start the gourmet grilled cheese truck together. Their slogan was: "Chef driven Grilled Cheese, ‘cause that’s how we roll..." This meant their sandwiches were made with a chef's special touch.
The Grilled Cheese Truck received many awards. It was called one of the "10 Best Grilled Cheese Trucks." It also had one of the "Top 10 Sandwiches in LA." The truck and its founders, Grant and Danhi, even appeared on TV shows. These included The Price Is Right, Unwrapped, and The Rachael Ray Show. Dave Danhi's grilled cheese recipes were also featured in magazines and cookbooks.
Truck History
Early Years: 2009-2012
The Grilled Cheese Truck launched in Los Angeles in 2009. It was founded by Michele Grant and Dave Danhi. They started with just one truck. It quickly became very popular in the growing Los Angeles food truck scene.
Within six months, they added a second truck. They expanded their reach across Los Angeles. Their social media presence also grew a lot.
By the truck's third anniversary, it had over 170,000 followers. These followers were on Twitter and Facebook from all over the world. The Grilled Cheese Truck became a must-visit spot for tourists in Los Angeles. Some couples even met while waiting in line for food!
During this time, the trucks made a lot of money. They brought in about $12,000 to $15,000 each week. This meant they earned over $600,000 a year. By the end of 2012, the company was on track to make $1.4 million in total sales.
Changes and Growth: 2012-2016
In October 2012, a company called TRIG Acquisition 1, Inc. bought The Grilled Cheese Truck brand. The company then changed its name to The Grilled Cheese Truck, Inc. Later, it changed its name again to American Patriot Brands (APB). Michele Grant left the company in 2012.
This merger helped the company grow into new areas. They even planned to become the first food truck company to be publicly traded. This means people could buy shares of the company. General Wesley Clark, a retired army general, also joined to help the truck expand across the country. He focused on helping military veterans start their own Grilled Cheese Trucks.
At its busiest, APB operated 10 trucks. Eight of these trucks were owned by the company. Two were run by others under a license. The company made over $3.6 million in sales during this period.
Later Years and Closure: 2016-2020
In September 2016, a new company called Big Cheese, Inc. was formed. It bought The Grilled Cheese Truck brand and its trademarks. Dave Danhi, the founder, had bought back the rights from APB just before this.
On July 14, 2020, Dave Danhi announced sad news on social media. He shared that The Grilled Cheese Truck would close permanently by the end of that month.
Raising Money
Big Cheese Inc., the company that owned The Grilled Cheese Truck brand, tried to raise money. They used a method called crowdfunding. This is when many people invest small amounts of money to support a business. They did this through a platform called Microventures.
The Grilled Cheese Truck successfully completed its crowdfunding campaign. It was the first food truck to do so on Microventures. On April 1, 2017, 332 investors put in a total of $199,186.
Awards and Recognition
The Grilled Cheese Truck received many honors and awards, including:
- Los Angeles Hot List: 2011 #1 Food Truck in LA
- Los Angeles Times: Reader's Choice 2012 - Best Food Truck
- Culture Cheese Mag's "10 Best Grilled Cheese Trucks"
- LA Weekly's "Top 10 Sandwiches in Los Angeles"
- Thrillist Los Angeles' "Best Food Trucks"
- Relish: "America's 10 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches"
- The Daily Meal: "Los Angeles 15 Best Food Trucks of 2013"
- 2013 #1 People's Choice Award at the Grilled Cheese Invitational
The truck and its founders, Grant and Danhi, also appeared on several TV shows:
- The Price is Right
- Unwrapped
- House of Food
- Be Our Guest
- The Rachael Ray Show
- The Joan and Melissa Show
- The Cooking Channel
Dave Danhi's grilled cheese recipes were featured in many places. These included talk shows, magazines, blogs, and cookbooks. Some popular recipes were "The Wakey Bacon Melt" and "The Cheesy Mac 'N Rib."
See also
- Food cart
- List of food trucks
- Mobile catering
- Street food
- List of food companies
