Sales—even food truck sales—are all about probability. The probability of selling to a new customer is 5-20%, while the probability of selling to an existing customer is 60-70%. 

This is why upselling is so important. 

Upselling is the art of convincing your customers to upgrade their order to a better, more expensive, higher quality option. If done right, it can increase your profits, and enhance the customer experience. If done wrong, it can be seriously annoying.

This article will teach you all you need to know about how to upsell in the food truck business, without pestering your trusted customers. 

An Offer They Can’t Refuse 

The first thing to remember is that you have to make sure your upselling will enhance your customer’s dining experience.

Your customers probably won’t want to buy whatever you’re upselling if it doesn’t sound appetizing. If you upsell a loyal customer something they don’t like, they probably won’t order it again. You might even lose their business. 

It’s extremely important to focus on the customer’s experience rather than your profit. Focusing on your profit will work for a little while. But it will only hurt you in the long run if it doesn’t benefit the customers. 

So make them an offer they can’t refuse. 

Teach your service staff how to make your products sound delectable. Make sure they know all the menu items intimately, so they can make adjustments on the fly. A good employee should be able to recognize regular customers and offer them products—like side dishes—that they know the customers will enjoy. 

As long as the customer comes first in your mind, your upselling will enhance the customer’s experience rather than hindering it. Look at the successful example of the Dollar Shave Club. They provide enticing, quality options for customers to add at their leisure, without harassing them.  

Get Specific 

Okay, so we realize that you’re probably not out there trying to upsell by asking—would you like more food with that? But are you getting specific enough? 

Specificity sells. You have to remember that the more particular you get about a product, the more likely you are to get customers. 

A food truck is something people go to on the fly, usually as a treat. They enjoy the experience of getting high-quality food out of a vehicle that looks clean and professional. 

Customers are coming to your food truck for a positive, food-loving atmosphere, so if your employee smiles and offers them something refreshing and cold on a hot day, you’re very likely to get that upsell. 

Teach Your Employees How to Upsell 

In business, profitability is all about probability—and you have a higher probability of selling to people who are already buying from you. In other words, you don’t necessarily need to grow your business by attracting other customers, you can start by selling your current customers more.

Once you’ve learned to make your customers an offer they can’t refuse and get specific, you’re well on your way to learning how to upsell. 

Looking to start your first food truck? For more information, contact 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.

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The post How to Upsell in Your Food Truck Business—Without Pestering Customers appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Keep on trucking. 

The food truck industry is growing rapidly. It is valued at more than one billion dollars, with nearly 25,000 businesses on the road. 

If you want to run an affordable and fun restaurant, a food truck is perfect for you. But you are going to have a lot of competition. How can you stand out? 

Here is a guide to the most popular foods in food truck cuisine. 

Burgers

Burgers are an all-American classic. They’re easy to make. Throw some beef on a grill, brown it on both sides, then slide it in between two pieces of bread. 

Yet there are thousands of street trucks selling burgers. To be successful, you will need to put a spin on your burgers. 

Use bison, ostrich, turkey, or lamb. These meats are healthier than beef, and far fewer trucks sell them. 

Top your burgers with interesting cheeses, like sharp cheddar, Swiss, or feta. Add other interesting toppings like bacon, avocado, and fresh-made sauces. Use potato rolls and French bread instead of white burger rolls. 

You’ll also want to have creative sides. Sell loaded fries, poutine, and baked potatoes. 

Pizza

Pizza is only second to burgers as the most popular street food. It’s also simple. Put some cheese and sauce on some dough and throw it in the oven. 

But people want more than Prego sauce and shredded mozzarella. Make your own tomato sauce. Infuse crushed tomatoes with onions, garlic, and fresh spices—or try something different to put a unique spin on your pies.

Spice things up a bit: try using freshly sliced buffalo mozzarella as your cheese. Top your pizzas with fresh meats and vegetables.

For best results, cook your pizzas in a wood-fired oven. Let your customers see you roll dough, prepare toppings, and bake their pizzas. The more authentic the pizza is, the more they will want to buy it. 

Curry

Curry is popular throughout Asia for its affordability and strong flavors. Few food trucks sell curry in the United States, so you will stand out all the more for selling some good ones. 

Stew chicken with ginger, turmeric, coriander, and other spices. Serve over Basmati rice, and side it with naan bread. 

Curry is also a great option if you want to sell vegetarian foods. Stew chickpeas in coconut milk and diced tomatoes. Stir in ginger, cayenne, and lime juice. 

Experiment with sweet potatoes, green beans, and carrots. Curry takes longer to cook than other dishes, but it has rich flavors unmatched in those dishes, and it’s a big crowd pleaser.

Falafel

Falafel is another popular street food in the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. Like curry, falafel has flavors not found in most American dishes. 

Soak chickpeas in water until they loosen. Dry the chickpeas, then mix them with garlic, onions, and herbs in a food processor. Form them into small balls and deep fry them. 

Serve falafel with tahini sauce and fresh vegetables. Wrap them in a pita for easy transportation. 

Go to the Experts on Food Truck Cuisine

Food truck cuisine is ever-evolving. Keep up with demand by standing out in your marketplace. 

Make burgers made from different meats. Use fresh and premium ingredients in your pizzas. Serve non-American street foods, like curry and falafel. 

Keep searching for new food menu ideas, but be sure and talk to mobile food truck experts before launching any food truck. To get started on your own truck today, 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.

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So, you want to start a food truck business, and you’ve heard others talk about step vans, but what are they?

Also called “multi-stop trucks,” Chevrolet was the first to refer to them as “step vans,” which is the most widely-used term today. These trucks are most often seen delivering packages, baked goods, snacks, and the like. 

Step vans are a fantastic option for a mobile food truck. They’re tall enough to allow you to stand and move around in, and you have ample space for essential equipment. Since they’re usually only a couple steps up, they sit low and are easy to enter and exit. 

Keep reading to learn more about step vans and whether one is the right fit for your food truck business. 

Why Step Vans Are a Perfect Fit for Foodservice

1. Proven Track Record

Step vans and foodservice have a long history together. 

Since the 1930s, they’ve been used as forward-control food trucks to deliver milk and baked goods. Today, many entrepreneurs turn them into food trucks that offer everything from classic ice cream to gourmet dishes. Mobile food trucks are a significant trend across the US.  

In 2015, the food truck industry was valued at nearly $857 million. 

2. Ample Space to Work

If you’re in the foodservice industry already, you know that having space to move around and work is paramount, especially when there’s more than one person in the kitchen. Step vans offer quick passage and sufficient storage options.

Having the room for more equipment means you can get specialty appliances such as pizza ovens or espresso machines to help take your truck to the next level.

3. Customization

Step vans are also highly-customizable, allowing you to maximize efficiency and stand out. You can experiment with accessories such as TVs, security systems, speakers, retractable awnings, service stations, and more.

Size is another important thing to consider. With step vans ranging in length from 12 to 30 feet, there is a large range of sizes to suit your needs. Whether you’re operating a small ice cream truck or a massive stadium food truck, you can find a step van to meet your needs.

4. Mobility

With a mobile food truck, you can take your business to the customers. You can travel to events and festivals, as well as go on tours for higher earning potential. Explore new markets easily by packing up and driving to the next area of interest, as long as you’ve got the proper permits first. 

You can do all of this and more without committing to the substantial investment involved in purchasing and maintaining a brick-and-mortar establishment. 

Financing a Food Truck

While it may not cost as much as opening a restaurant on a street corner, starting a food truck business is still a business, and will require some investment to get started. 

Finance your food truck through investors, use your savings, or search for business loans to meet your needs. Just be sure to create a business plan, as it’s an essential document required to apply for the various types of loans available.

Where Will Your New Food Truck Take You?

With a fully-capable, customizable, mobile kitchen you can take your business anywhere! 

If you’ve on a step van for your food truck, you’ve just opened up the opportunity for extraordinary earning potential. Take your new food truck to festivals, events, and new street corners throughout your community.

Ready to learn more about our mobile-kitchen solutions? Contact us today for a quote on custom step vans!

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 Makes Step Vans So Popular as Food Trucks? appeared first on Custom Concessions.

This past summer was tough for many businesses, including ice cream trucks. Kids missed seeing them around at the beginning of summer, but even as the weather cools we’re starting to see a surge of portable ice cream!

Keep reading to learn how your local ice cream truck is making a comeback, and how you can safely support them!

Technology Boosts Ice Cream Truck Sales

When we were kids we had to wait to hear the iconic song that told us the truck was near. Now, you can look the schedule up online and see where they are. Not only that, but you can also follow them on social media and even text them in some cases to find out when they’ll be near. 

It doesn’t matter that they’ve changed the tune nowadays, it’s no longer needed to find your favorite truck.

Technology has also helped amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Mobile businesses like ice cream trucks can inform people how to safely purchase goods from the truck before they get there. You can post the CDC guidelines so people know how to enjoy their treat while protecting themselves.

Food trucks have been shown to help with social distancing as long as you follow the regulations.

Better Trucks

The trucks used today are much more efficient compared to the trucks of 20 years ago. They’re able to keep food frozen longer, store more ice cream, and offer more ways to serve customers safely. 

More recently, they’ve also been outfitted to comply with local and federal social distancing guidelines. With more windows, you can designate one for paying and one for picking up, meaning you’re able to keep people further apart.

The Rise of Food Delivery

Of course, before the pandemic, we had food delivery services, but that hardly compares to how much food we get delivered now. There are more Americans getting food delivered during the pandemic than any other time period.

It makes sense too, if you can’t leave your home you need to get food delivered to your house. That means sometimes forgoing treats like ice cream or snacks.

However, thanks to ice cream trucks you can get treats right to your home. This is especially great for parents with young children. They don’t really understand what’s going on right now and just want to go out and have fun. 

Thinking of Starting an Ice Cream Truck Business?

It can still be profitable to start an ice cream truck business. If you’ve been thinking about starting one, don’t let the pandemic hold you back from your dreams.

You can get food truck financing to get a beautiful truck fairly easily. Even in the fall, you can be successful with your business if you put your passion in to your work. 

Enjoy Your Treats Today

If you’re craving ice cream now then check out your local ice cream truck today! Be sure to check out our blog for more content.

Want a quote on a truck to start your own ice cream business? Request a free one 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.

The post Is the Neighborhood Ice Cream Truck Making a Comeback? appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Photo by Alvin Mahmudov on Unsplash

Choosing your daily driver usually means spending a few hours at the dealership taking test drives, negotiating upgrades, and applying for financing. If everything works in your favor, you drive home in a new car.

Investing in a food truck requires more time, more research, and more money.

If you’re starting a mobile food business or considering adding a truck to an existing business, you’ve come to the right place. Before you take another step (or another drive), read our guide to the different types of food trucks.

Whether you’re considering a food van or your business model requires something more extensive, this post should help you narrow down your choices.

Know Your Needs Before You Shop

Your business model determines the food truck you buy.

A bakery, a mobile food vendor, and a non-profit meal delivery service each requires a different truck type and layout. Food businesses don’t all have the same equipment needs, size requirements, or budgets. Add to that the different state and local health regulations, and it’s no wonder things often get confusing when deciding which truck makes the ideal fit.

When you work with a food truck manufacturer, you’ll first answer several questions about your business and your needs. This helps you and the manufacturer determine which truck design will best serve your needs.

There’s no need to look at 24’ trucks if a cargo van makes a better fit for your unique business. And if you know you’ll need all the room that a step van affords, likewise there’s no need to look at box trucks.

The Cargo Van

Don’t let the word van make you think only small size businesses use this type of food truck.

Food vans come in a range of sizes, but it’s what’s inside that counts. Are you running a small bakery delivery service? Then you probably don’t need onboard baking facilities, and a small cargo van may work just fine. Grocery stores with at-home delivery services often use cargo vans.

Even a smaller nutrition service company could have a cargo van converted to accommodate their need to keep food at the proper temperature. Vans are so popular in the mobile food vending industry you’ll see a wide range of van conversion configurations.

Depending on size, food vans can hold:

• Drink and/or Food Preparation Counter
• Refrigerated Display Cabinets
• Lighting
• Independent Water System
• Built-In Generator
• Compartment for Cooking Gas System
• Fryer
• Grill/Griddle

While you can’t say the sky’s the limit, you get a wide range of options when you buy a food van. You’ll get even more options when you buy a step van, which we’ll cover next.

Step Vans as Food Trucks

If you’ve ever noticed the vehicles driven by bread, linen, or parcel delivery services companies, you’ve likely seen a step van in action. Remember the milk delivery trucks from the good old days? Food truck builders also enjoy using step vans and here’s why.

A food delivery service or a mobile food vending company needs one significant thing the step van offers. Space! Converting a step van to a food truck means you get abundant space, including headspace, as step vans have much higher roofs than cargo or compact vans.

You can configure a step van to meet your needs for workspace, storage space, ventilation, and any advanced cooking equipment you plan to use. Step vans range in length from 12 to 30 feet.

The Box Truck

The name says it all—this type of food truck is a rectangular shaped box with a separate cab. This is in contrast to the step van, where instead the cab and body are usually only separated by a sliding door.

If your business model includes frozen, refrigerated, or heated foods in large quantities, a box truck might just work best!

Box trucks can carry more weight than most other types of trucks used for food trucks. That means you can deliver or store more food and you can also install more (and heavier) cooking equipment.

Like the step van, a food truck company can convert a box truck into a full-service kitchen. A box truck, an innovative design, and an attractive wrapping all work together to create one fantastic food truck!

The Pickup Truck Body

The ever-popular pickup truck isn’t relegated to ranches, construction sites, or moving friends and their belongings. Look closely next time you see a mobile food business and you may recognize a pickup truck chassis under the food business wrap.

While you likely wouldn’t choose this style if your business model includes preparing entire meals, they make the perfect partners for a food service business that offers pre-made food and drinks. You’ll see them on job sites and in parking lots all over the country.

Need More Information About Types of Food Trucks?

If you’ve decided to start a food truck business, you’re in good company. With a projected value in 2020 of a little over 996 million dollars, the food truck business remains if not a popular endeavor, a successful venture.

With the different types of food trucks available to food business entrepreneurs today, you can find one to fit any food business model. And that’s the key to buying the right truck—matching the truck type to the type of business you want to operate.

Whether you go with a small cargo van, step van, box truck, or a design mounted on a pickup truck or cutaway van, you’ll have plenty of options to help meet your business needs.

If you’re ready to take the next step in the food business and want to choose your truck, contact us today. We’ve served the food industry for over 30 years and stand by our reputation as the experts in designing and producing 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.

The post Your Complete Guide to the Different Types of Food Trucks Available appeared first on Custom Concessions.