Food truck in D.R.

Bronxboy

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2007
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what makes you think that Dominicans want good tasting pizza, or your idea of it? this is not a pizza culture. they do not know what is the difference between a good pizza and a lousy pizza any more than you can tell the difference between a good morir sonando and drain water.

Yep. Pizza topped with platanos will be good for them!!! lol
 

melberenice

New member
Jan 15, 2015
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thinking in the gringo mindset again. what makes you think that Dominicans want good tasting pizza, or your idea of it? this is not a pizza culture. they do not know what is the difference between a good pizza and a lousy pizza any more than you can tell the difference between a good morir sonando and drain water.

I think I would know... I've been going there since I was 3 and I have plenty of friends and family that would say the pizza there pretty much sucks. They eat because there's not really a variety of options to choose from, atleast the part where i'm from. What makes you think they would settle for lousy pizza anyways... We definitely can tell the difference from good and bad food.
 

the gorgon

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Sep 16, 2010
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I think I would know... I've been going there since I was 3 and I have plenty of friends and family that would say the pizza there pretty much sucks. They eat because there's not really a variety of options to choose from, atleast the part where i'm from. What makes you think they would settle for lousy pizza anyways... We definitely can tell the difference from good and bad food.

i live here. i have been here permanently for over 10 years, and on and off for 25. i have listened to people's opinions of certain pizza offerings, and some of what they call decent pizza i call inedible. however, it is a matter of measuring sticks. an infinitesimal percentage of Dominicans has eaten a decent pizza. people from places like North America and Canada eat decent pizza on a regular basis. they know a good crust, good sauce, and good toppings. they can tell the difference between good and lousy pizza. just like Dominicans know what a good mangu should taste like, when a guy from Vancouver has no clue.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
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(...) pizza there pretty much sucks. They eat because there's not really a variety of options to choose from (...) What makes you think they would settle for lousy pizza anyways... We definitely can tell the difference from good and bad food.

that makes no sense, really. those who know good pizza do not settle for lousy just because good is not available.
 

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
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that makes no sense, really. those who know good pizza do not settle for lousy just because good is not available.

that is why i have not eaten pizza in the DR in 5 years. Linda tomato sauce and shredded white cheese is not my idea of pizza ingredients.
 

LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
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So in about 5-7 years I plan on moving to D.R. My parents are from there and i've been going every summer since I was 3 years old. Needless to say i'm in love with my country. My family lives there and I hate being so far from them. My only issue is how i'm going to make a living out there.

I was thinking about opening up a food truck business in a touristic area. My brother suggested a Tex-Mex food style and I was thinking about BBQ style food truck. Any suggestions that you think will be best and where in the D.R. do you think this would be successful in?

Thank you :p

Any business involved with food is very tough to sustain. One of the big problems in the DR is that tourism is very seasonal, from Christmas to basically Easter. For you to make money you need volume. I would toss out the food cart idea. If you're family lives in the DR don't they have any ideas or connections? You might want to find an American company that wants someone stationed in the DR and will pay you in US funds. Good luck
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
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i actually agree with derfish. every woman in my family has a car. none of them does any maintenance work, this task is delegated to husbands, boyfriends, fathers, sons and/or servants.
Very different demographic in the Punta Cana area: plenty of single professional women/businesswomen with limited free time.
 

oriole100

Bronze
Oct 9, 2005
807
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The food truck may be a good idea, but buy extra tires. The rest. in the area may be upset. In Caberete a man bought a small tram to carry expats, visitors. He went broke buying tires. The Moto's didn't want comp. The tram is or was still parked off the road in the back before you get to ProCab. Just a thought, for what it's worth.
 

drSooz

New member
Nov 2, 2014
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Good luck with your dream. In 5-7 years the all in will hopefully be dead and people will start going out again. In the Playa Dorada area, many resorts are now condos with more changing all the time. :)
 

Jaime809

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Aug 23, 2012
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Good BBQ is easy to do. Your main problem will be the propane supply. Once you get that sorted out, you can slow-cook any short-rib, spare rib, or pork shoulder you find and it'll come out tender and juicy. Stock up on coconut shells and you can add half a shell for smoke flavor (cooking outdoors only in that case).

It will be an all-day thing though. You'll have to cook when you're closed, and sell until you've sold out. Pork shoulder is a 10+ hour cook. Ribs are 6 hours, shortribs 2-3 hours.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
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If they have topless girls washing the cars it may be where he is though!
Der Fish

i'll be there too.

3127mfb.gif
 

chic

Silver
Nov 20, 2013
4,305
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Problem is, where are there enough gringo customers to feed on a daily basis? Punta Cana has AI so they eat in, SD the gringos are too sparse. The NC has Sosua and Cabarete which are filled with dying restaurants. You will definitely need amazing food that keeps them coming back, and fend off the criminals who will be all over your truck with pesos! Can be done but definitely not a surefire success. Best to wait until its closer to your arrival as things change!

sell sanwish very popular or sell pizza the most popular...
 
May 29, 2006
10,265
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Good BBQ is easy to do. Your main problem will be the propane supply. Once you get that sorted out, you can slow-cook any short-rib, spare rib, or pork shoulder you find and it'll come out tender and juicy. Stock up on coconut shells and you can add half a shell for smoke flavor (cooking outdoors only in that case).

It will be an all-day thing though. You'll have to cook when you're closed, and sell until you've sold out. Pork shoulder is a 10+ hour cook. Ribs are 6 hours, shortribs 2-3 hours.


Propane is easy. You have two tanks and when one goes empty you get a moto guy to go fill your tank.
 

ROLLOUT

Silver
Jan 30, 2012
2,198
35
48
Good BBQ is easy to do. Your main problem will be the propane supply. Once you get that sorted out, you can slow-cook any short-rib, spare rib, or pork shoulder you find and it'll come out tender and juicy. Stock up on coconut shells and you can add half a shell for smoke flavor (cooking outdoors only in that case).

It will be an all-day thing though. You'll have to cook when you're closed, and sell until you've sold out. Pork shoulder is a 10+ hour cook. Ribs are 6 hours, shortribs 2-3 hours.

Propane for good BBQ? Not. Any purist will tell you that you need a hardwood such as hickory, oak, cherry, apple; etc.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,330
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Pinon does the job here...

I have a neighbor who makes it .......
clean the fence lines and make money from the scraps.....

He get paid twice........who says stupidity reigns ? ?
 

Jaime809

Bronze
Aug 23, 2012
1,152
0
36
Propane for good BBQ? Not. Any purist will tell you that you need a hardwood such as hickory, oak, cherry, apple; etc.

The propane is simply the heat source, we can use coconut shells for smoke. And while yes, the best BBQ uses the above-named woods for heat and smoke, they are not as readily available here. Coconut wood may well be an excellent heat and smoke, you'd still need to pay someone to babysit the burning logs all day to keep the temps between 175* and 300* so the food cooks properly (especially for pulled pork). Propane removes that need by providing a constant temp of ~225* to ~250*, and the smoke ring that all BBQ purists look for is generated by the burning coconut.