If you have already purchased your food truck and are just waiting on some of the finishing touches to take place, then you are in luck, because spring is just around the corner. If you have yet to purchase a food truck, though, then you might want to wait a little while (perhaps until next year) for your grand opening. Unless, of course, you can somehow get your truck up and running by late spring or early summer.

Timing is everything. That is the case for any profession, any industry.

If you are a new food truck owner, you should have your grand opening in the spring, and we are about to break down some important reasons why.

Note: If you decide to have your grand opening during a different time of the year, then so be it. The key is getting started. However, doing your grand opening in the spring is beneficial — to say the least — and opportunities could come raining down as a result.

RELATED: How To Get The Most Out Of Your Food Truck Grand Opening. If you want to get the most out of your food truck grand opening, then take some notes from this article.

Why New Food Truck Owners Should Have Their Grand Opening In The Spring

• The Weather
• Starting In The Summer Could Be Too Much To Handle
• On The Flip Side, You Want To Be Established By Summertime
• If You Start In The Winter, You Could Sink

The Weather

With spring comes the good weather. The last thing you want to do is have your grand opening when it is snowing outside. After all, less people would likely travel to your truck if snow were falling, or the temperatures were simply too cold to handle.

While the weather isn’t always perfect during springtime, shiny days and warm temperatures tend to become the norm. Good weather is critical for food truck owners.

Starting In The Summer Could Be Too Much To Handle

If you hold your grand opening in the summer, then you might be too overwhelmed. After all, summer is the busy season in the food truck industry. Tourism is usually booming in hot destinations and downtown areas (you know, where you will park your mobile kitchen). People tend to be more active. Simply put, more foot traffic is out and about in the summer — well, that at least tends to be the case.

If you are in a hot area where a ton of people tend to go, then your grand opening could end up being a disaster in the sense that you are in over your head. You want a lot of people at your big opening, yes, but you also don’t want to be overwhelmed right out of the gate.

On The Flip Side, You Want To Be Established By Summertime

On the flip side, if you decide to start your food truck business in the summer and hold your grand opening during this time, then you might not be established. This is not a get-rich-quick scheme, and most owners don’t see success overnight.

You will not retain an unlimited amount of customers immediately. Gaining loyal customers (outside of your family and friends, that is) might take some time. That is why it’s important to be established before the busy season hits. Assuming the weather is nice and you hold your grand opening in early spring, you will not only be prepared for the busy season, but you will gain a good amount of customers in the process.

If you are, in a sense, established by the time summer rolls around, and if you have worked out most of the kinks, you will be prepared to conquer the busy season in the food truck industry. You will also make a ton of cash in the process, and customers could be flocking to your truck all summer long.

RELATED: Joining The Food Truck Industry Is So Much More Than Making A Living. Joining the food truck industry isn’t just about making money. It’s about following your dreams, tackling your passions, becoming the person you were meant to be. Check out this article for more details.

If You Start In The Winter, You Could Sink

If you hold your grand opening in the winter, and if you also live in a place where cold temperatures and snow takes over during winter, then you could sink in no time. In fact, some food truck owners close down shop altogether during the winter months. Winter is the offseason, the down months.

Having your grand opening in the winter is almost like trying to sell product to people who already own said product, or who aren’t interested whatsoever. It’s almost like trying to sell something in a place where there are no people. Of course, success can still be found, but trying to achieve said success becomes that much tougher.

Here’s the deal: If you hold your grand opening in the winter, you might not attract enough customers. This could lead to you not making enough money to keep the day-to-day operations running smoothly.

Spring is the perfect time to have your grand opening (side note: early summer isn’t a bad idea either) because it allows you to get your food truck business established by the time the busy months roll around, and you will also know what to expect on top of that since you will have been running a food truck for a couple of months. The weather, of course, is a major factor as well. Expect less customers if temperatures are lousy — it is typically that simple.

If your food truck is almost ready to go and you plan on holding your grand opening in the spring, then consider yourself lucky. Take advantage of this ideal situation.

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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Are you trying to enter the food truck industry but could use an overwhelming amount of information to help you get started? If you can relate, then you are in luck.

You see, entering the food truck industry is not as simple as buying a truck, selling some food and then becoming rich overnight. If it were that easy, then everyone would have the title “Food Truck Owner” on their business cards.

Unfortunately, making it as a mobile kitchen owner is not easy, and it certainly isn’t for the faint of heart, but that does not mean you can’t see a massive amount of success. In fact, if you follow the advice in the articles below, then you will be well on your way. Above all else, make sure you never stop hustling, and never let your passion for cooking up amazing recipes die.

RELATED: How To Get The Most Out Of Your Food Truck Grand Opening. Your grand opening is literally a celebration of the beginning of your food truck business. So, yes, it is very important. In hopes of crushing your big day, make sure to check out this article.

These Custom Concessions Articles Will Help You Achieve The Dream That Is Entering The Food Truck Industry

Why Future Mobile Kitchen Owners Should Steer Clear Of A Cheap Food Truck

“If you are in the market for a food truck, then it is absolutely crucial that you find the perfect truck.”

“Of course, there are many questions you need to ask yourself during this process. For example, you should be asking yourself this question: Should I buy a high-end food truck, or should I buy a cheaper truck?”

“First things first, you have to figure out your budget. You also have to figure out how much money you are going to need, and if you are going to finance a truck or pay in cash. There are many reasons why you should buy a high-end truck, though. For instance, this is your business, so quality should be a top priority. Not to mention, a high-end truck typically comes with warranties, and it typically won’t break down on you — well, at least not for a very long time.”

“So, we are here to say this: Future mobile kitchen owners should steer clear of a cheap food truck. Buying a high-end truck is 100 percent the way to go.”

Why Should You Enter The Food Truck Industry?

“But seriously, why should you enter the food truck industry?”

“Have you always wanted to be a chef, are you an entrepreneur who has always wanted to open up his/her own food-related business? Whatever the reason might be, we 100 percent support it. After all, the food truck industry is booming, it provides a great opportunity, so many people would consider it a dream job and we can’t talk highly enough about it.”

“If you want to enter this industry, we say go for it! Just make sure your finances are in order before you make the amazing leap, and also make sure you are prepared to not only be a chef (that’s the easy part, right?), but a business owner as well — because succeeding as a food truck owner takes more than being a wizard in the kitchen. Unfortunately, so many people enter this industry thinking they can make it simply because they are great cooks. That is a huge plus, but if you do not know how to run a business, then you likely won’t be in this industry for long.”

If you are trying to break into the food truck industry, make sure to check out these food trucks for sale!

3 Out-Of-The-Box Things To Consider When Opening Up A Food Truck Business

“There are an endless amount of things prospective food truck owners must consider before they can even think about breaking into this industry. Coming up with business plans and trying to find the money to purchase your dream mobile kitchen is, unfortunately, just the beginning.”

“That is why we have come up with three out-of-the-box things to consider when opening up a food truck business.”

“If you are new to this entire process and need as much help as you can get, then make sure to check out our other articles as well. On top of that, if you are looking for food trucks for sale, or want to get a mobile kitchen custom built, then we also have you covered in that department. Basically, you can think of our site as a one-stop shop for all things food truck related.”

Tips For Picking A Food Truck Concept

“If you are thinking about entering the food truck industry, then there are about 1,000 different things you are going to have to figure out. While that might be exaggerated a bit, food truck owners have to make a ton of different decisions before they even get their trucks up and running.”

“One of those decisions — and it is a very important one — is figuring out what you want your concept to be. Figuring out your concept and menu might not be the easiest decision to make, but once you have made up your mind, you need to stick with your concept (and love it).”

“Branding and marketing aside, your concept and menu alone are going to attract customers. After all, people go to food trucks for the — wait for it — food. And if your concept is good enough, your lines will be flocking with customers in no time.”

3 Ways Future Food Truck Owners Can Use Startup Capital To Their Advantage

“Is 2017 the year that you finally join the food truck industry?”

“If so, then that’s great! Making that decision is rather tough, but if you have planned out everything (you know, like making a great business plan, creating the recipes, knowing what meals you will make and everything else you have to have to succeed in this industry), then you should be more than ready to take on the life of a food truck owner.”

“For the purposes of this article, we are here to go over three ways future food truck owners can use startup capital to their advantage. So, were you thinking about buying everything on your own, such as the actual food truck, the equipment and all of the inventory, or were you looking for some help in that department? Whether the case, startup capital is here to help, and it could be the difference between you having enough money to become a mobile kitchen owner and you not having enough money to become a mobile kitchen owner.”

If you are looking to break into this industry, make sure to request a custom quote!

To stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer, make sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. You can also find more food truck blogs here.

The post These Custom Concessions Articles Will Help You Achieve Your Dream of Entering the Food Truck Industry appeared first on Custom Concessions.

You did it…

You came up with an otherworldly business plan, you picked a food truck concept, you made your menus, you hired an employee or two, you figured out your locations, you tackled permits and regulations, you raised enough money to buy a food truck (and then you bought a food truck), and you are now ready to enter the mobile kitchen industry. In addition, you have notified your friends and family about this life-changing career, and you have also built up your social media following. What’s next?

Well, now the real fun begins. Now you will get to see if you have what it takes to be a food truck owner. Now, the blood, sweat and tears are really going to kick into gear. Bring on the 10-hour days and your mobile kitchen business being your entire life.

However, the next official step is doing your grand opening. In the spirit of your grand opening being on the horizon, we will be providing some tips so you can get the most out of this big day. Side note: If you want, you can also make your food truck’s grand opening last a couple of days, or an entire week.

RELATED: Joining The Food Truck Industry Is So Much More Than Making A Living. If you are only entering the food truck industry to make a buck, then, well, this industry might not be for you. Check out this article for more details.

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Food Truck Grand Opening

• Promote Your Lunch Truck Like No Other
• Figure Out Your Menu(s)
• Get To Know Your Customers
• Take It All In — And Learn

Promote Your Lunch Truck Like No Other

If you don’t promote your food truck’s grand opening, then how are people going to know that your grand opening is going down? Folks, this is where social media really comes into play.

With social media alone, you can reach your target audience — and then some — with a few posts. During this social media journey, you need to continue to remind your followers that your grand opening is going down on, well, pick a date and then stick to it, and then relay that message over and over again.

Just to create a little bit of buzz, you can also give stuff away for free that your followers/customers will have to collect at your grand opening. You know, like free shirts/hats with your food truck’s logo on it, drinks, desserts, sides or even free meals.

Just make sure you are promoting your food truck’s grand opening early and often, or else people aren’t going to know about it.

If you are trying to break into the food truck industry, make sure to check out these food trucks for sale!

Figure Out Your Menu(s)

Wait, wasn’t figuring out the menu part of the start-up process? Yes, you definitely needed to make your menu and decide what you wanted to cook early on, but your food truck’s grand opening could have different menus than what you are planning to serve on a daily basis.

For example, you might go with a simplified menu to ensure success, and to also make things on you easy for this big day. You might also want to pull out all of the stops by incorporating a different menu for every single day of the week. The choice is yours to make, and if you decide to go with your normal menu, then that is completely fine.

Get To Know Your Customers

This step is so important, and we really can’t hammer that home enough. Quality customer service is invaluable in the food truck industry. If you don’t treat your customers right, especially at your grand opening, then you won’t retain any, and you might even get some bad reviews, which could wreck your mobile kitchen in no time.

The customers are the ones who are buying — and enjoying your product — so you should want to get to know them, and treat them nicely, out of principle. On top of that, and this is especially important when you are first breaking into this industry, your customers can give you valuable feedback.

You joined this industry to make food and then to make folks happy with it, so don’t be afraid to make new friends by getting to know your customers at your grand opening. Don’t just take their orders, interact with them.

RELATED: Why Future Mobile Kitchen Owners Should Steer Clear Of A Cheap Food Truck. Thinking about saving some money by buying a cheap food truck? One word: Don’t. Check out this article to find out why.

Take It All In — And Learn

You are doing it — you are following your dream! You are finally a chef and your grand opening is just the beginning. While a grand opening could bring on a great amount of stress for the simple fact that you want to crush it, make sure you have fun. Make sure you take everything in.

Not to mention, make sure you learn from your mistakes. The more you learn now, the easier your food truck journey will be in the long run.

Food truck owners, a grand opening is a very exciting time. It’s literally a celebration for the opening of your business. It might even mark the beginning of the summer, which is one more reason for you and your customers to get excited. Just make sure you don’t take anything for granted, because you entered this industry for a more fulfilling life, and the grand opening is just the beginning.

Have fun!

Two more tips: Stay within your means, and try to do your grand opening in the spring/summer. While, yes, your grand opening is very important, you don’t want it to set you too far back in the money department. As for the spring/summer, well, that is when this industry is booming.

If you are looking to break into this industry, make sure to request a custom quote!

To stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer, make sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. You can also find more food truck blogs here.

The post How To Get The Most Out Of Your Food Truck Grand Opening appeared first on Custom Concessions.