Food trucks are a rapidly growing phenomenon that's spreading across the U.S

We know construction workers often purchase lunch from trucks parked near job sites.

No offense to people who make their living erecting skyscrapers, but the thought of buying meals on wheels hasn't excited palates since ice-cream trucks went out of style.

But that could be changing. In such cities as San Francisco and Los Angeles, trucks bringing yummy, freshly prepared - even gourmet - delights have become something of a trend, thrilling foodies with their offerings.

"Food trucks are a rapidly growing phenomenon that's spreading across the United States," says Bob Tuschman, senior vice president of programming and production for the Food Network. And Tuschman has been quick to respond: On Aug. 15, the network will premiere "Food Trucks," a reality show in which food-truck owners compete against each other.

"We hope every show we do inspires viewers to become more adventurous, passionate and curious about the food they eat," Tuschman says. "So I imagine 'Food Trucks' will inspire a lot of people to search out the food trucks in their town."

Food trucks have yet to hit the fast lane in the Valley, but the movement is definitely revving up.

One business even invested in a food truck before opening its store.

"From a business perspective, this is a good way to test your concept from outside your neighborhood," says Jan Wichayanuparp, who owns Sweet Republic, an artisan ice-cream store. "It sort of spreads the word, because not everybody can come into the shop. Besides that, it's just a lot of fun."

Wichayanuparp and Helen Yung launched Sweet Republic two years ago in Scottsdale. In a nifty horse-before-the-cart scenario, the two had their truck on the road before opening the brick-and-mortar store at 92nd Street and Shea Boulevard.

"We always knew we wanted to do a truck," Wichayanuparp says. "That was always sort of the business model. We don't know when we're going to open a second location, so a truck seemed like a good idea."

They found a 1959 Chevrolet step van on Craigslist.org. Wichayanuparp admits the vehicle wasn't in pristine condition.

"It's like buying a house in an up-and-coming neighborhood that's in need of a little TLC," she says with a laugh. "It's an ongoing project."

The orange van makes appearances at Phoenix First Fridays and the Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market. The two sell their savory treats in cups and cones.

Valley zoning laws make it tough for vehicles to roam about and sell food. In Scottsdale, for example, there are rules about keeping such public areas as sidewalks accessible. Phoenix laws state that vehicle-mounted generators are a no-no, and it's tough to prepare food without power.

That's why you're most likely to find upscale food trucks in such settings as festivals and farmers markets.

Joe Garcia's La Vida Locavore truck was probably the Valley's most recognizable high-end food truck. Last October, he launched the truck, which he would park at the Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market.

The creation of meals was exciting, he says.

"We showed up to the farmers market at 5:30 in the morning," Garcia recalls. "The majority of ingredients were not purchased until that morning. We created our menus based on what was available fresh that day from other vendors."

That led to such dishes as French toast made with piping hot bread, or black-bean burritos served with fresh cheese.

"It's such a great thing," Garcia says. "We had so much support, and people really seemed to get what we were doing."

The truck proved so popular he tried another spin on traditional dining: At Stealthytable.com, he announced a "private" dinner in which patrons paid $100 for a four-course meal prepared by four chefs on Valentine's Day. The twist: Ticket buyers didn't know where the dinner would be held until one day before the event.

"Things like that are fun to do, both for the (diners) and for the chefs," he says.

He plans to do more Stealthy Table dinners, and he is hopeful many will involve a truck. Garcia is truckless at the moment; last month, a business partner sold the vehicle. Garcia plans to have another truck within the next six months, but it's still a bit frustrating.

"I hardly got out of the gate with the whole concept," he says with a sigh. "I even purchased the Twitter handle 'La Vida Locavore' from a woman in Delaware. I haven't been able to take the concept where I've wanted to take it yet."

Indeed, the Valley is lagging behind some other cities when it comes to gourmet food trucks. Jeff Kraus started a Valley catering company in January that specializes in crepes called Truckin' Good Food last year. One thing Kraus doesn't have: a traditional food truck.

"We launched with every expectation of having a truck and of being a mobile creperie and bakery," he says. "But then we decided to launch without and make crepes like we do for the farmers market and private events and to get a feel for what people think of it."

Kraus says he thinks people in the Valley would be enthusiastic for a food-truck scene like the one that thrives in Los Angeles. There, gourmet-truck owners use such social media as Twitter and Facebook to alert diners where the trucks can be found. The scene's popularity is one reason why "Food Trucks" will feature West Coast businesses for its initial season.

"Because they are so much cheaper to run compared to a restaurant, food trucks are able to charge low, low prices," Tuschman says. "And the low cost of entry has allowed folks to launch trucks with an incredible variety of cuisines."

Here, we have the variety of cuisines, but our tougher regulations mean that the scene is largely limited to occasional Mexican food trucks and vehicles parked at farmers markets and festivals.

"Street food has been around forever," Kraus says. "I come from a humble background. I think good food shouldn't be a luxury. It should be available to everybody, which is kind of the whole concept of street food."

Garcia thinks if the regulations ever loosen up, the Valley would be excited about the food-truck scene.

"It's important for the government to open up the floodgates," he says. "It works. You don't need brick and mortar and somebody paying $4,000 a month in rent for great food."