As the fall quarter progresses, students have noticed a sharp decrease in food truck options, fueling rumors that food trucks are being phased out. Beginning Week 7, there have been days with no food truck options during the dinner meal period and reduced availability during extended dinner meal periods.
UCLA first introduced food trucks in 2021 as a temporary measure to alleviate overcrowding as UCLA Dining faced staffing shortages following the COVID-19 pandemic. As students returned to campus, this provided a safer way to get food. The lines were outdoors and easy to maintain social distance in. Having this other option also reduced crowding inside dining halls, reducing the strain on workers and mitigating COVID risk.
In the following years, food trucks became a staple of UCLA dining. There were up to six food trucks available during a single dinner meal period, featuring a variety of options at De Neve, Sproul and Rieber plazas. At times, there were even food trucks available during the lunch period. Though food trucks started as a temporary measure, students came to love them, as they provide convenient options outside of regular dining halls.
Food trucks were removed from De Neve during the 2023-2024 school year, only making an appearance at Sproul turn-around and Rieber turn-around. This sparked rumors that Housing was attempting to limit food trucks on the Hill, possibly moving them to the University apartments or working their way towards getting rid of them as a dining option entirely.
Given the current state of food trucks on the Hill, old rumors have begun to resurge, with students worried that the 2025-2026 school year may end with the removal of an essential part of many students’ dining experiences.
Second-year biology student Nayeli Rodriguez said that she uses food trucks every day.
“They’re really convenient. They’re just, like, a quick take-out [option],” Rodriguez said. “I don’t really like eating at dining halls. I feel like since the food trucks are really close to Sproul, you don’t have to, like, go all the way up [the Hill] to get food.”
Second-year political science student Anya Kotecha also felt disappointed at the recent phasing out of food trucks, claiming food trucks add to the social environment on the Hill.
“It’s like a way for you to, you know, run into people in line,” Kotecha said. “Food trucks are just a great way to build community. I live at Rieber and just seeing the food truck lines every night, and having that, like, buzz until 12 a.m. is always so nice. I don’t know what I’d do without it. It’d be so quiet and so empty, and I would not like it.”
Third-year bioengineering and biochemistry student Colin Johnson agreed that food trucks offer students an experience that other dining places on the Hill do not.
“I think the food trucks have a lot of variety,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of stuff you can’t really get at other [places] on the Hill. I know there was one ice cream truck that was here last year [that] a lot of my friends went to and that one donut truck. You can’t get that anywhere else.”
Though most students are unsure if these rumors hold validity, some are convinced that this is the final year for food trucks.
“I do [believe the rumors are true],” said second-year political science student Shreeya Chada. “One of my friends who’s an RA was talking about how Housing is slowly phasing out the food trucks. I’m so sad because I don’t want it to be real.”
Should UCLA expand dining options? As the recent decrease in food truck availability gives new substance to the years-long rumors of the removal of food trucks on campus, there is talk of what UCLA can do to make up for the possible reduction in dining variety.
“I think if they are going to phase out the food trucks, they should expand the [dining] hours,” said Julissa Carrillo, a second-year psychology student. “A lot of times, it’s really inconvenient for only, like, one or two dining halls to be open at 4 p.m. All of my classes are [during] lunch hours, so I don’t eat, unless I get breakfast two hours before my classes.”
Ellie Kim, a first-year Korean student, similarly said, “Food trucks are good because they come late-night. There’s only, like, two [other] places that open for late-night.”
Having several options open during a period when many students are just finishing their work for the day is important for many. During extended dinner periods, most regular dining hall and mobile-order options close, leaving only The Study and De Neve Late Night. The food trucks offer variety during this period and prevent crowding at The Study and De Neve.
The decrease in food truck options has left students upset and wondering about the future of UCLA dining, with many students agreeing that dining hours should be expanded to accommodate the reduction of food trucks. Only time can tell the fate of food trucks on the Hill, but students have come to a common consensus: removing food trucks would add to the overcrowding of dining halls, reduce meal variety and take away from a key component of life on the Hill.
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Featured Image Photographed by Siena Hunt/BruinLife
