Sky's Gourmet Tacos Says Goodbye — The Great Food Truck Race

By: Sarah De Heer
skys gourmet tacos

Victor Burrell, Barbara Burrell, and Kevin Minor as seen on Food Network?s The Great Food Truck Race Season 2.

Photo by: Eric Haase ©2011, Television Food Network, G.P.

Eric Haase, 2011, Television Food Network, G.P.

The second season of The Great Food Truck Race hit the road last night with eight new food trucks and the bright lights of Vegas. With a grand prize of $100,000 on the line, each truck will try to pull out all their tricks to stay in the game, but ultimately, one truck must go each week. Every Monday, FN Dish will bring you exclusive exit interviews with the latest "Food Truck" contestants to get the boot.

This week, Sky's Gourmet Tacos seemed to face one challenge after another -- money, a blown-out tire and resulting time constraints -- and unfortunately, Barbara, her son Victor and business partner Kevin had to say goodbye.

FN Dish: I originally thought the $500 was going to be your major setback due to pricey ingredients; however, it looks like your blown tire might have sent your team home. Tell us about that moment and what you did to make up for lost time and money.

SGT: At the time the tire blew, we were literally right in the middle of engaging team strategy for Vegas -- the cameras were rolling.  During those hours of delay in locating and then having the tire replaced, I missed 12 critical phone calls, including our confirmation call for the high school’s spring break student fundraiser of which we were the exclusive food vendor for 1,500 kids/parents/supporters.

FN Dish: You never made it to that student event. With the tire blowout aside, do you think being the exclusive truck at an event with 1,500 people would have given you an advantage?

SGT: I believe we would have unknowingly had a huge advantage, especially considering that Sunday was “bone-dry” for all of the other trucks except one, which had an OK day.

FN Dish: On Saturday, other trucks collaborated with popular Vegas food trucks. Do you think you should have taken that route first?

SGT: In hindsight, we should have chosen a less time-sensitive solution like partnering with a popular Vegas food truck and used it as a primary strategy.

FN Dish: You recovered quickly from this week’s speed bump, which was to turn off the propane. Tell us about your strategy.

SGT: We already had a hot grill, so as soon as the call came in, we started preparing food for sale just as we do with food prep for catering jobs in the restaurant.  We then kept the food on the grill as the grill went from hot to warm which essentially was like using a food warmer.  This strategy allowed us to sell food over the next two-and-a-half hours.

FN Dish: Barbara, you said you, “had to digest the disappointment.” Weeks later, how do you feel?

SGT: There is no easy way to digest living out a worst-case scenario on national TV.  But because character and integrity remained intact throughout the experience, the disappointment has since settled into the “experience” of it -- something with which to go forward.  I also believe the takeaways were, are and will be far greater than if we had foregone the experience altogether.

FN Dish: What advice can you give to the remaining food truck contestants?

SGT:

•    A plan “B” is nowhere near enough -- consider C, D, E, F, G, H and I.

•    When you think you have thought it all through, think again.  In this game, you must anticipate the unanticipateable.

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