Latin Burger & Taco , Miami's first gourmet food truck, is setting another trend with the roll out of a second vehicle. LB2 will be a twin brother. Jim Heins, owner of both, is expected to take delivery of the second black and pink wonder in mid-March.
Latin Burger served its first dish on NE 79th Street and Biscayne in December 2009. The brainchild of Heins, it was a way for Jim to both open a business and help the community. His truck has employed Johnson & Wales students and residents of Community Partnership For The Homeless.
Since then, both Latin Burger and the entire food truck industry have exploded. Truck roundups sometimes get thousands of people in one evening and more and more food trucks are rolling down Miami's streets.
"I had a crazy idea to start a food truck". Jim Heins told Short Order. "I'm an unbelievable barbecuer. I always wanted to open a hamburger restaurant. When I had Latin Burger inspected, the inspectors said this is cool - what is this? It's come a long way since then".
LB2 will be used as a backup and to expand the LB reach. Heins plans to explore Broward County sites.
Asked if he foresees enough business for two trucks in South Florida, Heins said "We have quite a customer base. We have 10,000 followers between Twitter and Facebook. I think there's room. You have to develop your customer base. I work it. I'm married to Latin Burger."
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