The NY Slice owner John Ban sells business

A member of the team that put Indianapolis' first food truck on the road is out of the restaurant-on-wheels business.

John Ban and a partner launched West Coast Tacos in 2010. Ban sold his share of that now-defunct truck in 2011. That same year, Ban debuted The NY Slice pizza truck.

This week, Ban unloaded The NY Slice, which operates two trucks and a standing pizzeria at 4638 E. 10th St.

Ban would not reveal the buyers' names. The new owners have not yet responded to the Indianapolis Star's calls for more information.

Food truck business is brisk here, Ban said, but he decided to sell The NY Slice because he is ready for a new venture using the entrepreneurial, management and customer service skills he learned from operating food trucks.

"I probably won't do anything restaurant or food service," Ban said of his next business move, perhaps to tech, automobile or farming.

"The food truck opened lots of doors for me outside of food service," Ban said. "It taught me how to make money."

Ban, from Indianapolis, got involved with West Coast Tacos after working as a disc jockey in Los Angles. Watching that city's busy taco trucks, Ban and then-business partner Arnold Park, who was also living in Los Angles, decided to apply the format to Indianapolis. America's food truck scene was taking off, and West Coast Tacos had no competition in Indianapolis.

Getting started was difficult. City regulators had never dealt with food trucks. "They made me jump through a lot of regulatory hoops," Ban said.

Once permits were granted, West Coast Tacos took off, quickly garnering fans and a mention in the New York Times. Response convinced Ban to establish The NY Slice as a single truck. Four months later, he added the second truck and within a year the pizzeria.

Pizza fills successful food trucks' needs, Ban said. Pizza is something most people like, it's easy to prepare and it is delivered quickly.

The Indy Food Truck Alliance lists 20 food truck operators at its website. Despite so many food trucks rolling, Ban thinks the city remains ripe for new wheels. Regulations are easier to maneuver, he said. Plus, consumers and city leaders support the dining concept, as evidenced by the seasonal Thursday farmers market and food truck gathering at downtown's Statehouse Market.

If Ban were to consider another food truck, he said he would target straight-up Chinese food.

Hundreds of hours operating food trucks has not kept Ban from eating food truck fare. "I love them," he said. Among his favorites are Der Pretzel Wagen sandwiches, Groovy Guys Fries and Cajun dishes from Chef Dan's Indy.

Call Liz Biro at (317) 444-6264 or follow her on Twitter: @lizbiro