Temple’s 140th anniversary: Celebrating Temple’s food trucks

Story and Shorthand design by Kiki Volkert
Photography by Ryan S. Brandenberg, Betsy Manning, Joseph V. Labolito and Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries, Philadelphia

Some historical information on food trucks is from Temple University: 125 Years of Service to Philadelphia, the Nation, and the World by James W. Hilty and Feeding Temple Town.

Behind any Temple student, faculty member or staff member is a good meal to keep them going, and there’s a good chance it’s been prepared by one of Temple’s food trucks. Offering cuisines from around the world, the food trucks have been a part of campus life for decades and are now an integral part of Temple’s culture.

Comedian Bob Saget, KLN ’78, once said, “You know, there’s something about a cheesesteak or a hoagie at Temple. I ate off the trucks; there was a lot of good truck eating.”

As Temple celebrates its 140th anniversary, take a moment to appreciate the history of the food trucks that fuel campus life.

Food trucks started appearing on campus in the 1960s, parking along 13th Street near the former Paley Library. Eventually the trucks began parking on campus overnight, becoming a permanent fixture.

At first, university officials tried to curtail the food trucks due to food health and safety concerns. However, hot dog and cheesesteak vendors John and Milton Street fought back throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Both brothers were activists in the community and John Street went on to become mayor of Philadelphia in 2000.

The university eventually accepted that food trucks were an important part of campus culture and in 1982 created a permanent space for the trucks on 13th Street known as the Vendors Mall. The space included picnic tables and protective awnings to create a comfortable eating area.

In 1996, when Tuttleman Learning Center was built on the site of the Vendors Mall, the university constructed a new eating area on 12th Street. Then, it was known as the 12th Street Food Court but is now known as “the Wall.” Many of the permanent vendors in the food court were once food trucks.

Over the years, Temple’s food trucks have become a beloved part of campus culture. Today, around lunchtime, lines curve around the trucks offering Mexican birria tacos, Middle Eastern falafel, Japanese teppanyaki, Chinese noodles, Jamaican jerk chicken, and classic Philly cheesesteaks and hoagies.

As either a place to gather with friends or take a breather during a busy day, the food trucks have become an essential part of the Temple experience.