Mobility is the name of the game in an era where people want everything delivered or easily accessible. An entire industry has opened up to provide foodies everywhere with more access than ever to delicious street foods of all kinds.

Today, mobile kitchens are more versatile than every. Anything from step vans to box trucks can be customized to take your restaurant on the road. Keep reading for seven food truck features that can take your mobile restaurant business to the next level.

1. Order Window and Awning

On the side of your truck, you’ll want to have a sliding window for taking orders. In merchandising vehicle conversions, a window makes room for a cashier and register system, not to mention space for writing down orders.

An awning goes the extra step to provide comfort for your customers. It can be auto-powered or manual, but either will give shade on hot, sunny days or shelter on rainy ones.

2. Refrigeration Unit

When serving food you’ll need a way to keep meats, dairy, and other products cold. Refrigeration units can be as small as cooler or as larger as a double-wide refrigerator.

3. Prep Table

Like any stationary kitchen, there has to be a place to prep the food. Depending on what’s on the menu you may need more than one prep table. These tables are typically three- to six-feet long and have convenient storage containers for quick access to prepped items, like chopped veggies for pizza, sliced cheese for sandwiches, or toppings for garnishing salads.

4. Fryers and Cooktops

Probably the most essential part of a food truck is the ability to cook the food. Mobile kitchen conversions include an extensive line of fryers, hot plates, stoves, griddles, and grills. You will want to take a good look at what you are planning to cook in your kitchen to determine which and how many of these cooking appliances you will need. 

5. Wi-Fi for eCommerce Set-up

Tech is required to complete sales transactions. Some smaller businesses rely on a point of sale set-up. 

Other businesses have actual registers with swipe machines or even simple cash drawers. Many of these services require reliable Wi-Fi so rather than rely on public access, install your own secure internet service. This will give you more freedom to set up in places where other Wi-Fi might not be available.

6. Digital Menu Display and Order Display

Another reason to have Wi-Fi is to operate digital menu boards and order displays. 

This is a great tool when your menu changes often or in case you run out of a popular item. Order displays are a great way to be able to change up the dishes you have for sale.

Digital order displays can help keep kitchen staff on top of things by showing how long a customer has been waiting.

7. AC Unit

It can get pretty heated in a food truck when all the grills are firing. For the comfort and safety of yourself and your employees, having an AC unit is pretty much essential if you live somewhere that gets hot in the summertime. You don’t want sweat dripping into food or workers getting faint from overheating.

Let’s Get Moving

Did these food truck features get you thinking about your restaurant business? It may be time to take your food services on the road.

If you have an idea for a food truck business we have everything you need to get started. Click here to get a quote for your custom mobile kitchen!

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 7 Food Truck Features That Could Benefit Your Business appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Photo by Paula Vermeulen on Unsplash

In the US, there are tons of food trucks serving delicious delicacies across the country!

Do you own a sit-down restaurant? Although it may seem odd, there are many ways in which starting a food truck can seriously improve your business.

In this article, we’ll look at just a few ways a food truck can help bring even more success to your restaurant!

1. A Food Truck Can Reach New Audiences

With a food truck, you can target the audiences you want to bring into your restaurant. 

Perhaps you recently launched a vegan menu that most people don’t know about? Take your food truck to a vegan market. Here, you can show off your delicious new menu and tell people about your sit-down location.

Do you want young people to know that your food is affordable? Take your food truck to a festival and showcase your cheaper prices!

2. Create a Social Media Savvy Brand

If you aren’t already on social media, you should be. Almost 70% of American adults use social media. In order to attract attention on these platforms, you need to be doing something a little bit different. 

A food truck is a great way to impress. Perhaps your food truck occasionally gives out free hot dogs? Maybe your servers do a dance every time they serve a mojito?

Whatever it is, create an Instagrammable food truck and even include your hashtag on the side to get more people talking about you across social media. 

3. You Already Have a Prep Kitchen

If you own a restaurant, then you’ll already have all of the equipment to use your restaurant kitchen as a prep kitchen for your food truck.

Of course, there are many other things to consider when starting up a food truck. But, once you have your truck and paperwork in order, it’s time to get your business on the road.

Low operation costs mean this is one of the best ways to advertise your restaurant! Furthermore, you know the food business better than if you were starting from scratch.

4. Gain Useful Customer Feedback

Are you planning on changing up your menu but aren’t sure how well it will do? This is the perfect time to take to your food truck. By finding an area of your city which has high foot traffic, you can sell your new concoctions to a variety of people.

Why not reduce the price in exchange for true customer feedback? Provide pens, paper, and a little postbox so that responses are anonymous.

This feedback will be much more reliable, and therefore more valuable than your mom’s opinion!

5. Meet Other Local Businesses

When you’re inside all day, you won’t be meeting others who work in small, local businesses. By getting out and about, you’ll meet people who work nearby and who can provide insider tips and tricks.

Perhaps by branching out and meeting more people in your neighborhood, you’ll find a new, cheaper supplier. This is also a great way to find new staff.

Starting a Food Truck Is Worthwhile

When it comes to starting a food truck, you need to remember to put in the research and make sure you’re not breaking any local laws. Having all of your paperwork in order can be a long process. But, when you’re up and running, there are so many benefits of owning a food truck.

If you’ve found this article helpful, check out the rest of our website and learn more about how to set up your food truck.

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 Reasons Starting a Food Truck Makes Sense for Your Restaurant appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Maybe you are coming to the food truck industry with previous restaurant experience, or maybe you’re completely new to the food service industry. Either way, building a food truck will probably be a completely new experience for you. Be sure and consider all your options, including those below, when starting on your new food truck build.

The Quality of the Truck

Probably the most important thing you want to consider when it comes to your food truck build is the quality of your final product.

One thing you may have considered is buying a used truck, but going this route can get tricky. While used trucks tend to be cheaper, it’s important to understand the added risks (and expenses) associated with an older vehicle. Plus, you most likely won’t have warranties on the truck or appliances to guard against any problems you might encounter.

Deciding to go with a new truck from a reliable builder will address many of these potential problems. It allows you to have full control over the building process, plus all the customization options you will want or need.

Your food truck is the foundation of your business, so it’s important to make sure you purchase a quality truck.

The Size of the Truck

The size of the truck depends on how big of an operation you’re wanting to run. It might also come down to how much money you’re willing or able to spend. You may want a smaller vehicle to easily maneuver city streets, or you may want a huge food trailer so you can crank out as much food as possible.

Asking yourself some evaluative questions will help you determine what size truck you need. What are you trying to achieve with your mobile restaurant business? Do you plan to operate you food truck mainly as a mobile catering hub or a park and sell vehicle? How many employees do you need working at one time? What types of appliances do you need to make your food, and how big of a kitchen will you need to accommodate them?

Taking a good look at your goals and dreams for your food truck will help you answer these questions.

The Wrap

The graphics wrap will be one of your most important considerations when it comes to attracting customers. The wrap on your truck should ideally show off your brand, logo and business.

The outward appearance of your truck matters. Because customers will see two things—the food and the truck’s exterior—it’s important to make the design as attractive as possible. You can make the kitchen look as cool as you want, but customers will probably never see it. 

Your food truck is going to act like a mobile billboard. When your truck is out on the road or parked in a downtown hotspot, people will associate what they see with your food, which is why it’s so important.

Before you even get started on the wrap, you also need to establish a name and develop a logo that stands out and represents your company.

The Kitchen

This is yet another invaluable ingredient when it comes to choosing the right options for your food truck. After all, this is where you’re going to put in a lot of work. You want a setup that facilitates a sensible workflow, and tools that fit your cuisine.

Think through from start to finish all the different items you make. Which appliances would make sense next to one another? If you put food in a proofing cabinet directly after removing it from the grill, chances are you don’t want one of these at the front of your truck and the other one all the way at the back. 

Not sure how to set up your kitchen? Your food truck builder can help you out in that department.

Special Features

While the quality of your truck and the equipment inside is invaluable, adding special features can make your business stand out even more. Some of these bells and whistles can also make your job easier or more efficient.

Some extra features you may want to add on include:

• Exterior flat-screen TVs to display your menu or other content
• iPads for your point of sale system
• Interior and exterior speakers to play music for your employees or customers
• Rooftop signboards to help your truck be seen above the crowd
• Security cameras for that extra layer of safety

There are many more ways you can customize your truck—don’t hesitate to think of your own! Adding some of these exciting features can be one more way to make your business special.

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 Your New Food Truck: Options to Consider When Choosing Your Build appeared first on Custom Concessions.