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Looking for ways to maximize your revenue at your current business? If you are in the food or beverage industry, this is one aspect you don’t want your business to miss out on!

Food truck catering provides significant opportunities to broaden your horizons while adding additional means of revenue. Read on to find out how you can benefit.

Broaden Your Abilities and Location

One of the more interesting trends to recently emerge is the popularity of food trucks. There are over 26,000 food truck businesses in the United States as of 2021. It has become more trendy to be in such a business with many offering unique flavors and fun pop-ups.

With so many in the game, you set yourself back when you don’t join in on the fun. A mobile food truck allows you to take your business anywhere. That means you always have the perfect location.

Great food pairs with great events, so it makes sense that food trucks are a popular choice for many when planning.

Weddings

From the smallest to the largest of weddings, it’s likely that they’ll need some food. It makes it easier for you and your clients if you have food truck wedding catering. Some might even make your truck a key part of their big day. This is more exposure for you and you are forever engrained in the memories of that day.

Here’s a fun fact that shows just how much you might make off of one wedding. The average couple spends anywhere from $1,800 to $7,000 on their catering alone.

Work Events

Work events are another big occasion that many choose to opt for a food truck or catering. So, how does catering for these kind of events work? Depending on your setup, you may come by at a scheduled time and drop off your food, or you may spend a set amount of time at the event working from your truck.

Festivals

It seems like every other weekend there is some kind of event or festival happening. There are art walks, gatherings downtown, vendors set up on the street, and even music festivals. If you have ever wished that you could bring your business to these events it’s time to realize you can!

Beautifully customized food trucks are no stranger to these types of events. In fact, food trucks are almost the main event for many attendees. It’s fun to try out new foods as you walk around and enjoy the rest of the entertainment.

Free Advertising

You’ll essentially be driving around a big billboard that exposes passersby to your logo and brand. Not only have you added another stream of revenue but you’ve put your investment to work for you. Bringing this giant advertisement to events is a wonderful way to increase awareness.

Keeps Costs Low

Have you ever wished that you had started your business elsewhere? Maybe a supposedly perfect location wasn’t really right after all? Well, food trucks are significantly less expensive than creating an additional physical structure or moving your business altogether. If you don’t think you’ve landed in the right surroundings, try taking your truck to a couple events in a place you’d be interested in relocating to see if it could be a good fit.

Food Truck Catering

Food truck catering is increasing in popularity. You can add another revenue stream, keep your costs low, increase exposure, and take your business essentially anywhere. As you weigh the pros and cons, remember that there are others out there who are already doing it!

We can help get you started with your food truck setup. Contact us today!

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.

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The post Why Catering Should Be an Essential Part of Your Food Truck Business appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Photo by Karen Zeng on Unsplash

Did you know that in only three years food truck revenue increased 300% industry-wide? 

Food trucks are more popular than ever and owners are making smart decisions to earn money all year long, especially when it comes to preparing for the unexpected.

Below we’ve compiled this list of five tips to never get caught off guard. Keep reading to learn more. 

1. Always Have a Back-up Plan for Bad Weather

As the owner of a food truck, you need to stay on top of the weather forecast. Watch local television reports and download a reliable weather app on your smartphone.

Not every forecast is 100% accurate but you should always have a back-up plan to avoid losing business.

2. Develop Business Partnerships To Survive the Unexpected

Always keep an open mind when it comes to expanding your business. One thing you can do is reach out to a major company in your community to see if they will reserve a spot for you. 

This could help develop a steady revenue stream and increase your customer base. Customers will start to expect to see you at that location on certain days.  

3. How Food Trucks Survive the Off-Season With Seasonal Menus

Meal preferences change throughout the year. Customers may love salads or tacos during the summer months but once it gets cold they’ll be desiring soups, casseroles, and hot drinks like coffee or tea. 

You should start switching up your seasonal menus to ensure you’re filling customer demand. It could be as simple as using more seasonal flavors like pumpkin or mulling spices. 

4. Try Catering Local Events During the Winter 

Wondering how to survive the off-season? Many food truck owners will cater over the winter months. They do it on their own or partner with another local business. This is perfect for customers who crave your food all year long.

If you start taking orders, there are a ton of food delivery services to use: Grubhub, Uber Eats, or Doordash. Trying to cater or deliver your food will ensure you don’t lose revenue in the slow months. 

5. Develop Winter Marketing Ideas To Attract New Customers

Every successful business embraces marketing. This is true for food trucks as well. You’ll need to switch up your marketing several times throughout the year to address customer behavior.

Winter is the best time to offer seasonal sales, ramp up your online presence, or expand your business into other areas. 

Marketing tools you should be using include social media apps, an SEO optimized website, local online listings, online ordering, an e-newsletter, and a brand loyalty program. 

Don’t Let the Unexpected Hold You Down

This article should provide you with more ideas on how to survive the unexpected. Besides partnering with local businesses in the bad weather, you can also use social media apps or food delivery services to keep earning when it’s slow. 

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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Have you thought about selling alcohol from your food truck? After all, consumers spent a total of $253 billion on alcohol alone in 2019. Who wouldn’t want to get a piece of that action?  

But how much could you really profit from selling alcohol from your truck? Well, there a number of factors that can determine whether it would be profitable or not, which we will address in this short guide. 

Here are a few things to consider if you’re thinking about selling alcohol from your food truck. 

Legal 

Each state, county, and city has different rules regarding the sale of alcohol. Typically your first step would be to decide whether you’re just going to be selling beer and wine or hard liquor and mixed drinks too. It’s usually easier to get a license for just beer and wine. 

You’ll then fill out the appropriate paperwork and applications from your local alcohol board. You will need to have a business plan ready to show the alcohol board how you plan to use your license. Then all that’s left is to pay the fees. 

The steps in this process vary by location, so it may be slightly different in your city. 

Location, Location, Location

Where your food truck sets up shop can have a lot of weight in your decision to add alcohol to the menu. If you mainly frequent areas that are family-friendly venues, alcohol will probably not have a great return value. 

However, if you plan on selling at tourist attractions, nightlife hotspots, or at event venues offering alcohol can be a gold mine. 

Menu Options

Before deciding what type of alcohol you want to sell you’ll need to think about your menu a bit. Or consider adding some menu items to pair well with the types of alcoholic beverages you have chosen. 

There are certain foods that don’t go with certain drinks. A gorgeous merlot probably won’t pair very well with a hotdog. But a great beer can really complement a fresh slice of pizza from a pizza oven. 

Storage for Selling Alcohol

Next, you’ll want to think about the storage you have available on your truck. Will you be able to keep full inventory at the appropriate temperature? How much space will that take away from storing other essential items, like food ingredients? This could have a huge impact on your decision whether to sell alcohol. Your truck just might not have the room.

Competition

Is your competition already selling alcohol? This can cost you customers and sales if you’re behind on the trend. 

If they’re not, this can give you an edge over the competition. You can get a leg up on a new customer base and build a reputation early. 

Learn More With Us

We hope this short article helped give you some perspective on selling alcohol from your food truck.

Wanting to branch into alcohol sales but just don’t have the room? Contact us for a free quote on an upgraded food truck that will meet your needs.

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 Is Selling Alcohol From Your Food Truck a Good Idea? appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Photo by Emre Kuzu from Pexels

With the onset of the coronavirus, the entire restaurant-clientele dynamic has changed. 

The virus has trapped the entire US in their homes, hunkered away from each other. Missing the constant flow of diners, the restaurant market lost out on nearly $150 billion in revenue in just the first few months of the pandemic.

Nearly 30,000 restaurants have had to close their doors—as if owning a restaurant wasn’t hard enough. 

Fortunately, some business-savvy owners and new entrepreneurs have pivoted to survive this crisis. They’ve started doing take-out, delivery, and even meal kits to keep their businesses afloat. Some have even pivoted to the mobile restaurant business with a food truck. 

Start a Food Truck Business to Cater

Not a lot of people are comfortable eating in crowds yet. There’s still a lingering fear of being exposed to the virus, but the restaurant experience is desperately missed by many. 

As always, people still like to eat. 

It’s a recipe for the perfect storm. Takeout and delivery have been on the rise since the start of the pandemic. Capture the market of at-home-eating with the alternative option: food truck catering.

Despite social distancing, people still want to be social. They’ll assemble among friends and family but aren’t too adventurous outside of those circles. 

And with more people stuck at home, backyard get-togethers and house parties have substituted going out. Those backyard festivities need catering. 

Take this opportunity to gain a footing in the community—partner with neighborhoods and local areas to promote your health-conscious business plan.

Among the doom and gloom, some people don’t want to leave their homes at all. Your mobile restaurant may be their only chance to indulge in the nostalgic (has it been long enough to be nostalgic?) dining experience. 

Ride Onto Success With Low Overhead

A food truck is a scaled-down restaurant on wheels. As such, they operate at a fraction of the cost. 

In this terrible economy, most businesses can’t afford to keep the lights on, let alone issue paychecks. Restaurants operate on margin-thin returns, even in a good climate, because of their substantial fixed and variable costs.

However, a food truck doesn’t face the production scaling issues that a regular eatery does. Most can get by with one or two employees and an eighth of the kitchen. Menus should be kept manageably small, so you can operate a business with a minuscule staff.

Without a huge staff to oversee, you’re not liable for a lot of heads. People are less likely to get sick, and there’s less of an overall risk. 

Different Standards

Not many people get food from a food truck for a sit-down experience.

So, a food truck is a lot less restrained than a typical restaurant. You don’t have to worry about seating your restaurant at only 25% capacity. Food trucks aren’t constrained to four walls. 

Most importantly, customers are more apt to social distance in a queue for a food truck. They’re not confined to a booth or a table, so they’re free to separate themselves. 

Start Your Engines—People Are Hungry

Despite the overwhelming pressure to close restaurants, people still want to eat out. Entrepreneurs have adapted their restaurants in many ways, and some have even chosen to pivot to a food truck business.

Food trucks are perfect for catering, have low overhead, and don’t face the same strict restaurant regulations.

Have an idea for your first food truck? We’d love help you make your dream reality. Reach out today!

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 Should You Start a Food Truck Business During the Coronavirus Pandemic? appeared first on Custom Concessions.

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Food trucks are more than a trend—they’re a mobile food movement. There’s a place for mobile kitchens and brick and mortar restaurants, but food trucks are gaining momentum.

Though thousands of food trucks exist today, they’re not without obstacles. Operators must stay on their toes to keep food truck sales up during the holidays.

There are only 10 federal holidays a year, but every day’s a holiday to someone. Where there are holidays, there’s a food truck opportunity.

If you’re looking to rev up your food truck sales during the holidays, here’s what you need to know.

Food Truck Sales During Holidays

If you own a food truck, holidays can mean one of two things for you. For some, you’ll see an opportunity to sport your food truck around town. For others, you might fear less traffic and that your food truck sales will suffer.

There are two approaches you can take to make sure you stay successful. 

1. Food Truck Festivals

What better time to market yourself than the holidays? Pairing up with other local food trucks is a smart strategy. Depending on the holiday, bother winter and summertime can be hubs for food truck fiestas!

Food truck marketing tip number one: success doesn’t come from being the only food truck in town. Encouraging potential customers to support the food truck community and visit different food trucks nearby boosts traffic and your exposure.

2. Cater Events

If you can’t find a way to lean into the holiday happenings, consider catering specific events. While you may not serve the masses, you’ll make relationships and have high-volume orders to steady your sales.

You can choose to expand your horizons or hone in on niche markets. Before you choose, consider the following strategies.

Holiday Food Truck Strategies

Before you can take on the holidays, you’ll have to know the type of holiday. There are three: federal holidays, societal holidays, and self-made “holidays.”

How you approach Memorial Day—a federal, known, popular outdoor holiday—will vary from a self-declared holiday like Food Truck Friday. Something like Valentine’s Day is a societal holiday—well known, but not official.

Federal holidays need less food truck marketing than self-declared holidays. Food Truck Friday celebrationsare like self-crafted campaigns. You’re in charge of spreading the word from start to finish.

Food truck folk are no strangers to social media, so holiday marketing can be a breeze. Consider how you might up your social media game for these occasions.

Will you make a mobile app? Pass out coupons and flyers? You might even make a food truck finder game on social media to incentivize folks to locate you.

Holidays have playful energy. Make fun out of your food truck strategy!

Every Day is a Holiday With Food Trucks

You’re in full control of your food truck sales. It’s not the holiday that determines your success, but how you relate to it.

Sprinkle in a few self-proclaimed holidays with national ones. Be sure to space things out enough to communicate with your following and build momentum!

So long as you’re forward-thinking, you’ll have no problem tackling holidays the food truck way.

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 Maximize Holiday Food Truck Sales appeared first on Custom Concessions.

It’s normal for niche markets to have off-seasons. Like outdoor sports and tropical vacations, there’s a time for everything. It’s easy to assume winter would be a food truck’s off-season—but it doesn’t have to be if you use these winter food truck success tips.

Food truck operations are unique both in their food as well as how they serve it. Food truck folk are no strangers to change, so don’t let seasonal changes hurt your business.

Though food trucks rely on the outdoors for sales, winter encourages new strategies. While some might close, others switch gears.

Follow these food truck success tips to keep your winter service a warm one.

Food Truck Success Tips

First thing’s first. Winter’s not the time for record-breaking food truck profits. It’s best to go into the season with realistic expectations.

That said, consider it a chance to experiment. Do you want to stay on brand, or venture out a bit? 

Your answer can influence how you relate to these food truck tips.

1. Consider Catering

Food trucks offer made-to-order food, but catering could be good for winter. Instead of serving on the spot, box up those orders and deliver! While customers usually go to you, winter’s the perfect time to return the favor.

2. Boost Your Online Presence

To combat people assuming you’re out for the season, use social media to communicate! Your followers will be happy to hear you’re adjusting and they won’t have to wait for months to eat your food again.

Keeping customers engaged keeps them loyal.

3. Consider Your Concept

Food truck chefs love innovation. For that reason, winter’s no monster. If you want to embrace your cold food in winter, more power to you!

There are those people who love cold foods like ice cream in winter, but you might want to consider a switch to more warm and hearty fare.

If you choose to flip your concept towards hot food, what works with your customer base?

Following food truck chef tips means using your concept and your customers to your benefit.

4. Consider Your History

How long have you been operating your food truck? Your winterizing decisions may depend on how long you’ve been around.

If you’re learning tips for starting a food truck, know that your winter-born concept can dictate what you serve the rest of the year.

5. Up Your Community Partnerships

There’s no better time than wintertime to up your professional network. Reach out to organizations, restaurants, and other trucks you could work with. 

Teamwork makes the dream work, as they say.

Food Truck Tips Gone Right

There’s no reason for the winter blues with these food truck success tips. The food truck thrill lives in its constant evolution. No two days—or seasons—are the same.

Consider winter another food truck adventure. Imagine how it could change your business for the better—perhaps with new traditions. The right menu, equipment, and marketing will make your winter food truck unstoppable.

Don’t wait for winter to get winter-ready. Start organizing your winter food truck plan today!

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 Food Truck Success Tips for This Winter appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Photo by Ylanite Koppens from Pexels

In the summer when the weather is hot, so are your food truck sales! Everyone knows that food truck sales are at their highest when folks are outside enjoying those beautiful sunny days.

That being said, all good things do come to an end. As summer closes, the days will become shorter and cooler, and before you know it, fall will arrive. Cooler periods normally mean a dip in customers, and that’s something many food trucks simply can’t afford to have.

The good thing is that there are things you can do to combat that inevitable sales shortfall. What you need are some solid food truck tips and a bit of ingenuity to sell just as many items—or even more—during the cooler times as you did during the warmer seasons. This article goes into detail with what you need to know about navigating fall food truck madness. Read on to learn more!

1. Enter a Contest

A food contest may not sound like something you had in mind, but this is a great way to get your company name out there and make some impressive sales. Most food contests have an entry fee. However, chances are you’ll easily be able to make a return on the investment when you sell your goods at the event. Does your city or county have a chili cook-off? Or a pizza making extravaganza? Signing up to show off your skills will get your name out there, and it’s an even bigger bonus if you win! Consider making sample-sized items of a few of your menu favorites. That way contest-goers can purchase a variety of things to try from your truck. 

2. Take on Catering Gigs

Instead of waiting for the customers to come to you, why don’t you go to them? Catering gigs are becoming a very popular way for food vendors to distribute their goods. Often, food trucks charge a flat rate up front for an appearance at a private event, plus making money on whatever sales go above and beyond that. If you can get in on that big Halloween party in town, the sky is the limit!

3. Find Fall Festivals & Activities

Working a festival can be a great way for your truck to earn some extra income in the fall. You may need to branch out a bit from whatever town you are based in to find places nearby hosting fall events. Once you have secured your spot, think about tailoring your menu a bit to highlight whatever fall food is being celebrated. Working a maple syrup festival? Add a maple bacon burger or maple glazed donuts. 

You could also offer to set up at pop-up fall activities that only last for a limited time, such as your local farm’s corn maze or haunted forest. Nothing makes people hungry like being active out in the cold. Strike up a partnership with the hosts and offer them a percentage of the profits in exchange for the right to sell on their property. Be sure to have a variety of things to choose from, including meal items like soups or hot sandwiches, snacky foods such as popcorn and caramel apples, and hot drinks like apple cider, hot chocolate, or spiced lattes.

4. Add a Delivery Service

Food delivery has become increasingly popular in the last few years, so much so that there is an entire industry dedicated to delivering food to people. By delivering food to your customers, you make cash while also opening up another avenue for service. 

Fall Food Truck Tips

Now that you’ve got a few ideas to help you in the fall, you may have some other questions about the food truck industry! Check out our blog for even more food truck tips.

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 4 Fall Food Truck Tips To Help You Sell More appeared first on Custom Concessions.

If you’ve got baking skills, you shouldn’t keep them to yourself. Instead, you should consider making a living by sharing your baked goods with the community. 

However, starting a small business is far from easy and the start-up costs for setting up a brick and mortar bakery can be enormous. What if there was a way around it? What if you could learn how to start a bakery and avoid massive overhead costs?

Have you ever thought about running a mobile bakery? A mobile bakery could be the answer you’re looking for. Keep reading for a quick guide on how to get started.

1. Do Your Market Research

First, know what you’re getting into. Conduct market research to find out more about the baking industry. Learn about:

• Costs (day to day and start-up)
• Revenue forecasts
• Logistics of running a mobile bakery (license, insurance, certifications, etc.)
• Competitors
• Growth potential
• Demand

These are important factors to consider for any business. 

2. Create a Business Plan

Next, create a business plan. You’ll need it if you want to get financed through a bank or investors. However, a business plan is equally important for you, the business owner to detail your path to success.

Your business plan should include:

• Executive summary
• Description of the company
• Products/services
• Market research analysis
• Business strategy
• Business structure (team and organization)
• Financial projections

Lenders will need to see this to determine if they want to invest in your business. 

3. Get Financed

Depending on your financial situation, you may need to borrow some money to get started. There are several options for you here.

You can get a small business loan from a bank or other lender. You can borrow money from friends and/or family. Or, you can find third-party investors.

4. Find the Right Vehicle

Once you get financed, you can find the right vehicle for your mobile bakery. To make the right choice, you need to determine if you actually want to bake in the vehicle or just use the vehicle for transportation and delivery. 

It may be wise to invest in a refrigerated truck or insert if you want to just do delivery, but if you plan to bake inside the truck, you’ll need a mobile kitchen. Ultimately, it depends on your products and how you plan to operate.

If you decide to bake onboard, you’ll need to think about the equipment in your bakery food truck. You’ll need racks, insulated coolers or refrigerators, ovens, and more. Make sure you account for these in your startup costs.

5. Determine Your Target Audience

One of the most important steps in business is determining your target audience. What type of people will your bakery on wheels most likely appeal to? When will be the best time to market to them?

For example, you may want to set up shop in front of office buildings early in the morning so employees can grab breakfast on their way into work. In this scenario, it would be a nice touch and boost your profits to offer coffee, as well.

6. Start Marketing

There are several ways to get your brand out there in the community. One of the best things you can do is use social media to advertise your mobile bakery. You can keep followers and businesses posted on where you’ll be located and when.

However, you might also want a website where people can find out more about your business. 

Looking to Start a Mobile Bakery?

If you’re looking to start a bakery on wheels, make sure you do your research to find out everything you can about the industry. This includes the baking industry and the food truck industry.

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 6 Key Steps for Starting a Mobile Bakery appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Did you know there are over 23,000 food trucks in the United States? Food truck culture has become very popular over recent years, but where did it all come from? 

Food carts have been in use for millennia, dating as far back as the Roman era. The food truck as we know it today was a gradual evolution of this format, as trucks advanced and became literal mobile kitchens.

Want to find out more about the history of food trucks? Ready to see how the food truck revolution happened and why? Then read on!

The Early History of Food Trucks

The very first food trucks date back to the chuckwagon. These covered wagons sold perishable food to cowboys and loggers in the American wilderness.

In a typical chuck wagon, you’d find beans, cured meat, coffee, and biscuits. It would also carry water, and wood to build fires. Many also functioned as mobile barbershops and dentist’s surgeries.

Jump forward to the 1890s, and these early food sellers began to cater to university students. Wagons selling sausages would be set up outside dorms at Yale, Princeton, and Harvard, among others. 

Arguably the very first food truck that we would recognize as such was the Wienermobile, created in 1936. Made to advertise—what else—Oscar Meyer wieners, the Wienermobile toured the United States selling hot dogs. It rocked up at schools, orphanages, parades, and hospitals. 

If you were hungry, the Wienermobile had you covered. Today, the Wienermobile has been repurposed as an Airbnb.

By the 1950s, ice cream vans were touring neighborhoods across the United States. Their playful tunes drew children (and adults) from across the neighborhood, and the utility of the food truck was becoming obvious.

The Modern Food Truck

The Wienermobile was great, but it didn’t go everywhere. Ice cream trucks are awesome, but only sell one type of food. When did the first food truck start selling tacos, that lunchtime favorite?

Let’s jump to LA in the 1970s.

Since the 1960s, Mexican loncheras had been selling incredible food, but the first food truck selling tacos would not come until 1974. One Raul Martinez bought an old ice cream van and opened up King Taco. Friends told him he was crazy, but he set up shop outside an East LA bar and sold $70 of tacos on the first night.

A few evenings later, he was bringing in $150 every evening. Six months later, he opened up a brick and mortar store, which has become an LA institution. By 1987, there were three King Taco trucks doing business in the city.

While he had the first taco truck, Martinez wasn’t alone for long.

If you were at Rutgers University from 1979, “grease trucks” were a common sight. These trucks sold “fat sandwiches,” essentially rolls stuffed with two cheeseburgers, fries, lettuce, and tomato. So bad for you, but so delicious.

These food trucks were huge successes, in limited areas. It wasn’t until 2008 that the broader modern food truck revolution would begin.

The Food Truck Revolution

Mark the year: 2008 was an incredibly important time in the history of food trucks. This was when truck catering technology, social media, and a growing interest in street food caused the food truck revolution.

Roy Choi’s Korean BBQ truck, Kogi BBQ, was creating a stir on the west coast. In the East, New York’s Rickshaw Dumpling Bar was serving up delicious dumplings to foodies. Social media like Facebook and the nascent Twitter meant that customers started to do the marketing work themselves.

The great recession of the late 2000s also provided an impetus for the food truck. Chefs from top restaurants were being laid off, and few restaurants were hiring. 

Food trucks were the obvious solution. They were cheap to buy, and easy to run, requiring no more skills for a chef than working in a restaurant. It was this movement that started making food trucks truly gourmet.

There have been good and bad developments in the industry since. In 2010, LA started requiring food trucks to pass inspections, like brick and mortar restaurants. In 2011, New York food trucks were forced to relocate away from parking meters, after city authorities ruled no vendors could park up and sell food.

Despite the occasional hiccup, food trucks have gone from strength to strength. They have started to be granted liquor licenses, offering customers superb wine and beer pairings with their food.

The preponderance of different food types is another string to the food truck’s bow. 

A food truck can sell any kind of food. Want a pizza truck, a grilled cheese truck, or a kimchi wagon? They’re all possible.

The combination of low cost, delicious food and a strong variety of choices has made food trucks a nationwide success. But what’s next for the industry?

The Future of the Food Truck Industry

In many metropolitan areas, food trucks are now as entrenched as restaurants and bistros. Across the country, millions of people buy lunch from food trucks. 

The good news? This industry is expected to keep growing.

Established restaurants, such as the famous Katz’s Deli in New York City, are starting to get in on the action. Such branded food trucks are something we can expect to keep seeing. They offer a low-cost, high-impact marketing solution.

More and more, we’re also starting to see food trucks in places other than the sidewalk. Food truck festivals are hugely popular and it’s not unusual for trucks to cater to events.

In contrast to the early history of food trucks, we’re also starting to see more and more healthy food trucks. These take advantage of the clean eating culture that is particularly popular in California.

Technology is another feature that today’s food trucks are taking advantage of. For example, it’s not unheard of for trucks to offer free Wi-Fi. This not only attracts customers but also encourages sharing on social media.

Thinking about starting a food truck? Curious about costs, or wondering if you have what it takes? Take a look at the options available on our site, and get in touch if you have 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.

The post History of Food Trucks and How They’ve Shaped America appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Photo by Wes Hicks on Unsplash

Did you know that the food industry is worth 985 million dollars? Even if it’s the wintertime, your business can still thrive.

Are you looking to increase your food truck profits? Not to worry! In this guide, we’ll go over how to survive the winter.

Consider Catering at Banquets and Receptions

If it’s too cold in your area, customers might not want to venture outside for food. Instead, let your community know that you are available for catering opportunities.

You can contact local schools, offices, and businesses. Inform them that you cater for special events or meetings.

People love to gather to celebrate in the wintertime, so make the most of these opportunities.

Change up Your Menu

Most food trucks will create a menu centered around summertime foods. Stand out from your competition in the winter by selling seasonal foods.

Add savory food items for your customers during the colder months. Introduce warm beverages, as well. You will have an influx of customers excited to try out these new menu items.

Connect with Local Businesses

Print off menus and add a delivery service to your food truck. You can pass them out to businesses in your local area. This way, you can build a partnership and sell more food.

Grow Your Customer Base and Food Truck Profits

Work hard at building relationships with your customers and deliver excellent service. When the colder months hit, you will still have regulars who will come for their coffee or food.

Going to a food truck becomes part of many people’s routines. Let them know that you are still around in the wintertime.

Treat Your Employees Well

With the changing of the temperature, you’ll want to make sure your food truck’s warm enough. You might need to revamp your vehicle or buy a new one, so it’s prepared for the cold.

This way, your employees’ morale will remain high. In turn, your customers will get a better service from your happy team members.

Make the Most of Your Mobility

The benefit of having a food truck is getting to move around to different places. In the winter, check out new areas. You can make notes about where you get the most foot traffic.

Keep updating your social media, so people know where to find you each week. Learn more about how to improve your social media strategy.

Make a plan to see where would be the best place to park during the colder months. You could get close to a sports arena or a mall near a lot of traffic.

Contact Us Today

We hope you found this guide on winter food trucks helpful. Increase your food truck profits with these tips. Find out where you can access the most foot traffic in your area.

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 Increase Food Truck Profits During Cold Weather appeared first on Custom Concessions.