Food trailers thrive despite the heat

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Food trailers are as common in Austin as live music venues Downtown and lobbyists under the Capitol dome.

But with August temperatures topping 100, it seems that fewer people are willing to eat out in the heat. So trailer operators are having to get creative.

"We're kind of taking some action during the hotter parts of the day with our new happy hour." said J.T. Gulledge, a cook at Mighty Cone on South Congress Avenue .

Mighty Cones is offering 50 percent off during the hottest part of the to attract business.

"You come out here, deal with the heat a little bit and get some good food for real cheap," Gulledge said. "People are coming in and getting the food to go and eating in their car in the A/C, the to-go orders have definitely picked up."

The Original New Orleans Po-boy Gumbo Shop, also on South Congress, is making up the slower times by keeping the fryer going one more extra day in the week.

The food trailers bank on tourists keeping them afloat during the summer.  Anthony Ngo is a student at the University of Texas and this week his family is visiting from Canada.

"My family always sees the food trucks on TV and the food channel, so the food trucks is a good way to show the people, like my family, what Austin is like." Ngo said.