Inside the Food Truck Mafia Wreaking Havoc Around the National Mall

Competition among food trucks in Washington, D.C., is fierce—enough, it seems, that some competitors carry machetes and occasionally attack each other with screwdrivers. The district decriminalized unlicensed street vending a few years ago, and while that spares plenty of good-hearted vendors from punishment, it also means food-quality standards are dicey, prices are wildly inconsistent, and a few unnamed bosses are hell-bent on guarding their turf. Jessica Sidman explores it all, from the heavily fortified frozen dessert warehouses to the shell companies that mask food-truck ownership.

Of the $16.50 I was charged, my Square receipt shows $1.50 in DC sales tax. The DC Office of Tax and Revenue later tells me it has no record of Fusion Swirl LLC, the company named on my receipt. . . .

I also look up the Virginia license plate of the shiny blue truck for traffic violations. Since last October, it has racked up 27 tickets totaling $2,842, mostly for illegal parking and not displaying a front license plate.

The receipt also has a phone number. A few days later, I call. The person on the other end tells me he’s the owner and has multiple food trucks. I explain I’m a journalist and ask his name.

“Uh, yeah, my name is . . . .” The call ends. Subsequent calls go straight to voicemail.