Driving Innovation

When you enter The Food Truck’N Experience at RC Show, it doesn’t feel like part of a trade show. It feels like a moment—a block party in full swing, a street food scene plucked from the city and dropped inside the show’s cavernous venue. And that’s exactly what Jason Bellissimo, ‘Idea Merchant’ and founder of JB Innovative Solutions, set out to create.

A lifetime ‘hospitality guy’, Bellissimo was an early fan of food trucks, seeing them as a flexible, low-risk entry point into the market with high-reward potential before the scene caught fire across Canada. He understood that food trucks offer chefs and operators a unique platform to unleash their creativity, test bold menu concepts, and connect directly with customers—all without the overhead of a traditional brick-and-mortar space. With the freedom to move where the crowds are, food trucks create opportunities to build brand recognition, diversify revenue streams, and scale new ideas quickly.

He wanted to help support and scale the segment and launched Food Truck N’ Events + Catering and a marketing and content creation division to help operators connect with festivals, corporate partners and grow their business beyond the parking lot.

Bellissimo’s journey into food trucks wasn’t accidental. A 30-year hospitality veteran, he lives and breathes the business. He’s the guy who can’t help critiquing service during dinner with his family. For him, it’s all about delivering an experience—whether through food, atmosphere, or a sense of connection. After hosting his first food truck event in a Toronto church parking lot in 2015—where over 2,000 people showed up for six trucks and zero frills—he realized the incredible, untapped potential of the food truck scene in Canada. Since then, Food Truck’N has grown into a multi-division business, offering public events, corporate catering, experiential marketing, and content creation. But RC Show is his Super Bowl.

Bellissimo first pitched the Food Truck’N Experience to RC Show in 2018, recognizing that food trucks weren’t getting the spotlight they deserved within the hospitality industry. What started with a small space with a few trucks on the show floor has evolved into a full-scale feature area that earned Best New Activation in its first year and has continued to grow as one of the show’s hottest destinations. “For me, RC Show is the pinnacle. It’s the highest platform in Canada for hospitality. There’s no bigger stage,” says Bellissimo. “So why not use it to showcase one of the most exciting, growing segments of the industry? I challenge anyone to find something similar internationally at any food show.”

What’s Under the Hood of The Food Truck’N Experience

But Food Truck’N at RC Show isn’t just a place to grab a bite. It’s an experience with purpose—a carefully curated space that merges culinary creativity with brand activations and strategic partnership that bring chefs, trucks and brands to life. “We call it The Food Truck’N Experience because it’s supposed to feel like something you’ve never had before,” says Bellissimo. “That’s why there’s no carpet, just concrete floors to give it that street feel and vibe. There’s music, people and it’s polished and elevated.”

This year, major players like Campbell’s, High Liner Foodservice, American Express, and Maple Leaf Foods are collaborating inside the pavilion. These aren’t your typical tradeshow booths. Each activation is designed to connect attendees with brands through meaningful and memorable food and beverage experiences.

For Bellissimo, his role as curator means facilitating these collaborations seamlessly—whether it’s carving out the perfect footprint for a partner’s presence or helping them design something from scratch that captures their brand essence. It’s a dynamic, evolving ecosystem that thrives on win-win strategies and shared creativity. There’s sure to be incredible food from some of the most exciting mobile kitchens around and a palpable buzz in one of the busiest, most talked-about zones on the RC Show floor.

The Food Truck’N Experience also takes centre stage at the RC Show Opening Night Reception, serving as the exclusive caterer for the industry’s most anticipated kickoff event. This year, Bellissimo is working closely with Restaurants Canada and the RC Show event team to create a special 80th anniversary edition of the reception that will truly fuel the celebration. Featuring a curated lineup of top-tier food trucks, the event offers over 1,000 guests a dynamic, street-style feast with diverse, chef-driven menus designed to impress. As the party unfolds across the show’s Heritage Court, these mobile kitchens keep the energy high and the flavours bold, transforming the space into an unforgettable culinary block party worthy of this milestone year.

But for Bellissimo, this is about more than just feeding people. It’s about creating lasting partnerships, showcasing the possibilities of mobile dining, and driving a new understanding of what food trucks can offer the industry. “When people work with me, I want them to say, ‘That guy was good. I want to work with him again.’ That’s the goal. The real currency for me is ideas.”

The Future of Food Truck’N

Looking ahead, Bellissimo’s ambitions are bigger than any one event. He’s eyeing growth through strategic partnerships, branded content (like the Food Truck’N Eats video series, presented by Campbell’s Foodservice), and custom catering solutions. He’s also eager to get back to the roots of those legendary Food Truck’N Fridays—the lightning-in-a-bottle moments where thousands would gather just to eat, connect, and experience something real.

But for now, RC Show remains the flagship—the place where his boldest ideas come to life, and where he gets to show the industry just how much food trucks have to offer.

“I love that feeling of watching someone walk into The Food Truck’N Experience for the first time. You see it on their face: ‘Wow.’ That’s why we do it.”

Feeling hungry?

Check out the incredible lineup of food trucks rolling into RC Show to deliver the full Food Truck ‘N Experience.