With their unique style, great food, and convenient locations, food trucks have quickly become a staple in cities around the U.S. They serve a wide variety of foods, from breakfast to dinner and dessert. And their unique take on food like tacos, Cubanos, and Korean BBQ has put them in a league of their own. 

Starting one of these food trucks might seem like a dream come true. But the truth is that establishing a food truck takes time, effort, and money. The good news is that if you have the drive and the determination, you can build a successful food truck business for years to come. 

In this article, we’ll go over the 15 steps you should take to start your own food truck bakery and how you can plan out your food truck business plan.

1. Research Permit and Licensing Requirements

Your first step in starting a food truck should be to figure out the permit and licensing requirements for food trucks in your area. If you buy a food truck without knowing what it takes to get on the street, you’re bound to have a hard time. When it comes to the permit and licensing requirements, most cities and states are very strict. 

Some have different requirements for safety certification, food handling, and even overnight storage. Doing the research about permits and licenses for food trucks in your area is a crucial first step. It will help you figure out how expensive it will be just to get started. 

Once you’ve got a clear idea of what it takes to get a food truck license, you can move forward and start your application. 

2. Find Your Food Niche

You want to start a mobile bakery, but first, you have to figure out exactly what you want to sell. For your bakery, you will need to figure out what kinds of baked goods you want to specialize in. 

Picking a specific item like bread, cupcakes, pastries, or cakes will give you some direction. You could even add something like specialty coffee to the menu to help set you apart from the competition. 

3. Find Your Truck

This will be one of the most important steps and will determine whether you do your actual baking on the truck, or whether you bake somewhere offsite and just sell your goodies from your truck. 

Using your truck as the actual bakery provides some flexibility, as you can bake more things right there if you notice one of your items is running low. But using your truck as the bakery also means that you will need more space for ovens and cooling racks.

These are all things you will want to think about when designing the perfect truck for your operation.

4. Determine What Equipment You Will Need

If you’re going to be baking in your food truck, you need to get equipment that is efficient, in terms of both space and power.

Do your research and find the ovens, mixers, warmers, racks and refrigerators that will best fit your needs and help you keep an organized, efficient truck. 

5. Buy the Right Insurance

Another crucial step is making sure you have the right insurance. Your truck is your entire business, and if it is not properly insured, you may be headed for disaster.

Making sure that your truck, your employees, and your equipment are insured will help you avoid major disasters and will keep your business safe. 

6. Develop a Mobile Bakery Business Plan

Developing a business plan is a crucial step that can’t be skipped. To run your business successfully, you need to develop a rough outline of your startup and operational costs. 

This will help you figure out your overhead, startup costs, and how much you need to make in order to be profitable. You will need to do a detailed analysis of how much it costs to produce each muffin or pastry, and determine your prices accordingly, in order to have a more accurate picture of how your mobile bakery will operate.

Having a business plan can also help you secure a loan if you don’t have funding immediately available. 

7. Get Your Capital Together

After your business plan is developed, you can start getting capital together. This can be done through banks, private lenders, or more creative means. 

The important part here is securing a loan that you can eventually pay off and has good terms. You can also get funding through your friends and family, just make sure they know the risks they are taking. Be sure and get all agreements in writing, especially if asking friends or family to invest. You don’t want disagreements over money to ruin your relationships.

8. Brand Your Truck

Part of the fun of visiting a food truck is the personality and feel of the truck. Eye-catching colors, intricate design, and a clear sense of direction are all essential in creating an attractive truck. 

Make sure that your truck has its name clearly visible and that its branding is in line with your products and services. 

9. Choose Your Locations

Placing your mobile bakery in good locations is key to running a profitable food truck business. Picking locations where parking is available and there is heavy foot traffic is a good place to start. 

Streets surrounding major attractions like stadiums, theaters, and shopping centers are great places to park your truck. Just make sure you are following the city’s rules about where you can set up shop. 

10. Get an Appropriate POS (Point of Sale) System

If your business strategy finds you getting a lot of sales, a good POS system will help you process transactions efficiently, keep track of profit, and keep the line moving. 

Since most people use credit cards and other forms of electronic payment these days, getting a POS system that accepts digital or electronic payment is crucial. Going cash-only might be convenient and cheaper, but it might end up costing you sales in the end. 

11. Explore Alternate Revenue Streams

Figuring out alternative ways to utilize your business is also important if you want to succeed. Try offering your bakery services to businesses or events that need catering as a way to make extra money. 

You can also try selling custom cakes, coffee service, and other items to boost your sales. 

12. Build a Social Media Following

One of the best ways to build a customer base is to hit social media. Starting an Instagram account, Facebook page or Twitter account is a great way to interact with your customers and spread the word. 

This also allows you to update your customers regarding your location, specials, and new items you’re offering. 

13. Sell Merchandise

As you probably already now, merchandise is a great way to get extra sales and spread the word about your business. 

Making attractive T-shirts, mugs, hats, and bags for your customers will help you boost sales, but it also serves as free advertising. 

14. Expand Your Business

While alternate revenue streams might require different business practices, you can also expand your business by trying new things. Once you get settled in and your bakery is running smoothly, you might want to start branching out a bit.

For example, if you’re starting a bakery and you only sell breakfast items, try selling lunch items as well. If you only make bread, start selling cakes. Expanding the scope of your business will help you reach those customers who might otherwise not buy from you. 

15. Identify Weak Spots in Your Operation

Before you hit the streets, try setting up a “test run” where you serve food to your friends and family. Going through the motions of a normal day without the pressure to perform perfectly will quickly show you what needs to be fixed. 

This allows you to adjust your operation and nip problems in the bud before you even officially open. 

Start Living the Food Truck Dream

Now that you know more about starting a mobile bakery, you can come up with your own bakery truck business plan and start living the dream. Make sure to research the specific laws and regulations of the city you want to work in to avoid any unforeseen issues and problems. 

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 Food Truck Business Plan: 15 Steps to Start a Mobile Bakery appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Are you considering joining the ranks of food truck nation? 

With rising rents and the unpredictable cost of operating a storefront, many entrepreneurs have chosen to take their business on wheels. Not only are mobile businesses more cost-effective, but they’re also incredibly appealing to today’s clientele. 

If you’re thinking of starting a mobile business, you’re certainly not alone. The food truck industry has seen 12.5 percent growth in the last five years alone. As the years continue to progress, we only expect this number grow. 

While the majority of food trucks today focus on serving food, others have chosen to focus on something a little different. In fact, one of the most sought-after mobile businesses today is centered upon serving beverages such as coffee. This is a creative way to serve your caffeine craving customers without having to operate from an official storefront.

If you’re considering taking your business to wheels, you’re going to want to read this. We’re uncovering the seven essential steps to starting your own mobile coffee shop. 

1. Establish Your Budget 

First and foremost, you’re going to want to begin by establishing a strict budget. 

While the cost of the mobile vehicle itself is the most prominent cost, it’s also important to consider other factors. For example, you’ll want to consider the cost of routine gas money, maintenance, insurance, cost of materials and paying your staff. 

In preparing your budget, it may be worthwhile to work with an accountant. This will ensure that you’re acting responsibly and following proper tax guidelines. 

2. Register Your Business

Next, it’s time to officially register your business. 

This is what makes your operation one that is both official and legal. Of course, the license requirements will vary state-by-state. 

The cost and structure of your registration will depend on the ownership structure of your business. For example, if you are the only owner, you can register as a sole proprietorship. However, if you share ownership of the company with someone else, you will have to attain a different registration. 

3. Attain the Appropriate License 

Just as you’re required to register your business, you’re also required to obtain a license for your business. 

If you’re going to be serving any type of food or beverage, that will require a specific license. This is not something that can be avoided and can result in significant trouble if ignored. 

Fortunately, these licenses are generally inexpensive and relatively easy to obtain. 

4. Purchase Your Mobile Vehicle 

Now, it’s time for the fun part! 

You have your business registered and you have obtained your license. It’s officially time to purchase your mobile vehicle!

Remember, this is the vessel which your entire business will operate from. Not only does it have to look good and feel good, but it also has to function as a standard coffee shop. In order to rival your competition, you need to ensure that you’re offering the same quality drinks despite your physical limitations. 

You will want to carefully consider the layout of your mobile coffeeshop interior. A lot of this will depend on what types of drinks you plan to make, and whether you plan to offer food or not.

If you’re going to offer drinks with espresso, like lattes, americanos or macchiatos, you will need an espresso machine. If you want to have drip coffee, you will need enough industrial sized coffee makers to keep up with the number of clientele visiting your shop. Think your guests will want smoothies or frozen coffee drinks? Those will require space for blenders.

Offering food adds a whole other dimension to your business, but it also means you will need more space inside your truck for food at various stages. Some of these could include prepping stations, cooking appliances, and warming cabinets.

5. Do Your Product Research

You probably won’t be very successful at running a mobile coffeeshop if you don’t actually know anything about coffee. If you are already a coffee connoisseur, you are one step ahead. If not, you will want to do your research.

Look into the latest technologies and techniques that will make your coffee the best. Find coffee roasters who will produce quality beans with great flavor. Practice tried and true mixed coffee drink recipes, and then experiment with making your own if you want something unique that will stand out from the crowd.

6. Gather Your Materials 

Once you have selected your vehicle and done your product research, it’s time to focus on the materials that are going to make up your business. 

Although small, a mobile coffee shop is going to require the same goods and materials as any regular coffee shop. To start, be sure that you have these materials ready: 

• Bean grinders for both espresso and drip coffee
• Quality coffee beans
• Other coffee ingredients such as cream, sugar and flavored syrups
• Disposable coffee cups and lids
• POS system 

Once you have these essential materials, you can move onto the next step. 

7. Hire Your Staff

Now that you have your wheels and your material, it’s officially time to begin hiring. 

In terms of numbers, the size and structure of your mobile vehicle will determine how many staff members you require. As compared to your standard store, a mobile business typically requires fewer staff members. In fact, the average food truck employs just 2-6 people in total. 

Because you will be hiring fewer staff members, it’s extremely important to focus on hiring quality and dedicated members.

You may want to seek employees who have firsthand experience in working in a mobile environment. This will help to minimize your overall turnover rate for employees who cannot handle a small-scale working environment. Finding candidates who have experience working in a coffeeshop will also be helpful, otherwise new staff may require more extensive training.

8. Commence Your Marketing 

Last but certainly not least, it’s time to begin marketing your new business venture. 

Of course, the majority of business marketing is now conducted online. To ensure that you have a dedicated online presence, you can start by setting up various social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or other platforms. This will allow you to engage with future customers and better establish your brand. 

You can also speak with local business owners to spread the word and establish community connections. From here, you can look into advertising on community bulletin boards as well as local newspapers, magazines, and radio stations. It will also be important to find local events and festivals where you can get more concentrated exposure for your new mobile business.

In terms of timing, it’s best to begin your marketing prior to your official opening. This will help to create a sense of excitement amongst your clientele and generate anticipation for your grand opening. 

It’s Time to Open Your Mobile Coffee Shop! 

If you’ve always dreamt of starting a mobile coffee shop, it’s time to make your dreams a reality! 

In opening a mobile coffee shop, you don’t have to worry about the realities of having an actual storefront. Instead, you can narrow your focus to what matters the most: serving the best coffee possible to your customers. 

Fortunately, there are many ways to customize your mobile kitchen which will help your mobile coffee shop run smoothly. Even with limited square footage, these tools will allow you to create quality coffee that rivals your competition.

With these features, opening your own mobile coffee shop doesn’t have to be a distant dream. Contact us to find out how you can make your dream a reality 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 Espresso Yourself: 8 Essential Steps to Starting Your Own Mobile Coffee Shop appeared first on Custom Concessions.