Are you an aspiring food truck chef? 

If so, you might be wondering how these mobile eateries select their themes and plan their menus. 

In this article, we’ll share our top tips for planning and preparation. And, we’ll help you decide what to serve! Keep reading for more information.

Incorporate Familiar Foods

Not every guest at your eatery will be looking for fun and trendy menu items. Some people will be looking for basic foods and classic menu items that they recognise. 

Simple dishes like a sandwich, a burger and fries, chicken fingers, or a garden salad might appeal best to these clients. Of course, you’ll want to add your own creative twists to the dish, but don’t go crazy!

Having one meal that appeals to picky eaters and kids is an excellent idea.

Think Outside the Box

Don’t be afraid to add an item to your menu, just because it doesn’t fit in with your theme. Instead, introduce these dishes as specials or limited-time offerings.

It’s ok to color outside the lines from time to time, and if a menu item doesn’t sell well as a special, you can easily remove it from the list. 

You can also consider fusion cooking—the combination of multiple culinary backgrounds to create a totally unique dish. 

Seasonal Eating

If you want to attract customers all year round, you might want to create a seasonal food truck menu. 

For example, you might want to serve a pumpkin spiced dish or two during fall months. Or, add a comforting cup of soup to the menu during wintertime.

Seasonal eating is more than just a trend. Serving each month’s produce at its peak ripeness is healthy, sustainable, and will keep your menu sounding fresh to new guests during every season. 

Add a Unique Twist

If you’re running a classic eatery like a sandwich food truck, you’ll need to make your menu stand out from the competition.

Consider using some interesting or exotic ingredients to spice up basic menu items. This could be something small—like adding an unexpected garnish or sauce. Or, a far-out idea that takes food truck food to the next level!

It’s your restaurant, so don’t be afraid to experiment.

Bottoms Up

Even if your main food truck themes focus on food, you’ll need to add a few beverages to your menu. That way, guests can enjoy a complete meal at your eatery, rather than going elsewhere for a drink.

Consider your climate, location, and client base before adding a drink menu.

In some places, you might need special permitting for drinks like beer and wine. And, depending on the weather in your area, you might be better off serving hot drinks like coffee and tea. 

Think Like a Food Truck Chef

Now that you’ve got some menu inspiration, it’s time to think like a food truck chef and start planning that menu!

And, if you haven’t purchased your truck yet, now is the perfect time to contact us for a free quote request. Our team of industry experts is standing by to help!

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 Do Food Truck Chefs Plan Their Menus? appeared first on Custom Concessions.

The food truck industry is ready to take flight. Currently, the industry is valued at over $1 billion.

However, food trucks hold a distinct advantage in the new normal created by the coronavirus pandemic. Food trucks do not rely on indoor dining to turn a profit.

Instead, they can continue to operate without significant restriction. In addition, they park outdoors which is a safer environment for their customers.

These factors bode well for the continued growth of the food truck industry. With an appealing menu, your food truck business can seize the advantages of these circumstances.

Read on to learn 5 pro tips for developing a stellar menu that draws a crowd.

1. Find a Niche

There is a lot of competition in the food industry. This makes it difficult to break in when many of the most popular foods are covered. You can find good Italian or Chinese food nearly anywhere.

The most successful food trucks find a niche. This niche is a type of food that is not easily available in the local vicinity. For example, you may decide to feature Cuban foods on your food truck if the closest Cuban restaurant to your area is far away.

2. Put Your Own Twist on It

Now that you have a niche, you can build a menu around unique foods in that cuisine, like Cuban sandwiches and empanadas. Offering popular items, however, does not separate you from the pack.

If you want to generate buzz in the local community, try putting your own twist on it. Take a popular item and add a signature flavor or combine two popular items to create a unique mash-up.

3. Offer Homemade Condiments

One way in which you can stand out is by offering unique condiments. The average food truck is going to have the standard condiments like ketchup, mustard, and mayo.

However, there is much to learn from successful institutions like Guy Fieri’s Chicken Guy in Orlando. The Boss of Sauce offers over 20 different dips for their chicken.

This variety is driving popularity and interest in the restaurant. People want to come back and try each different sauce.

4. Viral Menu Items

The dream is to create menu items that will go viral on social media. Then the internet will spread the word about your food truck for you.

For social media interest, usually bigger is better. A burger food truck may stack a multi-patty burger doused in cheese and other delicious toppings.

5. Menu Variety

You can build a unique menu by offering variety as well. This does not mean that you offer food items outside your niche.

Instead, start from the bottom up on a three-course meal. Variety means having both appetizers and entrees. If consumers want to try something, they can order something small and inexpensive, but if they want to have a whole meal, there’s the option for that, too.

How to Build a Unique Food Truck Menu

Food trucks are all the rage and only growing in popularity. By offering homemade condiments and Instagram-worthy food items, your food truck will be the talk of the town.

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 Pro Tips for Creating a Unique Food Truck Menu appeared first on Custom Concessions.

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.

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Would you pay $3,000 to sit down?

It’s easy to overspend when you’re starting a restaurant. Did you know that this exciting, yet expensive, business venture can cost over $200,000? That means new owners are spending roughly $3,000 for every seat in their dinner.

Having a mobile catering service means being able to avoid most of the common expenses the food industry struggles with. Instead of overspending, you can have exactly what you need to turn a profit and keep the customers happy. Read on to learn how you can get your delicious food out on the road.

Getting the Right Paperwork

Let’s start by looking at the licensing and permit portion of your business. For most locations, you’ll need 2 types of licenses–a food vending license and a business license.

You’ll also need to acquire the proper permits and liability insurance. Here’s a short list of the important documents you’ll need:

• Food vending license
• Business license
• Liability insurance
• Permits

A great place to start collecting your documents is by contacting the health department in your local area. Ask them about the specific licenses and food handling permits your town requires.

Service and Food Standards

What’s the first expense you think of when you imagine your mobile catering business? For many owners, they begin to consider the cost of food items. Yet, in reality, the area you need to spend the most time and attention in is the quality of your food, and its reputation.

Online Reviews

It’ll cost you time and money to market your business and build the brand and reputation you want. Yet, all it will take is a few bad online reviews to bring all of your hard work tumbling to the ground.

For this reason, you’ll need to make sure the driver and employees working in your vehicle have the right type of customer service attitude. If you are going with a 3rd party driver, spend time to make sure their customer service beliefs align with yours.

Food Standards

Make sure there are policies and procedures in place to maintain food quality. The very last customer of the day deserves the exact same high-quality customer service and food that the first customer received. One of the benefits of having in-house drivers is being able to closely monitor quality-control standards.

Mobile Catering Service Operating Costs

Now, you need to decide who will be driving your mobile catering service. If you decide to find drivers from within your company, you’ll need to budget for upfront managing costs. When you go with in-house drivers, you can expect to have fixed prices, and expenses.

However, if you decide to hire an outside group, you’ll need to budget capital to pay the third party provider. Having a third party can be very beneficial, especially when you don’t have to manage the drivers or their schedules.

However, outside parties also come with unexpected expenses. It’s possible the third party will change their rates, or charge you an additional fee for something unexpected. Expect to have fluctuating, unsteady expenses if you choose to outsource the work.

Customizing Your Vehicle

Now you know more about how to start your mobile catering service. Delivery Concepts is here to help you as you begin your new business venture. We are proud to be able to offer our clients some of the best affordable delivery solutions.

Each of our custom designed trucks will be specifically tailored to meet all of your needs. We understand that everyone is going to have different requirements, depending on the type of catering service they’ll be providing.

Since everyone needs something different, Delivery Concepts understands the importance of really listening to our clients’ needs. Temperature requirements, fitted interiors, and more will all vary from vehicle to vehicle. That’s because when we build your truck, every detail will help set your company up for success.

Don’t wait to make your dream a reality. We look forward to hearing from you!

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 Setting Up a Mobile Catering Service 101 appeared first on Custom Concessions.

First and foremost, a sit-down restaurant will cost you more money than a food truck in terms of startup and overhead costs (not only will it be more money initially to open a restaurant but it will continue to be more costly after the grand opening).

Why You Should Branch Out And Expand Your Restaurant Business With A Food Truck

The biggest reason to open a food truck? It will complement your restaurant business. After all, you can reach and serve more people since your truck won’t be stuck in one place. You can run catering gigs for your restaurant through your food truck, and conveniently since all of the food and equipment will go in your truck.

A food truck will provide a new scene and experience for your truck, employees and yourself (or manager, if you aren’t running the daily operations). While food trucks and restaurants both cook food and serve customers, the food truck industry provides more flexibility. Not only are the hours different since you likely won’t have the same hours of operation on a weekly basis (it will all depend on where your locations are and when you’re expected to be there, and that will change) but food trucks tend to be more unique with their food since innovative cuisine is very much accepted in the food truck industry.

Looking for reasons to join the food truck industry that aren’t related to money? Make sure to check out the article below.

Reasons To Join The Food Truck Industry Outside Of Making A Living:

“This should be the No. 1 reason to join any industry — well, the passion part, that is. You’re going to be at (or working on) your food truck every day. You’re going to be cooking food day in and day out. When you’re not working at your food truck, cooking food and serving customers, you might be posting on social media, talking to vendors, working on employee schedules, crunching numbers, finding new locations, etc.”

One of the toughest parts about opening a food truck business (or any business) is standing out and gaining customers — this is a very competitive industry and there are so many food trucks for customers to pick from, as well as fast-food and sit-down restaurants. However, if you own a restaurant (or a few restaurants), then your brand and audience are already built in and people will recognize your truck because of your restaurants. Your social media networks and website will already have fans and followers. People will recognize your logo and love your food. These ingredients can help with growing your food truck faster than expected since you will already have key components in place.

There are many ways to expand your restaurant business and we encourage you to look into a food truck when considering your next big expansion option.

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 Why You Should Branch Out And Expand Your Restaurant Business With A Food Truck appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Every aspiring mobile kitchen owner knows that he or she needs to create a business plan, secure funding and purchase a truck before entering the food truck industry. Those, along with so many other ingredients, are must-haves.

How else can you prepare for the food truck industry outside of the obvious ingredients?

You can start by incorporating the steps below.

Prepare For The Food Truck Industry With These Steps

• Talk To Other Owners
• Read As Many Business And Entrepreneur Books As Possible
• Study Food Truck Concepts
• See Where The Industry Is Going
• Possibly Become An Employee Before An Owner
• Get Ready For The Journey Of A Lifetime

Talk To Other Owners

One of the best ways to prepare for the food truck industry is by talking to people in the industry. Fellow mobile kitchen owners can give you a good idea of what to expect once you become an owner, from horror stories to why being a food truck owner is a dream come true. They can help you steer clear of the mistakes they made in the beginning as well as things they didn’t prepare for.

You might think you know everything there is to know about running a business and a kitchen, but it never hurts to gain advice and perspective from someone who is currently where you want to eventually be.

Read As Many Business And Entrepreneur Books As Possible

A common mistake among new food truck owners is not knowing enough about running a business, managing or being a leader in general. While you have to learn some of those tactics on the job (and everyone’s style is different), you can help increase your chances of succeeding. Learn in the form of reading as many business and entrepreneur books as possible.

Yes, you know how to cook food and your recipes are amazing … but do you know how to run a business? Running a food truck might sound like a dream job — and to many people it is — but it’s not all fun and games. Running a successful business takes a lot of time and effort, and you have to learn on the job (that’s a never-ending process, in fact).

If you don’t want to read books, then read articles. Don’t want to read articles? Then listen to podcasts. If you don’t want to listen to podcasts, then go to conferences and network. The point being, you need to study and learn from successful business owners and entrepreneurs before you dive into this industry head first (and unprepared).

Study Food Truck Concepts

More likely than not, you’re going to pick a concept that you’re comfortable with and know many recipes for. That’s how it should be. After all, you should cook the meals that you believe in and want to cook, especially since you’re going to be, more likely than not, cooking the same things over and over again.

However, it would be a good strategy to study food concepts and food trucks in places where you plan on taking your food truck business once it’s up and running. See what other owners are doing to make their meals stand out. How unique are they getting? Are they going with simple concepts?

It’s always a good practice to study the competition, especially when it comes to the actual product.

See Where The Industry Is Going

Are there any trends? What concepts are tanking while others are thriving? Are there certain locations that are blowing up with food trucks while other locations have yet to even witness a mobile kitchen?

Sometimes, we get tunnel vision and only focus on our own vision. But if you want to be in business for the long haul, you have to monitor where your industry has been, where it currently is and where it’s going, even if you have the same business model and menu throughout your journey.

Possibly Become An Employee Before An Owner

This might sound like a stretch to some, especially if you already have enough money to open up a food truck now. Or if you want to be your own boss and can’t stand working for others.

The key behind this step: Getting a feel for the food truck industry. You’ll have a better idea of how things are operated, how busy things get, how to better treat your employees and customers, how much time and effort it takes to run a successful business and the list could go on and on.

This will give you an idea of how a food truck is run and if you actually want to become an owner in the first place. Of course, when you become an owner, things will be different since you’ll be the one calling the shots.

RELATED: Reasons To Join The Food Truck Industry Outside Of Making A Living

Get Ready For The Journey Of A Lifetime

You’re on your way to becoming a food truck owner. Now’s the time to prepare mentally for an exciting and neverending journey. Long days, nights and weekends are in store. Being at a food truck 24/7 is going to become the norm (or at least working on your business in some way). Get ready for food and people to become your life.

Get ready to embrace the process and to follow your passions and dreams. In the very near future, your business card will read “Food Truck Owner.”

While everyone prepares for battle (if you will) with different methods, we hope the steps above can help you prepare for 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 Prepare For The Food Truck Industry With These Steps appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Why do you want to join the food truck industry?

More likely than not, it has something to do with money and working for yourself. Those are two valid reasons for wanting to become a food truck owner. However, we wanted to highlight reasons to join the mobile kitchen industry outside of making a living.

If your passion is cooking food, then you can likely relate to some of the reasons…

Reasons To Join The Food Truck Industry Outside Of Making A Living

• Cooking Food Is Your Passion
• You’re A People Person
• Mobility
• The Flexibility With Menus
• The Excitement Surrounding Food Trucks

Cooking Food Is Your Passion

This should be the No. 1 reason to join any industry — well, the passion part, that is. You’re going to be at (or working on) your food truck every day. You’re going to be cooking food day in and day out. When you’re not working at your food truck, cooking food and serving customers, you might be posting on social media, talking to vendors, working on employee schedules, crunching numbers, finding new locations, etc.

The point being? When you’re a food truck owner, your life is going to become your food truck. If you aren’t passionate about cooking food, the food truck industry or running a business, then you’re going to reach burnout fast.

Every food truck business is different, but one of the constants is, of course, cooking food. If cooking food is your passion, then that’s reason enough to become an owner in this industry.

You’re A People Person

Part of running a food truck business is talking to your customers. On top of being a chef, if you’re a people person, then the food truck industry might be perfect for you.

You’re going to be working in a small space and taking a lot of orders. The better you engage with your customers and focus on their wants and needs, the better your customer service will be.

Not everyone likes dealing with customers, but if you want to make it in this industry, customer service has to be a top priority, whether you’re taking an order at your truck or responding to a comment on social media — it’s all important.

Mobility

This is one of the biggest reasons why people decide to open up a food truck business over a sit-down restaurant (well, that and food trucks tend to cost less money). Food trucks are mobile and they aren’t required to stay in one spot as a result.

Don’t like your location? You can find a new one. Tired of normal locations and want to try something new? You can enter food truck events or take on catering gigs.

A food truck provides a lot of freedom since it’s on wheels, and this helps to create a job that provides a new experience and journey every day.

The Flexibility With Menus

While a restaurant owner can change up a menu if he or she wants to, it’s not necessarily expected — menus tend to stay the same at restaurants, although specials, seasonal items and new meals are added along the way.

With a food truck menu … anything goes. Not to mention, you can have 50 meals or two. The choice is truly yours. The food truck industry is also known as a creative industry when it comes to the concept that’s innovative cuisine. You will see (and probably cook) unique meals that people have never seen before.

Needless to say, people love the food truck industry (owners and customers alike) because of the flexibility with menus alone.

The Excitement Surrounding Food Trucks

People tend to get excited for food no matter what type of restaurant it’s coming from. People spend their anniversaries and celebrations over a meal, after all.

Add that to the fact that there’s so much excitement surrounding food trucks and you have another reason why people want to become owners in this industry. The food truck industry is fun thanks to the atmospheres that owners create, the unique food that’s offered and the joy and happiness that comes with every bite.

Everyone wants to be happy and work in a profession they love, and if you fancy yourself a cook, then we encourage you to become a food truck owner for those reasons alone. This industry is exciting, innovative and every day can be a journey.

There are an endless amount of reasons to join this industry outside of making a living, to say the least.

There are plenty of issues one might face when trying to become a food truck owner, and we encourage you to read the article below in hopes of dodging some of those issues.

Common Issues Restaurant Owners Will Face When Starting Up A Food Truck

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If you’re an entrepreneur or first-time chef, then you’re likely going to treat your food truck as an everyday business in the sense that you travel from one location to the next on a daily/weekly basis. You might even incorporate some catering gigs and food truck events along the way.

However, if you own multiple restaurants and want to expand with a food truck … you still might not know what to do with the food truck. After all, you could just travel from location to location on a weekly basis, or you could use a food truck as a catering machine for your restaurants. The key is figuring out what’s going to benefit your business and then going from there, whether it be a mixture of ideas (catering and normal locations) or going one route.

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 Reasons To Join The Food Truck Industry Outside Of Making A Living appeared first on Custom Concessions.

When looking to join an industry, people will research what to expect, how to enter, qualities to have and the list could go on and on.

We wanted to do some of the legwork for aspiring food truck owners. Therefore, we gathered 11 timeless Custom Concessions articles that will help you enter the food truck industry.

Check them out below and good luck during your mobile kitchen journey.

Timeless Custom Concessions Articles For Aspiring Food Truck Owners

10 Awesome Reasons To Become A Food Truck Owner

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Your Job Will Be Anything But Boring

Being a food truck owner is not boring. Trust us. From angry customers to happy ones, you are going to have some entertaining days. If you are bored as a food truck owner, then you are either extremely good at your job (and delegate a lot), or you likely have empty food truck lines, which isn’t typically a good sign.

Nonetheless, there is nothing boring about being a mobile kitchen owner.

Things That Are Stopping You From Entering The Food Truck Industry

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This is likely the biggest reason why people don’t enter the food truck industry. After all, it is going to cost a small fortune to purchase a food truck and all of the equipment, especially if you buy a high-end food truck, which we very much recommend.

You don’t have to be a millionaire to buy a food truck. In fact, here are some options for you: (1) Ask your friends and family for the money, and save every penny on top of that. (2) Finance your food truck.

7 Random Things All Prospective Food Truck Owners Need To Consider

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You say you want to run a food truck business, and that’s great! However, if you don’t live in an area with a lot of foot traffic/tourism/a busy area, then you should probably think about moving.

Your return customers (which might only be friends and family in the beginning) are not going to eat at your lunch truck every day. Therefore, you need to be in an area in which a ton of people cross paths with your food truck business. If that is not the case/if you live extremely far from this type of area, then you might want to think about moving.

5 Issues You Will Face When Trying To Become A Food Truck Owner

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There are likely two different kinds of people in your life: (1) The ones who support you, and (2) the ones who don’t, which is why you are going to deal with the issue of acceptance from everyone you know when trying to break into this industry.

Needless to say, you are going to have plenty of naysayers — you know, people who don’t support your dreams, and tell you they can’t be done. This is quite the challenge because these naysayers are going to be people you love, people who you thought believed in you.

Tips For Starting A Food Truck Business

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With that in mind, we’re going to be dishing out 10 tips for starting a food truck business below, and they apply to entrepreneurs, business owners, chefs and restaurant franchises. While these aren’t the only tips you should follow when joining the food truck industry — because there are an unlimited amount of tasks when it comes to this venture, and everyone’s situation is different — we hope these tips can help you achieve the feat that’s joining the food truck industry.

Food Truck Commissary Information

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A Commissary is a commercial kitchen where food truck owners can prepare and store their food. These commercial kitchens should be fully [equipped] with refrigeration, cooking equipment, sinks, and waste disposal units.  These commissaries will need to be inspected by your local health department.

Since space on a food truck is limited, commissaries are very convenient for prep work and storage. Many commissaries also offer ingredients for your menu and supplies for your truck, selling anything from napkins to meat.

Food Trucks vs. Food Trailers

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The biggest advantage to choosing a food truck over a food trailer, is that it is one unit, making it ideal for making multiple location stops. You needn’t worry about towing anything, and your overall size will be smaller making it easier to navigate through tight city streets and sharp turns.

5 Steps You Can Take Right Now To Begin Your Food Truck Journey

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This is an important step for many different reasons. First and foremost, location is everything in the food truck industry (you know what they say … location, location, location), and if you decide to go with a destination that isn’t known for its foot traffic, then you might struggle to attract customers. Not to mention, you can’t just park anywhere, and things like permits, regulations, laws and rules come into play.

Questions You Will Likely Have When Trying To Become A Food Truck Owner

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Do you want to make family recipes? Is there a specific food concept you love to make? Do you want to create your own concept by combining two concepts together? The choice is yours — just be sure to pick the concept that is right for you, because this is something you shouldn’t change once your shop is open.

5 Things A Traditional Restaurant Could Do With A Food Truck

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On top of catering and having normal business hours, with a food truck, you can also travel to food events with ease, and that means the possibility of making more money and gaining even more exposure. These food events can be anything and everything, such as parades, festivals, weddings, reunions, parties, Oktoberfest outings and even events that are tailored for food trucks (aka food truck events).

5 Things You Need To Start A Food Truck

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Everyone thinks their ideas are unique and they were the first people to come across said ideas. However, did you actually do your research to see if this idea was truly unique? There are many unique twists and ideas in the mobile kitchen industry, so it’s important to do your homework on this subject. Of course, if you already have established sit-down restaurants, then you will likely go with the food concept of those restaurants because they already have proven results attached to them (and an audience/customers).

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 Timeless Custom Concessions Articles For Aspiring Food Truck Owners appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Believe it or not, there are many different kinds of food truck businesses, and not every owner runs his/her food truck business the same.

With that in mind, what kind of food truck business do you want to run, aspiring mobile kitchen owners?

To help you out along this journey, we will break down a couple of paths below.

What Kind Of Food Truck Business Do You Want To Run?

• A Truck That Serves At One Location To The Next
• A Truck That Makes Its Money Via Catering
• A Catering Truck That Only Appears At Special Events
• A Combination Of All Three

A Truck That Serves At One Location To The Next

This is the route that many entrepreneurs, first-time business owners and cooks/chefs take.

Not only is it a good way to spread brand awareness and increase your target audience—because you’re traveling all around town and getting your truck and food in front of new eyes—but it’s also a great way to make a steady stream of income. After all, you will have “normal” business hours in the sense that you travel to places on a routine basis and you will also mix in different locations along the way.

A Truck That Makes Its Money Via Catering

This option is perfect for restaurant franchises and catering businesses.

Instead of having to hire a different company (or renting a vehicle and equipment) for your catering services, you can fit — and cook — everything in your truck. Not only that but your brand, logo and name are all over your truck, and people will start associating your truck with your restaurant businesses.

Another perk of catering with a food truck when you already own restaurants is that you can test out new and unique meals at your truck before adding them to your restaurant menus.

All in all, using a food truck for catering can add another stream of income (and service) to your restaurant business.

A Truck That Only Appears At Special Events

This kind of goes along the same lines as using your truck as a catering machine … but it’s a little different because your food truck business will only be used for special events, such as parades, festivals, reunions, weddings (although that can fall under the catering category), food truck events, etc.

In this case, your food truck will only make appearances at these special events as opposed to going from location to location. This route also helps with brand awareness and rolling out a new meal or menu entirely at these special events.

This type of service (if you will) was made for restaurant franchises.

A Combination Of All Three

Whether you’re a restaurant franchise owner, a business owner, an entrepreneur, a chef or whatever it might be, with a food truck business, you have the power and ability to do all three things mapped out above.

Food trucks create a lot of freedom and flexibility to do what you want to do with your business.

In fact, many food truck owners travel from location to location, they cater as a side hustle/another source of income and they also attend special events from time to time. By doing all three, you, once again, increase your target audience and brand awareness. You also get to spice up the job by traveling to different venues and serve new customers.

A food truck is mobile for a reason: It was meant to travel to the customers.

There are many paths to take in the food truck industry. Likewise, there are many different ways to increase your income. On top of the three routes above, some owners sell product on their websites, such as shirts and other memorabilia. Some people even sell their product in bulk as another way to increase income.

Regardless, we will leave you with this question: What kind of food truck business do you want to run?

Looking for reasons to expand with a food truck business? If you’re a restaurant owner and are looking to expand, then you’ll want to dive into the article below before you make your decision on another brick-and-mortar location. (Preview included.)

Reasons To Expand Your Restaurant Business With A Food Truck

Preview:

3.) Can Get More Involved With Customers And Create A Fun Environment

A food truck owner has the ability to get more involved with the customers because a food truck owner will be taking orders, cooking food and serving customers all right inside of his or her food truck. Not only are you the face of the business but you’re also the one running the show every step of the way.

This makes it possible for you to create the business of your dreams and that could include creating a fun environment. On top of that, food trucks are known for their unique and fun environments because of the food they make and the atmospheres that tend to be attached to them.

There’s no other way to put it: People love food trucks. They get excited when they see one in downtown spots or hear about a food truck being nearby (whether it be because an apartment complex or gym promotes it or whatever it might be).

What’s not to love about food trucks? They tend to bring innovative cuisine to the table and they create environments where people want to be.

With all of that said, a food truck will allow you to get more involved with your customers and you’ll have the ability to create a fun and enjoyable environment for everyone involved.

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 What Kind Of Food Truck Business Do You Want To Run? appeared first on Custom Concessions.

There are a million different things a food truck owner has to do well to be successful.

With that said, every food truck is different which mean everyone’s ingredients will be different when it comes to the kitchen/food and the strategies for actually running a business.

However, the ingredients below are a great place to start once you become a food truck owner.

Things You Need To Do Well To Be A Successful Food Truck Owner

• Cook Consistently Delicious Meals
• Engage With Customers
• The Ability To Put Out Fires (Customers and Employees)
• Keep Social Media And Website Updated
• Don’t Forget About Food Truck Maintenance
• Branch Out When Necessary
• Continue Learning And Incorporating New Strategies
• Create An Environment Where People Want To Be
• Stay Passionate About Cooking And This Industry

Cook Consistently Delicious Meals

This should be a no-brainer … but it’s also easier said than done. After all, your lines are going to get busy at certain times of the day and you’re going to feel rushed as a result. You also might get tired of cooking the same thing over and over again (some food trucks keep it fresh in the kitchen by incorporating new meals on the menu on a consistent and/or seasonal basis).

However, if you want to gain and retain customers, then you need your meals to be consistent. Quality meals and consistency in the kitchen are invaluable for food truck owners.

Engage With Customers

Whether it’s you, your employees or both, someone needs to engage with the customers. While many people will continue to eat at your food truck, some people might be scared away if your customer service is bad. With how crazy the competition is in the food truck industry, you don’t want to give people a reason to not eat at your truck, so make sure your customer service game is always up to par.

The Ability To Put Out Fires (Customers and Employees)

You’re going to have angry customers and you’re also going to have unhappy employees — and this could be a result of many different things. The key is knowing how and when to recognize these problems. If you let these fires build (if you will), morale could take a hit, bad reviews could come flying in and your sales could suffer.

Keep Social Media And Website Updated

Everyone’s social media strategies are different and many food truck owners spend different amounts of time working on their social media networks and websites. At the very least, you should be updating your locations, telling your customers where you will be next and engaging with your customers when you can, as well as responding to questions and concerns.

Don’t Forget About Food Truck Maintenance

A food truck is the foundation of your business and you should treat it like royalty as a result. And this, whether you want to hear it or not, means incorporating proper food truck maintenance in the form of tune-ups and fixing parts of your truck and food truck equipment on a consistent basis and before things go really wrong.

If you have to miss any form of gig or location because your food truck unexpectedly breaks down or has a problem, your credibility could take a hit and you will lose money because sales won’t be occurring.

Branch Out When Necessary

When sales are down, branch out. If you start going through the motions, branch out. When your sales are fine but you still want to make more money, branch out. Do not get stuck in a bubble.

While some businesses can survive and thrive by doing the same exact thing every single day, that’s not the case for every business. You need to learn how to branch out as a result.

Continue Learning And Incorporating New Strategies

Going off of the point above, you need to continue learning and implementing new strategies if you want to sustain and grow your success. You have to learn about food, new trends, your competition, a technology that will make your life easier and business more effective, etc. Then, you need to incorporate these strategies.

RELATED: Reasons To Expand Your Restaurant Business With A Food Truck

Create An Environment Where People Want To Be

If you create an environment where people want to be, then your employees will enjoy working for you and your customers will love eating at your truck. An enjoyable and unique atmosphere can lead to your food truck being an experience on top of a place where people buy and then eat delicious meals. It can also go a long way in the customer service department.

Stay Passionate About Cooking And This Industry

This might sound foolish to aspiring food truck owners. After all, cooking is your passion and you want nothing more than to be a food truck owner.

Unfortunately, the food truck industry is very competitive and that can make life tough in this industry. Not only that but times can get dull when you’re cooking the same food every day and traveling to the same locations.

People get complacent and they find out their dreams aren’t as exciting as they thought they would be — it’s not always easy to stay passionate about cooking and this industry.

However, many people love this career because they are around people, they love cooking and they also love seeing others happy as a result of the food they make.

There are many things that go into a successful business, and staying passionate is definitely one of them.

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 Things You Need To Do Well To Be A Successful Food Truck Owner appeared first on Custom Concessions.