Tampa Bay Food Trucks (TBFT) formerly Tampa Bay Food Truck Rally (TBFTR) a division of Tasting Tampa was founded by Todd Sturtz. Todd brought in Michael Blasco to partner with him, and they became known as "the guys who threw the first Food Truck Rally in Tampa Bay." From there, the venture grew into such a large brand that they decided to split the business and focus on serving their respective audiences separately. They left the restaurant scene to Tasting Tampa and broke into the food truck business off into what is now Tampa Bay Food Trucks.
The very first food truck rally utilized nine food trucks, and saw more than 4,000 attendees, who took over Hyde Park, filling the sidewalks and streets with excitement. Each food truck present sold out of food and our host, Hyde Park Presbyterian Church, raised a few thousand dollars by selling donated water bottles at the event. Since then, TBFT has held hundreds (if not thousands) of food truck rallies in the Tampa Bay area.
We have partnered with businesses, non-profits and regional events to bring great food to where you live, work and play.
Toward the end of 2013, Chief Eating Officer, Michael Blasco, switched gears to dedicate himself to the full-time pursuit of growing the Tampa Bay Food Trucks business. His goal was to increase food truck revenue for local small business owners, and to help the burgeoning food truck scene in the Tampa Bay Area expand even further along with now assisting the Orlando area with Orlando Food Truck Catering.
The team has now generated millions of dollars in local food truck revenue. The TBFTR network has grown from 15 food trucks to more than 170, and from a part time business between friends to a full a staff of 9 top-notch individuals that now comprise Tampa Bay Food Trucks. Some of the areas TBFTR has expanded into over the last several years, include catering services in greater Tampa Bay and Orlando spanning across Central Florida. We are now scheduling dozens of locations for recurring food truck service, hosting How To Start a Food Truck Seminars, mobile entertainment with the one-of-a-kind Mobile DJ Truck, helping local brides and grooms achieve the perfect food truck wedding, building trucks after observing the local truck need for quality craftsmenship, and even helping entrepreneurs buy and sell used food trucks and trailers.