As of 2018, there were almost 6,000 food truck establishments. That number has doubled since 2013!

Are you thinking about offering your food at the next local food truck festival? Then you’ll want to know how to make your vehicle stand out from the crowd. Read on for our best tips!

Make Sure Your Branding Is on Point

When you think of major food brands, what pops into your mind? With McDonald’s, it’s the golden arches—with Wendy’s, it’s their red-haired mascot.

Having strong branding means people will quickly recall your business name and image. What does this mean for you? You need to make sure the branding on your food truck is on point.

Often, the best thing is to keep things simple but striking. This strategy gives you maximum impact and also minimizes confusion.

Use a Vehicle Wrap to Attract Attention

A vehicle wrap is an excellent way to not only attract attention, but also to bring your branding to life. You’ll want something that stands out, but make sure you keep it in line with your branding to form a cohesive message.

Lettering on the vehicle wrap should be large enough to see in a crowd or from a moderate distance. The text might look plenty big when you’re standing right next to it, but take into consideration how big it needs to be for someone to see from a good ways. That way, you’ll draw in more potential customers.

The same goes for any images you use. If you have an exterior TV menu with food photos, make sure they are large enough for people to see from farther back in the line.

Perk up the Front of Your Food Truck Area

People don’t just attend food truck festivals to stuff their faces. They go for the overall experience, which is why you’ll often find entertainment such as bands, piano players, and more at the best food truck festival in town.

To add to this atmosphere, you might want to consider sprucing up the area right around your food truck.

For example, if you’re selling lobster rolls, you can expand on this theme by placing beach chairs and umbrellas up front. For an extra touch, you can even put a few beach balls around and have a sprinkle of sand on the ground.

The sky is the limit, just make sure any extra flair you add complements your branding, and that it’s allowed per festival rules.

Stand Out at the Next Food Truck Festival

Now know what you can do to make your vehicle stand out at your next food truck festival!

While it’s true that your food should speak for itself, good marketing is a way to snag first-time customers. Otherwise, your food won’t even get the chance to reach people’s palates. Branding piques their interest; your amazing food is what keeps them coming back again and again.

Looking to upgrade your food truck? Get in touch with us now!

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post How to Make Your Vehicle Stand Out at a Food Truck Festival appeared first on Custom Concessions.

The food truck industry is competitive and challenging to break into. You must have a solid business plan, a good brand identity, and proper advertising. You need to learn how you can stand out.

Keep reading for 5 cool and creative ideas for marketing a food truck. 

1. Launch a Social Media Campaign 

In our digital age, you really should have an online presence. However, simply having a Facebook page or posting a few photos to Instagram isn’t going to make your business boom. You need to have the right strategy and launch a social media campaign.

Look into what your competitor’s social media sites are like to gather marketing ideas. What is their brand style? Do they actively engage with their customers often?

From here, you can build your own strategy and think about the content you want to produce. Make sure it is unique and engaging. Monitor your posts and see what works and what doesn’t. 

2. Establish Your Brand Identity 

No matter how good your food is or how well you treat your customers, you’ll just blend into the background if you don’t have a good and memorable brand identity. Use vibrant colors that will help you stand out and get a simple yet unique logo designed. Be careful you don’t go too over to the top and make your menu or advertisements unreadable or unclear.

Once you have your brand established, you can sell or give away promotional items like t-shirts, cups, metal straws, bottle openers, etc. 

3. Hand Out Loyalty Cards and Win Return Customers 

How can you make sure your customers will come back? Hand out loyalty cards. Loyalty cards, such as a “Buy 5, Get 1 Free” promotion, will encourage folks to buy more and to return to your food truck until they complete their card.

You can even use a digital loyalty reward system if you don’t want to hand out physical cards. It’s highly customizable, so you can change your strategy often. It won’t affect your bottom-line. In fact, it will increase your sales and profits. 

4. Get In Ahead of Popular Food Trends 

The video-sharing app TikTok has popularized certain food trends like dalgona coffee, White Claw slushies, and strawberry milk. There’s no shortage of new fads on the rise. While you may not want to base your whole food truck business around one of these, it can certainly be a part of your menu.

There are always new innovations in coffee. This high-in-demand beverage is a good addition. 

5.  Follow National Food Holidays

No, we don’t mean Thanksgiving. There’s a lot of fun food holidays you can celebrate to promote your business and draw in new customers. February 9th is National Pizza Day, and November 1st is World Vegan Day.

You can advertise on social media about these holidays and celebrate with your customers with a fun menu change. 

Marketing a Food Truck Made Easy 

When operating and marketing a food truck, you need to know how to stand out. Launching a social media campaign will help you get the word out about your business. Look at your competitors for inspiration. Learn about what’s popular and follow the trends—and possibly even make your own.

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post 5 Creative Ideas for Marketing a Food Truck appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels

You can’t afford to blend into the crowd.

With the growing popularity of food trucks, it can be difficult to cut through the static. There’s no reason to worry because there’s plenty you can do to stand out from the crowd.

Keep reading below to learn how to set yourself apart in the food truck industry. Use these tips as your guide!

Create a Cohesive, Consistent Brand

To establish a successful food truck business, you’ll need to first create a brand. Think about what kind of food you want to serve, what mood you want to create, and who you want to sell the food to.

Make sure you have a catchy business name, and you can even come up with your own tagline to promote your food. Work with a graphic designer to come up with a logo, and get it put on your truck with a nice wrap. 

Once you create your brand, make sure it looks like it flows well between your physical truck, business cards, and social media. No matter where you pop up, you want to be instantly recognized every time. You can’t switch things up on people. 

Grow a Social Media Following

Advertising on social media is crucial. Make regular posts highlighting your dishes, and create fun Instagram stories advertising your location and hours for each day.

You want to make sure people are able to quickly find out where you’re located for the day. 

Make Your Food Truck Approachable

Think of fun ways to bring people to your truck. You can do this by incorporating fun colors, propping up signs, and playing music. You could also think about stringing up lights for some ambiance.

Make sure to treat your customers like family. They’ll feel comfortable each time they come back, and they’ll be sure to refer other friends to you. 

If you feel the business has been a bit slow, create a special of the day to advertise on a sign on a nearby sidewalk. Make sure to write clearly with bold colors. 

Stand Out From the Crowd: Food Truck Edition

You can’t afford to sink back into the crowd. Stand out from the crowd with your new and improved food truck.

Make sure to create a cohesive brand, including a memorable logo. Utilize social media as much as possible, and always update your followers on your location each day. No matter where you are, keep the truck exciting and approachable.

Are you inspired to own a food truck? Check out our site to get your own truck today. Contact us today with any questions.

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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Photo by Jess Vide from Pexels

Food truck businesses are still going strong even in the wake of COVID-19. However, that doesn’t mean mobile businesses are easy to run. To be successful, you need to be prepared.

Keep reading to learn about the top 6 reasons food trucks fail and how to avoid them. 

1. You Lack a Brand Identity

Major companies can be identified by a single logo or a three-word tagline. How? They built their brand identity from the beginning and stuck to it.

If you don’t have a solid idea of your brand identity, neither will your customers. It will be difficult for them to talk or post about you (word of mouth is the best form of advertising), and you won’t stand out against your competition. When planning your food truck business strategy, make sure you have a clear idea of your concept, style, and what you have to offer.

2. You Don’t Have a Business Plan 

We’ve all heard the statistics of how often small businesses fail. One reason why is having lack of direction and a good business plan. A business plan maps out the future of your investment and takes unexpected events into account.

You should draft a business plan with a professional and determine your goals. This will keep you focused and help you succeed.

3. You’re In Over Your Head 

You’ve decided to get into the food truck business because you’ve heard it’s a pretty profitable endeavor, and hey, who doesn’t like food? You did your research, have your grand opening, but you’re not seeing a profit. You could be in over your head. 

It’s easy to skip over crucial steps when planning to open a mobile business. If you went ahead with your idea without a business plan, understanding the demographics of your area, or preparing for inconvenient expenses, you’re setting yourself up for failure. 

4. You Don’t Know the Market

If you’re looking to break into the street food business, you need to know your market. Market trends fluctuate over time; people’s interests in food trends can change nearly overnight. You need to know what the demand is like in your area, as well as the market in general. 

Plant-based food surged in popularity in 2019, and CBD-infused food and drink dominated 2020. You’ll need to be aware of these trends, regardless of whether you chose to jump on the bandwagon or not. 

5. You Don’t Have the Right Employees

Your employees need to have the skills to work on your food truck, but they also need good customer service skills. Just like restaurants or stores, food trucks also have loyal customers. Hire friendly, well-trained people to represent your business. 

6. You Aren’t Consistent

Customers expect consistency in service as well as the quality of food. Even if your food truck has a basic menu, all cooks should know how to cook it the same way. One poor experience could turn away a loyal customer for good.

Avoid These Reasons Food Trucks Fail

If your dream is to open a mobile food truck business, you have a lot of planning to do. You need to make sure you have a solid brand identity, a business plan, and the right people working with you. Avoid these 6 mistakes and you will be on your way to success. 

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post Top 6 Reasons Food Trucks Fail appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Now that your food truck is ready to roll, you are wondering how to bring in those customers. In the age of technology, almost everyone has access to a smartphone. And smartphones have a knack for installing mobile apps.

How does this help today’s food truck owner? Mobile business apps help to keep current customers up-to-date on your whereabouts. They help potential customers get a feel for what to expect when they visit your food truck business. And you can even have the option for customer to order online through your app.

Continue reading to learn more about apps for food trucks and why you need one.

Show Off Your Brand

Being one of the 23,873 active food truck businesses in the U.S. isn’t going to be easy, so you will have to do everything that you can to stick out from the rest. An app will allow you to promote your brand and draw in more customers.

Once you have your mobile kitchen up and running, an app for your food truck is a great way to promote your brand. Apps are customizable to your business colors/logo to catch your customer’s eye.

An app is a perfect opportunity for you to try out new things and advertise daily lunch specials. 

You can tell your story on the app as a way to connect with your customers on a personal level. You sell amazing food creations every day, but what do you do when you aren’t catering to the public? Where do you get inspiration for your specials? Your customers want to know more about the person running the food truck.

This becomes your brand. 

Location

Mobile businesses are well-known for moving from one location to another. A food truck is not always going to be in a singular place. Depending on the time of day or day of the week, you may be in a different location in an attempt to bring in more customers.

It might be ideal for you to be in the business district during lunchtime on a Tuesday. While it would make more sense for you to be near the park entrance on a Saturday afternoon. Location is all about where the money is.

If you are going to be moving around your city to different places, your app is a place where people can stay up to date on where you will be on which days.

Coupons, Freebies & More

An app is a great place for you to advertise coupons or freebies for your customers. If your customers want to sign up for a loyalty program, this is where they could do so.

Other Alternatives

If creating an app for your food truck business isn’t something that you can do right now, you have other options. There are apps already out there that allow you to advertise your business on them, but that may entail paying a membership fee or advertising costs.

There are different apps available depending on where you’re located. Apps like, Roaming Hunger or Street Food Finder can get your mobile business off the ground.

Once your food truck has a decent following, you will be in a better position to create your food truck’s app. This will help you reach that next level.

Mobile Business Apps: The Next Step

Now that you are thinking about mobile business apps, you are ready to take that next step.

Create the app for your food truck and you will be ready to take on the world. Or at least you’ll be ready to take on the streets of your city.

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post Mobile Business Apps: Why You Need a Mobile App for Your Food Truck appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur looking to open your first business, or a restaurant owner looking to expand, there are lots of things you need to consider before starting your first food truck business.

You’ve probably done lots of thinking and dreaming about what your food truck will look like and what kind of food you’ll serve, but there might be other things you haven’t thought through or planned out. Check out the questions we have below, and they might make you think a little differently about your future food truck.

3. Should I Relocate For A Food Truck Business?

Does your area get lots of foot traffic? Is the weather consistently good enough for outdoor dining? If you live in a tough location for food trucks, you might consider relocating to get easier business. 

Relocating could be something as simple as moving over one city or something more extreme like moving halfway across the country. The key is figuring out where your food truck business will thrive.

However, if your location isn’t perfect, that doesn’t mean you can’t start your food truck there. It just means that you might have to put in a little more effort to find local spots with more potential customers, or that you might have to change up your business strategy in the winter.

Some things to think about:

• What kind of food am I selling and where will it be popular?
• Do I want to operate somewhere that food trucks are more common? Or do I want to be the new, unique venue no one has tried before?
• Do I want to keep my business open year-round or close for the off-season?
• Do I want to stay in a place that’s familiar or challenge myself with new surroundings?
• Can I put in the extra work to make my truck successful during the winter months?

There are so many things to think about when debating whether you need to move to see success in the food truck industry. Everyone’s journey is different. 

There are food trucks in every state from Indiana to California, and even up to Alaska! Where do you see your food truck business succeeding?

2. Weekly Locations Or A Catering Machine?

Are you going to run your food truck from a few select locations where you park daily and do business, or do you plan on only using your truck as a catering service?

Spoiler alert: You can do both, and many food truck owners do.

Why did you plan on opening a food truck in the first place? Did you want to try something new and become a small business owner? To spread brand awareness for your existing restaurant locations? To make catering easier? So you could travel to food truck events and treat your truck as a special event vehicle?

You may need to ask yourself these and other questions before you decide whether your truck is going to be solely for catering specific booked events, or whether you will park and sell. In the end, you may find yourself wanting to do both to get your truck as much business as you possibly can.

1. Stick With What Works Or Create A New Brand?

This is something to ask yourself if you already own an existing restaurant, and getting a food truck will be a second location for you. Should you stick with the same menu and food concept or create something completely new?

This might be the most out-of-the-box idea to consider of the ones we’ve discussed in this post. Many restaurant owners would only even consider using their food truck as an extension of their current locations. After all, using an existing menu, or a scaled back version of an existing menu, may seem like the easiest way to go. If you already have the menu put together and people love your food, why not?

But what if your menu won’t translate easily to a mobile format? You may want to try a new spin on your current options that would be easier to serve in a mobile kitchen context. Or you could create a new brand and sell completely different food at your mobile kitchen. The great thing about food trucks is that they are always evolving and adding new options to their menus. You can get as creative as you want, whatever you decide.

What Will You Decide for Your Food Truck Business?

Whatever you decide, make sure that you do what’s best for your food truck business. Whether you stick with the familiar or try something completely new, you can do what it takes to make your truck the best it can be.

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post Thinking Outside the Box: Things To Consider When Starting A Food Truck appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Are you having trouble growing your food truck business? You’ve come to the right place! Whether you’re a current or future food truck owner, we think these tips will help jumpstart your strategy for food truck success.

Market like a Maniac 

Marketing is one of the most important aspects of your business. This is how you get your name out there to the people. After all, if no one has heard of your food truck, how are you going to grow your business?

Make sure your truck has a branded identity that is easily recognizable and pairs well with the food you serve. It doesn’t make sense to brand yourself like a 50s diner when the only dishes on the menu are Japanese noodles. 

This doesn’t mean that you can’t be creative with your styling; just make sure your creativity flows in the same vein as your food theme.

Up Your Social Media Game

Does your truck have a strong presence on social media? Or would potential customers wonder if you are even still in business judging by the lack of recent posts?

Keeping up with your engagement on social media can be tough, but your mobile food truck will thank you when lines are gathered outside of it.

Post your daily or weekly specials on Facebook. Share photos of your most enticing dishes on Instagram. Advertise your current location on your Snapchat story.

Be Frugal

Sometimes it’s tempting to look at the success you’ve had in the past and take it for granted, but don’t forget that a lot of what helped you get there was careful planning, patient saving, and judicious spending.

It’s very easy to go all out when you feel you’ve finally “made it,” but continuing to wisely steward your business resources is the best way to go. This way, if hard times unexpectedly befall you, you will have greater potential to bounce back.

Keep following your business plan. Don’t stop looking for even the small ways you can save on spending. And don’t forget to always seek wise business counsel for any major financial decisions you may find on your horizon.

Run with the Seasons

It is important to continue making the food that has gotten you so much success in the first place, but it is never a bad idea to change up the menu every now and then.

One of the key ways you can do this is by introducing seasonal specials or limited time offerings. Customers often enjoy products that are relevant to the time of year, like specialty frozen treats during summer, fall-inspired flavors in autumn, or warm comfort foods for winter. 

Having certain dishes that only return to the menu at specific times of year adds to your food truck’s nostalgia. These specials allow you to build anticipation among your clientele when a favorite seasonal item is about to come back on the menu.

Offering temporary specials also gives you the advantage of testing new recipes or ideas before adding them to your regular menu. It allows you to gauge how popular a food will be before committing to it as a permanent offering year round.

Remember To Be You

While change is a good way to add some spice to your food truck offerings, remember to stay true to your food truck’s core identity. You have made it this far with your mobile kitchen, so you’ve been doing something right along the way.

Don’t throw everything out the window or change too much at once. If you are known for specific quirks, then by all means stick to them. After all, they are probably the very things that keep returning customers coming back again and again. 

Do you serve certain specials every Wednesday? Is there a secret sauce you add to signature dishes? No matter what you are known for, keep doing you.

Start Catering

Branch out and offer catering for weddings, special events, festivals or whatever else you can find. This is not only a great way to make some serious dough (perhaps literally and figuratively), but it is also a great way to get your food truck’s name out there.

Try displaying a sign announcing your new catering service wherever you set up shop to generate awareness among your regular customers. Be sure to announce your new catering services on your social media channels. 

You could even consider contacting local print media, like food magazines, newspapers, or community newsletters, to see if they would be interested in running a story on this new service in the local food scene.

Set Goals for Growth

Finally, don’t forget to set goals for your business growth. Like any other restaurant venture, running a successful food truck comes down to implementing essential business practices. Setting goals is an important way to make sure you get where you want to be. 

Don’t let temporary slumps or unexpected bumps in the road throw off your mobile kitchen mojo. No great achievement is gained without hard work and determination, successful food trucks included. 

So get out there and keep chasing that food truck dream!

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post Seeking Success: Strategies To Grow Your Food Truck Business appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Starting a food truck business can be intimidating, but when it’s your dream, you shouldn’t let the scary stuff stop you. Being afraid of the unknown can make you stall out before you even begin, so it’s important to start by taking manageable steps toward your goals.

In this post, we’re going to share a few ideas of easy things you can do to get going on your food truck business.

Brainstorm Ideas

Everyone has different ways of doing this. For you, maybe it consists of writing down all your scattered dreams in a notebook. Maybe it means sitting down with a friend or partner for coffee and bouncing thoughts off each other. Sometimes just talking about a dream out loud or getting it down on paper will make it feel more real.

Here are some things to think about at this stage:

• Your menu. Do you know what kind of food do you want to serve at your food truck? What are some of your personal favorites? What kinds of things do you enjoy cooking? Are there recipes that friends or family have complimented you on?
• Your brand. Most successful businesses have a recognizable style, whether it’s thematic or simply aesthetic. You could have a themed food truck based on the type of cuisine you will be serving, a place you love, or even an era in time that speaks to you. Or your look could be aesthetic only, defined by a certain color palette or design style. Whatever you choose, having a consistent brand will help customers pick your food truck out of the crowd.
• Your quirks. Is there something unique you could add to your food truck to make it especially memorable? Is there anything you could do to make the customer experience stand out?

There are no wrong answers during the brainstorming stage, so you have nothing to be afraid of in writing your ideas down. Who knows? Something that might have sounded crazy in your head might just turn out to be your best idea yet.

Do Some Research

Simply learning more about the food truck industry will help you get a better hold on how you might go about starting your own truck. Find out what other food trucks are in your area and eat at them so you can see how they do what they do. Read blogs and listen to podcasts not only about food, but about the business side of the restaurant world.

Another thing you can do is talk to local small business owners and ask how they got their start. Find out how they got the funding to start their venture. Ask what mistakes they made along the way and what advice they would give to other small business owners who are just starting out.

Surrounding yourself with people who are like-minded (food or business wise) will help fuel your inspiration.

Find Out About Laws & Resources

Do you have any idea what kind of licensing and permits are needed to open a food business in your city? Contact your local health department to find out what specific food-related permits you will need to think about obtaining.

Visit the U.S. Small Business Administration website and find out about all the legal things you need to get your business off the ground. You’ll eventually need to register your business name, get a business permit, open a business bank account, and get insurance to protect your food truck business.

Does your city, county or state have any resources for helping small businesses? Find out about any small business development centers available to you and take advantage of them. Schedule a meeting with an advisor who will be able to help you navigate all the mysteries of your local business world.

Set Aside Time for Planning

If you are so busy running around in your day-to-day life that you can barely think, you will never get your food truck dream off the ground.

Set aside a few hours every week when you will spend some concentrated time planning for your food truck. Whether that means sitting at a local coffee shop writing down ideas or hitting the pavement and walking around your town to find potential locations for your truck, setting aside time will help you make your business goals a priority.

If you really want to make your food truck a reality, this time should be sacred. Don’t let other plans push it out of the way. If something really important does come up, don’t just skip your planning time for the week altogether. Reschedule it for later in the day or for another day that week.

Get a Quote

How will you ever get your food truck business off the ground if you don’t have a specific goal that you are working towards?

Knowing how much your future food truck could potentially cost will give you a number to start saving for. Or it might give you the motivation to apply for a small business loan and see what the possibilities are.

Requesting a quote will help you hammer out details you may not have thought about before, because the food truck expert helping you will know all the ins and outs of different trucks and equipment.

Getting a quote will also help make your nebulous ideas more concrete. There’s no harm in just getting an idea of the cost! It doesn’t attach any strings, but it will nudge you that much closer to making your food truck dream a reality.

Ready? Go!

So what are you waiting for? Start moving on some of these ideas this week. You might be surprised at how much taking some small steps will help you put your food truck dream within reach.

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post Before You Begin: Steps You Can Take Toward Making Your Food Truck Dream a Reality appeared first on Custom Concessions.