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.

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

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

Memorial Day isn’t a holiday that was created to revolve around food. But that doesn’t mean Americans don’t love to grab a mouthwatering meal on this special day! Over 60% of Americans typically attend Memorial Day weekend barbecues, and spend a whopping $1.5 billion on meat and seafood for the holiday.

As a food truck owner, you may be wondering how to grab a piece of those food-laden Memorial Day celebrations. Here are five creative tips for getting your food truck Memorial Day business.

1. Add Summer-Inspired Dishes to the Menu

Small menu changes can be a great way to boost business. Advertise seasonal offerings that take advantage of summer fruits and veggies. These could be refreshing salads and entrees as well as cooling cocktails.

Barbecued and grilled dishes are always popular this time of year. Consider tweaking a go-to menu item for warm-weather flair. If you want to go the extra mile, consider taking this part of your menu outdoors with a visible grill to attract more attention.

2. Add Memorial Day Decor

Let loose your patriotic spirit with a host of red, white, and blue! From American flags to balloons to fresh flowers, the right decor can attract passing gazes.

3. Start a Fun Campaign

Everyone loves a freebie or deal, and Memorial Day is when they expect them. Decide on an incentive you’d like to offer, such as a buy one, get one free deal, and tack on a special campaign for extra fun.

For example, perhaps your brand’s food truck promotions are only open to people wearing red, white, or blue. Whatever you decide, make sure customers feel like they’re getting secret specials!

4. Offer Special Service to Veterans

To honor the holiday, and to attract more visitors, consider offering Memorial Day food truck deals to military veterans. Alternately, you can offer a percentage off of their total payment as a discount, or spread the word that you’re donating a certain percentage of your revenue to a veterans’ charity.

5. Attract the Kids

Because kids are off of school for Memorial Day, it’s safe to say that if you can make your business attractive to kids, you’ll be able to rein in their parents. Consider partnering with other local food trucks or vendors to host fun events for the family, like face-painting for kids, a special storytime, coloring or art contests, or music performances.

Work on Getting Your Food Trucks Memorial Day Business

When it comes to getting your food trucks Memorial Day business, these strategies can be a great way to attract customers’ attention. Make sure to invest the time and money to promote them a little in advance for best results, and prepare to reap the benefits of your hard work!

Whether you’re hopping into your first truck or upgrading to a new one, we can help you get up and running! No matter what type of food truck you run, we cater to a range of preferences, so contact us to learn more.

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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Photo by Jill Wellington from Pexels

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.

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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.

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Photo: Rawpixel

Facebook can be a critical free marketing tool for your food truck. If you don’t have the time or money to invest in creating a website for your food truck business, having a Facebook business page is probably your next best bet. 

Not sure what to post or how to get started? Let’s explore some of the ways you can keep customers engaged, and possibly attract future regulars to your truck!

Food Truck Facebook Tips

1. Share Your Location & Schedule

Share your daily location and any changes in your regular schedule. This is especially important if you don’t set up shop in the same place regularly. How can customers buy food at your truck if they can’t find it easily? If you are set up in front or in the parking lot of a business, consider tagging them in your post so potential customers can find you easily.

2. Post Food Specials

If you have a rotating menu, post your daily or weekly specials. Have a different special every day? You might want to share a brief menu for the week on Sunday or Monday so customers can plan ahead to eat at your truck on days their favorite food is being served. Follow that up with individual posts throughout the week of what the special is for each particular day.

Sharing these types of posts works especially well when you have an enticing food photo to whet your followers’ appetites.

3. Personal Updates

Post occasional personal updates about yourself or your employees, or just life around the food truck. This could include sharing big life events, new hire announcements, or photos of employees doing daily tasks with a smile. Something short and sweet will be easy to put together and showcase a personal touch.

For example, you could share a photo of a new team member and say something like, “This is Julia, the newest member of our food truck family. Her favorite food on the menu is … Welcome to the team, Julia!” Followers will enjoy getting to feel like they have an insight into operations on your food truck.

4. Food Truck Humor

Post memes or gifs that you find funny and relatable to your food. Customers will love seeing your humorous side.

5. Advertise Event Participation

Invite your followers to community events that your food truck will be participating in. Fairs, festivals, block parties, and holiday celebrations are all fair game. Posting a few times in the month leading up to the event is a great way to build anticipation and maximize your reach. In these posts, be sure and tag the organization putting on the event to get even more eyes on your content.

6. Get Customer Feedback

Post surveys for customer feedback: voting on upcoming menu specials, giving feedback about their customer experience at your truck, getting suggestions for people with dietary restrictions or kids, etc. The most engagement on posts occurs when you give the customer a question to answer that is relevant to them in some way.

This kills two birds with one stone: it gets your customers thinking about your truck and your food, and it also gives you helpful information that you can use to better tailor your food truck operations. Getting customer feedback will help you provide the best possible customer experience, which will in turn get you more business in the long run.

7. Use Hashtags to Expand Your Reach

Use relevant hashtags to make your content more easily searchable on Facebook and other social platforms you might use. This will boost the number of people who could potentially see your content. Just be careful not to overuse hashtags. A couple of concise and pertinent tags will do the trick.

8. Engage with Comments

Be sure to regularly check and moderate your comments! This is especially important if someone has a complaint that they decide to share on social media. By ignoring negative comments, you could signal to potential customers that you don’t care about their customer experience.

Be calm and professional when responding to negative feedback, but equally, thank people for taking the time to write something positive about your truck as well. This can be a good opportunity to invite them to come back in the future.

9. Use Facebook Ads

As a food truck owner, you might not have much of an advertising budget built into your business plan. This is where Facebook can really make it easy for small businesses to promote themselves. You can spend as much or as little as you would like on ads for your truck, and make sure it is only reaching relevant audiences, like people in your surrounding area.

Even if you can’t advertise on a regular basis, you might want to consider paying for a short run of targeted ads if you have a big event coming up, like a festival or fair in your area.

Facebook as A Food Truck Marketing Tool

We hope these tips have been helpful in getting your Facebook game on point. Social media is a powerful tool for sharing information and connecting with your customers, so don’t miss those opportunities. Now that you have some direction, get out there and start posting!

Don’t have your dream truck yet, or want to upgrade? Contact us for a free quote.

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 Social Media Marketing: How to Engage Your Food Truck Customers on Facebook appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Did you know that the Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival made 29.6 million dollars in 2019?

There’s no doubt that there is good money to be made as a festival food truck. Yet, there are so many mistakes that can take a bite out of your profit.

Here are 5 common food truck festival mistakes and how to avoid them.

1. Failing to Know the Competition

One of the most common mistakes people make when joining a festival food truck event is forgetting to inquire about the competition.

The number of attendees is important to know, but you also need to find out how many other vendors there will be. You’ll especially need to know if there is already another vendor selling the same cuisine.

Depending on the size of the festival, it might not be worth your effort to attend if the competition is fierce. 

At the very least, be sure to ask the event organizer to put your stall far away from any direct competitors.

2. Having an Expansive Menu

Another mistake is trying to reel in more customers by having a wide variety of menu options.

The more choices on your menu, the longer it will take you to move customers through the queue. When choices are plentiful, and lineups are long, many customers will simply choose elsewhere.

Consider cutting out the items on your menu that take the longest to make. Festival food trucks need to keep up a high speed of service.

There’s no reason not to have a festival menu that is simple for you and your customers. Plus, lowering the number of your offerings means that you can buy ingredients in bulk for cheaper.

3. Wrong Pricing 

A rookie mistake many food trucks make at festivals is with menu pricing. Remember, foodies are attending in order to sample as many options as possible.

Having a few low-cost menu options will bring new customers to your stand. Remember, lots of people will have cash with them. Keep that in mind when pricing items and keep it simple.

Items for $2, $5, and $10 makes paying for it and getting change easy peasy.

4. Not Buying Enough

You buy double the ingredients you think you will need. Yet, you still run out. Then, you have to rush to the store to buy ingredients at a higher price point.

Not only is that bad money management, but it’s also stressful and drives customers away.

Be sure to come to the festival armed with more ingredients than you think you could possibly go through. As long as your truck has plenty of dry and refrigerated storage, it’s OK to have leftovers.

Having extra after a busy day is better than the alternative. 

5. Ignoring Social Media

If you aren’t posting on social media before, and during the food festival, you are missing a huge opportunity to get your name in front of festival foodies.

Plus, all the other vendors will be promoting on social media, so you should too.

Be sure to use the festival hashtag in the weeks leading up to the festival. Make a point of engaging with people who are excited about the upcoming event.

Post pictures of your festival menu a day or so beforehand. This allows foodies to plan what they will eat on the festival day.

Also, make sure you let people know your location during the festival.  

Have A Successful Festival Food Truck

There you have it! 5 of the worst festival food truck mistakes people make, and how to avoid them.

Are you in the market for a new food truck? Contact us today to discuss 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.

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Photo: Freepik

As a food truck operator, you know that in order to earn big you need to make the right choices in operating your food truck.

Here are some tips on how to keep customers cool and happy when the temperatures are up. 

Set Up Near Green Spaces 

Heat islands are a phenomenon that makes it feel many degrees hotter in urban areas than it is in surrounding greener areas. 

A jumble of roofs and pavements work together to bump up the temperatures. So, instead of a parking lot in a business park, opt to set up near a green space. Especially on those days where it is going to get hot, hot, hot.

Look for any patch of green: a golf course, a football field, a park. If you can find some trees to park under, even better!

Not only will trees block the sun from beating down on your customers, they will also provide cooling shade for your truck. 

Park Strategically

Running a food truck involves a lot of strategic decisions. One of them is where you will park. 

If you are attending an event, ask if you can choose the parking spot. Try to pick a spot where you are not in direct sunlight.

If you are not at an event and just trying to feed hungry people in the city, this still applies.

If you park facing north or south, it usually means that the sun will not be in your customers’ eyes. Depending on the time of day, you may even want to swivel around to face the other direction to give them some shade.

Also, look around and park where there are shaded areas nearby. If there are picnic tables that’s a bonus! Customers are more likely to stick around and buy from you if it is convenient for them to eat in the vicinity too. 

Pack an Umbrella

You pack a lot of gear and ingredients in order to run your food truck, we know. You have a list of food truck expenses. If you don’t have an attached awning, packing an umbrella and stand is one extra item to lug around and one more expense. 

Yet, this can make a huge difference in your business. Set up your umbrella near your order window. Try to angle the umbrella to cast shade towards the lineup. 

That way customers get some relief as they stand in line. Chances are people will stick around to wait for their order if they aren’t roasting. 

Ask Your Customers Their Names 

On those scorching hot days when the asphalt is melting, standing in a lineup is torture.

Don’t do that to your customers. Take their name down as you take their order. Tell them you will call their name when their food is ready.

Doing this takes just a few seconds. Then your customers can go stand by a tree or a building where there is shade.

They will appreciate not having to stand in the open where the sun is fiercest. 

Play Some Music

Playing music won’t lower the temperature at all. But, it can do a lot to boost the mood.

People naturally feel happier when there is music on. Even if they are so hot, sweat is dripping down their back. Put some music on and suddenly they feel like they are on vacation at the beach!

Running a Food Truck Is All About Customer Satisfaction 

There you have it! Some fool-proof tips for running a food truck during a heatwave.

Remember, running a food truck is just as much about customer service as it is about good food.

Contact us today for more info on our state-of-the-art food trucks.

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 Arturo Rey on Unsplash

Are you a food truck owner thinking of taking the plunge and participating in a food truck festival? If you are, the good news is there’s probably one taking place near you. The Food Truck Festivals of America has seen an explosion of food truck events with each passing year.

The bad news? It’s not always easy to secure a spot. With so many applicants clamoring to participate, the competition can be surprisingly fierce.

But there are a few things you can do to increase your chances of getting accepted. Here are some tips on booking a spot at food truck festivals.

Make Sure You’re a Match

The first step is to find a food truck festival that your brand and menu are a good fit for. If you have a burger and hotdog food truck, you don’t want to apply to vegan or vegetarian festivals.

You also need to consider whether the festival will help you turn a profit.

Many food truck festivals require that all truck vendors give a percentage of their sales in addition to the application fee. This may require you to raise the price of your menu items for the event. However, if you increase them too much, it could turn people off and negatively affect your brand.

When you come across a festival you may be a match for, read the application process carefully and do some number crunching to make sure it’s worth the invested time and money. Be aware that renting additional equipment and services at a festival can rack up additional fees. 

Apply for a Spot

Once you’ve found an event that seems like a good fit, you’ll have to submit an application once the organizers start accepting them.

This may require more than listing the name of your food business and menu items. Think of it like applying for a job — you’ll want to introduce them to your brand and provide a little history on it. Include links to your social media profiles and any positive press written about your food truck business.

You’ll also need to propose your menu for the event, focusing on dishes that can be prepared quickly and meet the festival’s criteria.

Follow the Rules

Once you’re accepted, you may need to secure the necessary business license and health permits and equip your truck with the proper fire extinguishers — you don’t want to have to deal with a fire.

Read over everything in the festival application carefully so you know exactly what you need before the event.

Put Your Best Foot Forward

Make the outside and inside of your truck shine by cleaning and disinfecting it before the big day.

Remind employees to smile and greet every customer. This is an important opportunity to elevate your brand, so do what you can to make a great first impression.

Increase Your Chances of Getting Accepted at Food Truck Festivals

Participating in food truck festivals requires a little extra work on your part, but it can be a wonderful way to introduce new customers to your menu and brand.

Are you thinking about starting your own food truck business? Learn more about our mobile kitchens and request a quote!

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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