The Walkingboxes food trailer.Walkingboxes - Berlin-based Walkingboxes is making sustainable food trailers out of shipping containers.
- Walkingboxes founder Daniel Lorch used research from the tiny home industry to shape the project.
- The startup has seen inquiries from around the world since its December 2020 soft launch.
Shipping containers can sometimes find new life as a tiny home, but now, a Berlin-based startup is turning the metal containers into food trucks.
Walkingboxes - which was founded amid the pandemic in 2020 - makes sustainable "mobile kitchens" out of shipping containers to make "good food democratic," according to the company. And there's likely no better time to introduce a new food truck or trailer: outdoor dining during COVID-19 is still the only dining option in some cities.
Read more: California's housing crisis is so dire, a startup just raised $3.5 million in VC funding to drop tiny houses in people's backyards
The project originally began a few months before COVID-19, and the team was in its "funding and prototype phase" when the first lockdown hit. Despite coronavirus pandemic-related troubles, Walkingboxes' founder and designer, Daniel Lorch, kept moving forward.
"Since outdoor dining is less affected by the restrictions and people from the catering industry are less busy at the moment, many are dreaming of their own street food business - including top chefs," Lorch told Insider in an email interview.
Lorch believes the food truck industry will come out strong after the coronavirus pandemic as outdoor dining and takeout have dominated throughout COVID-19.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
"Even if one doesn't wish for the coronavirus, it is a driving force for innovations and the rethinking and questioning of deadlocked structures," Lorch wrote.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
Lorch became inspired to pursue the endeavor when his South Korean mother was looking to start a Korean food truck in Germany.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
While looking for a food truck, Lorch realized none of the available options offered something that "met the demands of a new wave of gastronomes in terms of design, sustainability, and individuality," according to the startup.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
Lorch got to work designing a unit that would fit their needs.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
The designs then received positive responses, pushing Lorch to create a food trailer that could be configurable and customizable.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
A few years prior to starting Walkingboxes, Lorch considered getting into the tiny home industry, which has also boomed during COVID-19.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
However, Lorch ultimately decided to stay out of the tiny home market for various reasons ...
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
... but was able to use some of his background and research in tiny homes to create Walkingboxes.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
The design-forward trailer looks obviously different from any typical food truck. This uniqueness was intentional.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
"We come from the cultural sector and know many young star gastronomy chefs personally," Lorch wrote. "We know about the wishes and problems of this special target group."
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
The shipping container's durable steel material translates well as a food truck, according to the company.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
The trailers are also lightweight, which means they can be towed by a station wagon or minivan.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
You may be wondering how a shipping container can end up being so lightweight.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
The answer is obvious: Walkingboxes' shipping containers aren't used.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
Instead, the team manufactures the containers by using thinner metal sheets, therefore cutting back on weight.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
If you happen to be a shipping container purist, don't fret. Walkingboxes' containers still adhere to some ISO standard specs for shipping containers.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
Unlike a typical food truck, over 90% of a Walkingboxes trailer is made of recyclable or biodegradable materials.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
The trailer was also designed to be semi-customizable and modular, allowing chefs to tailor their mobile kitchens to their own cooking styles.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
The customizable cooking space can accommodate a variety of appliances and tools, allowing chefs to create anything from vegan ice cream to baked goods to ramen.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
Even the exterior was taken into account: the units all have 10-inch aluminum rims for a decreased loading height.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
An extra countertop can also be hooked to the front of the shipping container …
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
… and hydraulic gas struts make opening and closing the front service area easier.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
The units come in three straightforward sizes: small, medium, or large.
Prices vary by size and customization, but a small Walkingboxes trailer - which sits at 10.5 feet by 7.2 feet - starts at €27,000, almost $32,750.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
Since its unveiling, the startup has received positive responses from the public.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
Many of its requests are coming from younger chefs who've worked at high-end eateries.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
Chefs are able to implement smaller menus and more affordable meals by using a food truck instead of a brick and mortar shop, according to Lorch.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
“The price, but also the elimination of reservation and table etiquette, makes it much easier to access good food that is not only healthy and filling but also expands our range of reference,” Lorch explained.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
Walkingboxes is now seeing global inquiries and will be delivering its first units to Germany and Switzerland.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes
You may have to wait a bit longer before you see a Walkingboxes trailer in Canada or the US as the company is still working on a way to send it overseas.
The Walkingboxes food trailer.
Walkingboxes