The gourmet food-truck craze has made its way to Cal Poly Pomona. Come summer, the university community will enjoy its very own campus-devoted food truck: The Poly Trolley.
The truck will officially begin service on Tuesday, May 28, and will operate througout the summer. It will start the day parked near the CLA building, travel across campus, and end its route at the University Village.
Offering an Asian and Southwestern inspired menu, the Poly Trolley will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In the morning, the truck will serve pastries, premium oatmeal, and bacon, sausage or soy chorizo breakfast burritos. For lunch and dinner, the truck offers beef and pork sliders on Hawaiian rolls, or pork and tempura avocado tacos with sesame-ginger slaw. Fresh potato chips with sea salt, truffle oil or Greek-style—feta cheese, olives, onions, tomatoes and peppers—will also be available. Prices for a meal with a drink range from $5 to $8.
Besides its appealing cuisine, the Poly Trolley boasts a unique feature. “The Poly Trolley will be the first food truck in the country to serve Starbucks-branded coffee,” says Aaron Neilson, interim director of Cal Poly Pomona Foundation Dining Services.
Neilson hopes that serving a pared-down Starbucks menu will relieve lines at the cafe at the University Library.
“The Starbucks on the Poly Trolley will only serve drinks, including Frappuccino and espresso-based beverages,” he says.
The truck has already been spotted around campus and at the Southern California Tasting and Auction. Edwin Santiago, director of marketing for dining services, says that the truck’s design pays homage to the university’s heritage.
“For the design, we included the Arabian horses and Union Plaza. We also infused green and gold into the design to emphasize Bronco spirit,” he says. “The truck will definitely be at the Hot Dog Caper in September. We are planning a big 75th anniversary theme.”
Einstein Bros Bagels manager Jennifer Waggener and other CPPF Dining Services personnel researched and tasted items from various food trucks around the area to help develop the menu. Some faculty and staff may remember a Poly Trolley from the 1980s that served burgers, burritos and pastries.
“The truck was eventually removed from campus for repairs,” says CPPF marketing assistant Amanda Mattox. “Due to budget cuts, the truck did not return. We are happy to have revived the Poly Trolley, and with its unique menu, notable design and advanced technology, we are anticipating a grand success.”
The university community can follow @PolyTrolley on Twitter or CPP Dining Services on Facebook for the latest information.