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The average cost of opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant is $275,000. If you’re an aspiring restaurateur, you’ve likely looked into your options, like buying a food truck. Sounds simple, right?

Here are 5 things you should know before you start your food truck adventure!

1. The Cost of Starting up 

The costs of starting a food truck business are more than the vehicle, fuel, and food expenses. Unless you’re prepared to do it all on your own, you’ll need to hire and train employees. A food truck needs to be checked out and maintained by a mechanic, like any other vehicle.

Overall, the upfront cost for launching your mobile restaurant business can be over $150,000. Along with equipment for your truck and other essential supplies, you also need to acquire licenses and permits.

2. Licensing, Regulations, Insurance, and Permits

There’s a lot of paperwork and legal costs to handle before you drive your food truck out on the road. In most cases, you can drive a mobile food business without a CDL, unless the vehicle is 26,001 pounds or heavier. Check with your state’s motor vehicle commission for specifics.

You’ll need comprehensive insurance coverage that protects you, any passengers, your equipment, and members of the public. You should have a warranty, which helps to limit out-of-pocket expenses such as repairs. 

Lastly, you’ll need to register and license your business so you can acquire parking permits. Cities, especially big cities, have zoning laws that govern where people can park and where businesses can operate. Unfortunately, sometimes the legal expenses can cost you a pretty penny, but they’re necessary for running any mobile restaurant.

3. Research Types of Food Trucks 

No matter how basic your menu is or how little equipment you think you’ll need, you should research the model and types on the market to learn everything about which is the right food truck for you. Factors from your food offerings, to where you plan to sell, and when, are all things to consider when looking at trucks. Your mobile kitchen should fit all of your needs. You don’t want to invest in a truck that you later find out isn’t going to be a good fit. So do your homework!

4. Have a Digital Marketing Strategy 

If you’re not marketing your mobile food business, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Even before launching, you should have a digital marketing and social media strategy. Establish and stick to brand identity for your online presence. 

Sending out a few tweets here and there isn’t enough. You’ll need a proper social media campaign to really launch your business off the ground. It’s especially important to make sure followers (read: potential customers) know where and when to find your truck!

5. Learn From Your Competition 

When figuring out where to buy a food truck, or how much is it to buy a food truck, you shouldn’t expect too much help from your competitors. The food truck industry is very competitive. Look into how other food trucks started (such as looking at their social media campaigns) or scout out the best spots in your city to sell.

Looking at your competitors will also give you an idea of what may be in-demand in your area. If the trucks in your city sell similar products consider introducing something completely different. If you’re one of ten other BBQ trucks, you’ll need some pretty amazing food to stand out from the crowd. 

What to Know Before Buying a Food Truck 

The upfront costs of buying a food truck can be steep. Permits, insurance, warranties, and other legal expenses are a necessary evil. But if you’re a truck die-hard food trucker, that won’t scare you off. To help your start-up, ensure you have a solid digital marketing strategy and you learn from your competitors to see how they succeeded.

If you want to know more about buying a food truck, request a custom quote from us today!

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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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.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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

There are over 24,000 active food truck businesses in the U.S. Whether you’re starting out or have been delivering food on the go for years, maintaining your truck is extremely important. 

But what goes into regular food truck maintenance? And why is it so important?

That’s what we’ll be looking at today. In this article, we’re highlighting why regular maintenance matters for your food truck and tips on keeping your vehicle in tip-top shape. 

Regular Maintenance Delivers More Food

The low-hanging fruit of regular food truck maintenance is that it keeps your operation going. The more you pay attention to how your truck is doing, the more time you can spend on the street selling your products. 

Many people choose food trucks because it’s cheaper and slightly easier than owning a traditional storefront. The number of documents and regulations you have to work around is different than owning a store, but it’s still necessary. 

Additionally, just as a traditional restaurant owner has to pay attention to their AC units or other machinery, a food truck owner needs to keep their eye on their truck. 

After all, if your truck stops working, your entire business grinds to a halt. 

Less Downtime Equals Greater Revenue

Things like checking your engines, keeping a tidy washing station, and maintaining a good power supply are just a few things you can do to keep your food truck in good shape. 

Being on top of preventative maintenance benefits you in the long run. A Decisiv & Oakley study found that truck maintenance improved food trucks’ revenue by reducing downtime. 

Unexpected downtime that comes from fixing lingering truck issues eats away at your productivity. You have less time to serve your customers, meaning your revenues will drop. 

You also can’t afford to lose potential catering customers by having an unreliable truck. If you’re booked to cater a private event, make sure your truck is in good working order ahead of time so you don’t have any unfortunate surprises on the big day.

Food Truck Maintenance Tips

So what can you do to make sure your food truck is running at maximum efficiency? Because a food truck is essentially a mini-restaurant, you should ideally keep a truck maintenance checklist.

Here are some key points that you can include:

Check Your Battery

Your foodservice operation is quite reliant on your truck’s battery. Check to make sure it’s not running out of juice and replace it when it’s no longer operating reliably. 

Watch Fluids

Check your truck’s transmission, brake, and power steering fluids throughout the year. Sometimes winter seasons can diminish their effectiveness. 

Change Oil Regularly

Lubricating your engine with the right oil will prevent unwanted downtime. Always find time for oil changes to make sure you’re never hampered by breakdowns during your regular food service. 

Check Filters

Oil, fuel, transmission, and air filters are common mechanisms that preserve your engine. Check these filters and change them according to manufacturer specifications to keep everything chugging along. 

Watch Tire Pressure

Flat tires can ruin just about anyone’s day, especially food truck owners who are right in the middle of service. Be on top of your tire pressure to make sure you never have to fill up at inconvenient times. Keeping a close eye on your tires will also make you aware if one of them possibly has a slow leak and needs to be replaced.

Leverage Regular Food Truck Maintenance Today

A healthy food truck means more consistent service and greater revenues. Leverage regular maintenance to keep your food truck business profitable in the long run. 

Looking for your first food truck, or another mobile kitchen to add to your expanding fleet? Contact us today and we can get you started on a solution right away!

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 The Importance of Regular Maintenance for Your Food Truck appeared first on Custom Concessions.

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.