Stella Palmer
I booked a food truck through Roaming Hunger for a private party and what should have been a fun, stress-free experience turned into a complete nightmare. The day before my event, I realized I had not heard from either Roaming Hunger or the vendor (FoodMadness). I reached out to my assigned contact and received an out-of-office message. The alternate contact listed was also out of office. I called the number in the email and was connected with a manager, Cesar Rodarte, who informed me that my original contact was no longer with the company and that he would “look into it.” A short time later, Cesar called back and told me the vendor’s truck was out of commission and they would need to find me another truck. This was at 3:00 PM the day before my party. The truck I had originally booked offered a wide variety of food. Now, under extreme pressure, I was given only taco trucks to choose from—at the same price. With no real alternatives, I selected a taco truck. I was assured the truck would arrive at 4:15 PM for my 5:00 PM party. At 4:30, no one had arrived. After multiple calls and texts, Cesar discovered the vendor had been given the wrong address. The truck finally arrived at 5:00 PM—ran out of gas halfway up my driveway—and stopped in front of my home. The driver had a dog on her lap and was smoking. She got out, pulled a gas can from her vehicle, and began filling it in my driveway. At that point, I felt this was completely unsanitary and unsafe. I contacted Cesar, who asked the vendor to leave. While he was apologetic and promised a full refund, my party had already started and I had no food for my guests. I asked how Roaming Hunger intended to make this right. I was told to submit receipts for the food I had to urgently order and that I would be reimbursed. I did exactly that. Cesar told me he would call me the following Monday at noon to discuss next steps. I did not hear from anyone until days later. Then I received an email stating that while they would issue a refund for the booking, they would not reimburse me for the emergency food I had to purchase—despite previously telling me they would. I was offered a discount on a “future booking,” which is something I would never risk after this experience. I requested to speak with the manager who made this decision so I could explain the full scope of what happened. I was told I would receive a call Thursday, then Friday, then “definitely Monday.” It is now Tuesday, and no one has contacted me. This company left me without food at my own party, caused enormous stress, failed to communicate, failed to follow through on their promises, and then went silent. I do not recommend trusting Roaming Hunger with an important event. The risk is simply not worth it.
