The Grilled Cheese Truck

The Grilled Cheese Truck is a food truck company serving gourmet "chef driven" grilled cheese sandwiches. The company started in Los Angeles in 2009, and has since expanded throughout Southern California, Phoenix, San Antonio and Austin.

This article is about the Grilled Cheese Truck in California. For the Portland food carts, see The Grilled Cheese Grill.
The Grilled Cheese Truck
Food truck company specializing in grilled cheese sandwiches
IndustryFast food
SuccessorTRIG Acquisition 1, Inc.
FoundedLos Angeles, 2009
FounderDave Danhi and Michele Grant
Area served
Southern California, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Antonio, and Austin
Key people
Dave Danhi
Websitewww.thegrilledcheesetruck.com

Overview
The Grilled Cheese Truck

The Grilled Cheese Truck started as a joint venture between Dave Danhi (a Los Angeles-based chef) and Michele Grant (an entrepreneur).[1] Danhi devised the idea when he competed in the 7th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational, a grilled cheese competition that takes place every Spring in Los Angeles, California. As he left the competition and saw the food trucks lined up outside, as well as the interest in grilled cheese from the competition, he got the idea to open the "grilled cheese food truck".[2]

The Grilled Cheese Truck has been awarded accolades including "10 Best Grilled Cheese Trucks"[3] and one of the "Top 10 Sandwiches in LA".[4] Danhi and the truck have had television appearances on The Price is Right,[5] Unwrapped,[6] House of Food, Be Our Guest, The Rachael Ray Show,[7] The Joan and Melissa Show, and The Cooking Channel.[8] Danhi's grilled cheese recipes have appeared in talk shows, magazines, blogs [9] and cookbooks.[10]

History and Business Activity

2009 - 2012: In 2009, The Grilled Cheese Truck was launched in Los Angeles by celebrity chef Dave Danhi. The company initially operated one part-time truck before expanding to one full-time truck and one part-time truck. The part-time truck was generally used for special events (catering), such as birthday parties and weddings. The truck was only operated on a full-time basis in 2011 and a portion of 2012. During that time, according to Mr. Danhi who owned and operated the trucks, the one full-time truck generated gross revenues of $12,000 to $15,000 per week ($624,000 to $780,000 on an annualized basis) and net cash flow of $112,000 to $156,000 on an annualized basis.

2012 - 2016: On October 18, 2012, TRIG Acquisition 1, Inc., a Delaware Form 10 company, acquired The Grilled Cheese Truck brand. The company subsequently changed its name to The Grilled Cheese Truck, followed by another name change to American Patriot Brands (APB). In 2012, when Grant left the company, the company merged with TRIG Acquisition 1, Inc., forming Grilled Cheese Truck, Inc. This merger helped to expand the company to other markets and they have plans to become the first publicly traded food truck.[11] The company also enlisted General Wesley Clark (USA, Ret.) to help bring The Grilled Cheese Truck national. His primary focus is to help promote, identify, train, support and help franchise return service veterans with their own Grilled Cheese Trucks.[12][13] APB never completed its franchise filings with the Federal Trade Commission or the State of California. At its peak, APB operated 10 trucks, eight of which were company-owned and two of which were licensed. APB did not disclose any per truck financial information in its SEC filings. During the period that the eight company-owned trucks operated, the company generated $3,650,021 in revenue and a net loss of $7,712,208, as disclosed in its last 10-K filing for the period ending December 31, 2014. APB is not current in its SEC filings as of January 18, 2017.

2016–Present: Big Cheese, Inc. was incorporated in Delaware on September 16, 2016. On October 4, 2016, it acquired the Grilled Cheese Truck brand with the attendant trademarks pursuant to an Intellectual Property Rights Purchase agreement with Dave Danhi, founder. Mr. Danhi had reacquired the rights on September 23, 2016 from APB, which had originally acquired the rights from Mr. Danhi. APB had re-positioned itself in the cannabis business, which created the opportunity for Mr. Danhi to reacquire the brand.

Crowdfunding Endeavors

Big Cheese Inc., owner of The Grilled Cheese Truck brand, filed a Form-C on January 18, 2017 to raise capital through JOBS Act securities regulations on Microventures.[14] The Grilled Cheese Truck successfully closed the first ever Reg CF equity crowdfunding campaign by a food truck on Microventures with 332 investors investing $199,186 on April 1, 2017.[15]

Spotlight and awards

The Grilled Cheese Truck has been awarded accolades including:

  • Los Angeles Hot List: 2011 #1 Food Truck in LA[16]
  • Los Angeles Times: Reader's Choice 2012 - Best Food Truck[17]
  • Culture Cheese Mag's 10 Best Grilled Cheese Trucks"[3]
  • LA Weekly's Top 10 Sandwiches in Los Angeles[4]
  • Danhi and the truck have had television appearances on The Price is Right,[5] Unwrapped,[6] House of Food, Be Our Guest, The Rachael Ray Show,[7] The Joan and Melissa Show, and The Cooking Channel.[8]
  • Thrillist Los Angeles' Best Food Trucks[18]
  • Relish: America's 10 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches[19]
  • The Daily Meal: Los Angeles 15 Best Food Trucks of 2013[20]
  • 2013 #1 People's Choice Award at the Grilled Cheese Invitational[21]
  • Danhi's grilled cheese recipes have appeared in talk shows, magazines, blogs [9] and cookbooks.[10] Including The Wakey Bacon Melt,[22] The Cheesy Mac 'N Rib,[23] and others.

See also

References
  1. "The Grilled Cheese Truck". QSR magazine. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
  2. Kneiszel, Judy. "The Grilled Cheese Truck". QSR Magazine. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  3. Seftel, Briana. "10 Best: Grilled Cheese Trucks". Culture Cheese Mag.com. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  4. Narins, Rachael. "10 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches in Los Angeles". LA Weekly. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  5. "A Grilled Cheese Showcase". youtube.com. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  6. "Unwrapped: Midnight Munchies". youtube.com. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  7. "The Food Truck Craze". The Rachael Ray Show. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  8. "The Cooking Channel: Grilled Cheese Battle". youtube.com. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  9. Gim, Sarah J. "Cheesy Mac n Rib Recipe from The Grilled Cheese Truck". Tastespotting: the blog. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  10. Elliott, Debbie. "Food Truck Cookbook Tracks Best Meals Served On Wheels". npr.org. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  11. Meagher, Bill. "The Grilled Cheese Truck raising up to $5M in general-solicitation offering Read more: The Grilled Cheese Truck raising up to $5M in general solicitation offering". www.thedeal.com. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  12. Aldridge, James. "The Grilled Cheese Truck eyeing San Antonio for veterans franchise expansion". The San Antonio Business Journal. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  13. Lindenberg, Brett. "The Grilled Cheese Truck: Powered by Social Media, Veterans, and Founder Dave Danhi". Food Truck Empire.com. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  14. "Big Cheese Inc. Form-C Filing".
  15. Inc., MicroVenture Marketplace. "MicroVentures | Invest in The Grilled Cheese Truck". app.microventures.com. Retrieved 2017-04-24.
  16. "Food Truck - Best of 2011".
  17. "Readers' Choice 2012: Food & Restaurants".
  18. "THE BEST FOOD TRUCKS IN LA".
  19. "America's 10 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches".
  20. "Los Angeles' 15 Best Food Trucks".
  21. "11TH ANNUAL GRILLED CHEESE INVITATIONAL – RESULTS!".
  22. "The Wakey Bacon Melt".
  23. "The Cheesy Mac 'N Rib".

13. Goldstein, Peter J. ,US Foods VS Grilled Cheese Military, Inc 16K07489, FINRA Examination 20140407552, SEC, US Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Florida, CASE 98-20914-RBR

Further reading
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