Food truck profile: Little Spoon dessert truck rolls across Los Angeles

Melissa Hanna and Laurel Tincher think they've found their sweet spot. Backed by food truck juggernaut Road Stoves, the two college-age entrepreneurs recently launched the Little Spoon dessert truck (Twitter: @weliketospoon), bringing together a wealth of freshly made baked goods from a variety of local vendors. Prior to the current food truck craze, Hanna had spent two years developing a business model for a dessert company that was based on partnering with local bakers and chocolatiers. "We're not trying to be a cupcake truck," Hanna says. "That's already out there."

With more experience in publicity and event promotion than in working at a professional oven, the pair will leave the baking to others. Little Spoon has contracted with several different caterers to produce the truck's rotating menu of brownies, cookies, bars, layer cakes, eclairs, tiramisu, creme brulee, (maybe) cupcakes and novelty items like pumpkin brittle, macarons and cookie bark (layers of toffee and chocolate drizzled on top of cookies). Drinks include an assortment of high-end teas and vintage sodas.

After testing the waters during the last couple of weeks, Little Spoon will start to roll out on a regular basis, splitting its time between private catered events and public locations. Wherever a sweet tooth aches, wherever a worker needs a distraction, wherever 3 p.m. rolls around and energy flags, Little Spoon will be there.

-- Elina Shatkin

Photos: Courtesy of Little Spoon.

Comments

[Noah]

Honestly this is a good idea! I feel that bringing local bakeries together and creating a "custom" dish is a great example of collaboration.

Btw: Would you like them to mark up the price on Ho Ho's? How can you compare Ho-Ho's to a gourmet cheesecake? The sad thing is, with all of these great bakeries people will still eat a Ho-Ho pack while bakers put their heart into making exclusive treats for the truck. I understand that they seem to be rebranding desserts, but don't you think they have some sort of deal with the bakeries?

[Elina Shatkin]

Eitan:

If you get down to it, none of these trucks are "necessary." But necessity and desire are two different things. How many pairs of shoes or jeans do any of us really need? People go into business because they believe their product fulfills a desire. As with any business owners, the Little Spoon founders will find out if their gamble pays off.

And yes, there are many other trucks that prepare a significant amount of their core product offsite. Barbie's Q barbecues all of their meat at a professional kitchen (it takes 10-14 hours and it would be impractical, perhaps even dangerous, to have a smoker on a food truck), then keeps it warm on the truck until people place orders. Dave Danhi of the Grilled Cheese Truck doesn't make his own cheese or bread, the two primary ingredients in his food. Coolhaus often hires a local baker to make their cookies and an ice cream manufacturer to make their ice cream.

It comes down to this: Some foods can be prepared on a truck in a practical and safe manner. Some foods cannot. Large batches of baked goods generally fall into the latter category. Even if the founders of the Little Spoon dessert truck were baking their own goods, they would probably be doing it offsite.

So why does it matter if they're baking it themselves or contracting with other bakers? It's all aboveboard. For the caterers and bakers Little Spoon hires, the truck provides another revenue stream.

[Eitan]

Elina,

I understand that what they are doing (contracting local bakeries) is legal, but it still doesn't address the real question: why the need for a food truck if you don't actually prepare any food? Seems to me that a van with a portable fridge would do just fine. Can you name any other food trucks that don't actually make food? Also, what exactly is a vintage soda?

[Elina Shatkin]

As the person who wrote this story, I want to clarify something. The two women who run the dessert truck have contracted with (i.e. HIRED and PAID) several local bakers and caterers (many of whom only make their goods for private catered events) to produce desserts for the truck. In some cases, they have worked with these bakers to develop products that will be sold exclusively on the truck. There's no thievery or deception. And that's hugely different than running into a bakery, buying some desserts, slapping your name on them and selling them at inflated prices on the truck.

The Little Spoon dessert truck is doing the same thing that many brick and mortar eateries do. Many cafes and restaurants (more than you might expect) do not produce their own baked goods. Many of them buy from or subcontract to local bakers. Freshly made baked goods by local, independent bakers and caterers are the same as mass-produced, additive-laced Ho-Ho's and Snowballs? LOL.

I don't care whether or not you buy from this truck. But if you're going to be a hater, at least try to understand the business model you're attacking.

[Kristine]

Not only are they reselling Food from LA bakeries... they are slapping their name on desserts that bakeries has spent countless hours perfecting. I come from a family of bakers and this make me truly upset. They might as well resell candy bought from costco while they're at it.

[Julio]

Ditto what Martha said. They are reselling food from LA bakeries at much higher prices, which is really lame. Why bother renting a food truck at all if they don't actually prepare any food?

[Martha E]

They don't even bake their own products? Disappointing. Then why not just sell Ho-Ho's & Snowballs?

[sam]

College kids? Couldn't tell from their twitter handle...

[Gail]

Brilliant! Your possibilities are endless. I hope to see your truck in my neighborhood soon.