Photo by Paula Vermeulen on Unsplash

In the US, there are tons of food trucks serving delicious delicacies across the country!

Do you own a sit-down restaurant? Although it may seem odd, there are many ways in which starting a food truck can seriously improve your business.

In this article, we’ll look at just a few ways a food truck can help bring even more success to your restaurant!

1. A Food Truck Can Reach New Audiences

With a food truck, you can target the audiences you want to bring into your restaurant. 

Perhaps you recently launched a vegan menu that most people don’t know about? Take your food truck to a vegan market. Here, you can show off your delicious new menu and tell people about your sit-down location.

Do you want young people to know that your food is affordable? Take your food truck to a festival and showcase your cheaper prices!

2. Create a Social Media Savvy Brand

If you aren’t already on social media, you should be. Almost 70% of American adults use social media. In order to attract attention on these platforms, you need to be doing something a little bit different. 

A food truck is a great way to impress. Perhaps your food truck occasionally gives out free hot dogs? Maybe your servers do a dance every time they serve a mojito?

Whatever it is, create an Instagrammable food truck and even include your hashtag on the side to get more people talking about you across social media. 

3. You Already Have a Prep Kitchen

If you own a restaurant, then you’ll already have all of the equipment to use your restaurant kitchen as a prep kitchen for your food truck.

Of course, there are many other things to consider when starting up a food truck. But, once you have your truck and paperwork in order, it’s time to get your business on the road.

Low operation costs mean this is one of the best ways to advertise your restaurant! Furthermore, you know the food business better than if you were starting from scratch.

4. Gain Useful Customer Feedback

Are you planning on changing up your menu but aren’t sure how well it will do? This is the perfect time to take to your food truck. By finding an area of your city which has high foot traffic, you can sell your new concoctions to a variety of people.

Why not reduce the price in exchange for true customer feedback? Provide pens, paper, and a little postbox so that responses are anonymous.

This feedback will be much more reliable, and therefore more valuable than your mom’s opinion!

5. Meet Other Local Businesses

When you’re inside all day, you won’t be meeting others who work in small, local businesses. By getting out and about, you’ll meet people who work nearby and who can provide insider tips and tricks.

Perhaps by branching out and meeting more people in your neighborhood, you’ll find a new, cheaper supplier. This is also a great way to find new staff.

Starting a Food Truck Is Worthwhile

When it comes to starting a food truck, you need to remember to put in the research and make sure you’re not breaking any local laws. Having all of your paperwork in order can be a long process. But, when you’re up and running, there are so many benefits of owning a food truck.

If you’ve found this article helpful, check out the rest of our website and learn more about how to set up your food truck.

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 Reasons Starting a Food Truck Makes Sense for Your Restaurant appeared first on Custom Concessions.

If you run one of the 23,551 food trucks in the U.S. as of 2019, you know it’s a more affordable way to get your food in the hands of your fans than a traditional restaurant.

But the outdoor nature of your business also adds a challenge as temperatures drop in the winter. Customers aren’t as willing to line up in cold and snowy weather, even if they love your food. Without a warm dining room, you may see a slump in sales.

But instead of packing up for the winter or looking for a regular job, you can use winter food truck strategies to encourage increased off-season sales. From special promotions to expanded business offerings, slight changes in your business model can keep your cash flow going.

Try these winter food truck options for the winter months.

1. Partner With Local Businesses

Collaborating with other businesses is a mutually beneficial way to drum up more business. If you prefer the lunch crowd, find a large employer in the area who lets you set up in the parking lot. You get the captive audience of the company’s employees to keep you busy during the lunch rush.

You might also set up a table inside the business. Prepare food in your truck, and pack it up in a warmer. Head inside the business to sell to their employees.

Another option is to partner with local breweries and similar businesses that don’t serve their own food. Many breweries focus only on their beverages. That leaves patrons hungry while they’re drinking.

By setting up just outside the door of the brewery, you give those customers a quick food option. Consider hiring a runner who goes into the brewery to take orders then delivers them when the food is ready. 

The brewery can promote your food truck to help draw more customers into the establishment. Both businesses benefit from increased sales.

2. Set Up at Outdoor Holiday Festivals

Not everyone stays indoors in the winter, but you’ll need to be strategic about where to park to find those customers. Outdoor holiday festivals, such as outdoor Christmas markets or holiday tree lighting ceremonies, attract people who expect to stand out in the cold. Signing up as a food vendor for those events puts you in a prime spot to make sales during the winter.

3. Offer Delivery

The traditional food truck model involves parking your truck and waiting for customers to swarm. Since winter weather makes people want to stay indoors where it’s warm, consider flipping that model. Instead of making customers come to you, go to them.

If you park in a busy commercial area, your truck can serve as your hub. Hire a delivery person to run the food to the nearby office buildings. Adding online ordering to your website for this delivery service makes it even easier for your customers to get their food.You can also use established food delivery services, such as GrubHub, DoorDash, and UberEats. Your customers can get their food delivered, and you don’t have to manage the delivery process yourself. 

4. Create Winter Specials

Customers may need a little incentive to line up outdoors for your food. Offer special winter discounts to give customers that push. You’ll take a small hit to your profits, but you’re not making any money if no one shows up to your food truck.

You might offer a meal bundle for a cheaper combined price or a freebie with a meal order, such as a free coffee or hot chocolate with every entree. Encourage customers to bring friends by offering a buy-one-get-one-free promotion during the winter. 

5. Embrace Winter

Instead of fighting the cold and flurries, use it as part of your seasonal food truck marketing plan. A winter menu or a few additions to your normal menu help draw crowds. Consider dishes such as soup or coffee drinks to help customers stay warm.

Get the customers who brave the cold to help you promote your food truck by offering branded winter gear. Scarfs, ear warmers, and gloves are examples of items you can print with your logo as a special winter promotion.

Have fun with winter activities by putting out a few sleds that customers can use on a nearby hill while they wait for their food. Offer a free coffee to anyone who makes a snow angel, or start a snowman-building contest among your customers. These activities make the wait more enjoyable and make your food truck memorable.

6. Ramp Up Your Online Presence

When business is slow, take the spare time to focus on promotional efforts. Growing your online presence can help drum up new business in the winter. It can also help expand awareness about your food truck in the coming months.

If you don’t already have a website and social media channels, set them up and start posting. Share information about your menu, your business, and your employees. Post about any winter specials you create to encourage people to visit.

Another promotional option is to approach local food bloggers, newspapers, and other media outlets about your food truck. Invite them to try your food or do an interview with you. Being promoted on those local channels can help new customers find you.

7. Expand to Catering

Shift gears in winter toward catering instead of individual sales. Your food truck can work as the headquarters for your mobile catering service. 

Waiting for customers to stop by your truck is often unpredictable, especially in colder weather. A catering gig gives you a guaranteed amount of business. You know in advance if it’s profitable and worth your time.

Your truck offers a mobile kitchen option for cooking food on-site at the event venue. You can also use it to transport food, ingredients, and equipment to the location if you plan to cook the food in a commercial kitchen space.

Promote your catering services on your website and through your social media channels. You might cater weddings, birthday parties, fundraiser events, and other celebrations.

8. Head to Warmer Weather

One of the benefits of food trucks is the mobility aspect. When you’re the boss, you decide where to set up the truck.

If cold winter weather severely cuts into your business, consider heading to warmer climates for part of the year. Think of yourself as a business snowbird instead of a retired one.

This option works well if you already own a home or have relatives in a warmer climate. You can also find a short-term rental in your new location.

You’ll need to find temporary employees once you get to your new destination if you can’t run the truck yourself. You’ll also need to get permits and follow food truck regulations in the new area.

Use Winter Food Truck Strategies

What are your favorite food truck strategies for beating winter sales slumps? Getting creative with your food truck advertising, menu planning, promotions, and services can help keep your income up during colder periods.

If you’re in the market for a new food truck, check out our mobile kitchen galleries to fuel your inspiration!

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 8 Clever Winter Food Truck Strategies to Bring in New Customers appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Looks like food trucks are getting the green light. According to this report, more people are electing to expand the industry by adding new food truck-based businesses to the menu.

Thinking about starting your own food truck? Before you hit the road and chow down on new business ideas, it helps to consider your options. First of all, are you buying a new, customized food truck, or going with a used one?

For most people, a customized truck is the better bet. 

Here are seven reasons to consider getting a customized food truck. Take a bite out of these benefits!

1. Equipment & Layout

Purchasing a customized food truck instead of a used one puts you in the driver’s seat. With a new truck, you get to decide the equipment you use, the layout, the bells and whistles—everything. Otherwise, you’re left with the existing layout, which can limit your equipment choices. 

Every type of cuisine requires different pieces of equipment. Depending on the type of food you’re serving, you’ll need to choose specific equipment. Otherwise, you might find yourself making changes to the menu. 

Removing old commercial cooking equipment and replacing it with new stock isn’t cheap. It’s also not as easy as buying a new blender or microwave. Instead, you have to find equipment that’s suited for your truck’s outlets and plumbing. 

By purchasing a customized food truck, you decide the layout first. 

Instead of getting stuck with equipment that’s already installed, you can determine what equipment you need based on your cuisine. 

You can even search through different brands of commercial cooking equipment. Don’t get stuck with cheap options in a previously owned food truck. Purchasing a brand new food truck means you can make it your own!

2. Minimize Potential Issues

It’s important to choose a vehicle that’s reliable and safe for you and your team. After all, this is your place of business! You don’t want to take a used food truck on the open road and have it breakdown on a busy intersection. 

If the vehicle breaks down, you can’t just operate elsewhere.

Instead, you have to pay for repairs. In addition to the cost of getting the truck fixed, you’re also losing money for each day you’re out of business.

Don’t leave yourself with the stress of dealing with mechanical issues and costs. 

If this happens often, your customers will start to take notice. They might elect to grab a bite to eat elsewhere after your truck repeatedly breaks down. 

For some people, buying a used food truck that breaks down breaks their business, too. 

Instead, keep your food truck up and running! Purchasing a brand new food truck can help you get the peace of mind you need.

You’ll know you and your team are safe and that you can stay open for business. Plus, your customers will know they can rely on you for a good meal, too.

3. Easy Warranties

For any business, it’s important to have a backup plan. That’s where your warranties come in.

When you purchase an old, previously used food truck, warranties probably won’t come along with it. If anything happens to the food truck, you’re straight out of luck! You could end up paying an exorbitant amount of money to deal with the damages. 

Often when purchasing a new truck, you’ll find that a number of warranties are available to you to protect the various pieces of equipment in your truck.

Some food truck builders even offer warranties on their custom manufacturing work.

By choosing to purchase a custom food truck, you’ll have the peace of mind that these warranties are there to protect you in case an accident occurs. 

4. Health Codes

Whether you buy a used food truck or a new one, you’re going to need to make sure you’re meeting all the health codes.

If you purchase a previously owned food truck that operated in a different location, however, it’s probably not up to code for use in your city. Health codes can vary widely depending on the location. 

Why bother purchasing a food truck that you can’t use in your own city? Instead of hitting that roadblock, skip the stress. Buy a customized food truck that’s built with your city’s health codes in mind. 

That way, you’ll have a guarantee that you can operate where you intend to run your truck. 

5. Nice & Clean

Over the years, food trucks experience a lot of wear and tear.

Imagine the grease build-up, mildew, or other potential health-risk issues that could be lurking under the surface in a used truck.

When you purchase a customized food truck, you start with a clean slate—literally. You won’t have to worry about the previous owners or what they left growing in the fridge. Instead, you can start your food truck business with a clean place to work. 

6. Big Picture Costs

The food truck industry is expected to reach $985 million in 2019. Many people choose to buy a used food truck because it seems cheaper—at a glance. However, you have to consider the big picture.

When you purchase a used food truck, you still have to pay for updated equipment, possible changes, and potential repairs. If the truck keeps breaking down, those costs will add up over time.

You might end up paying more for a used food truck than a brand new one.

7. Larger Selection

When you search for a food truck, buying a used truck limits your options. You can only select sizes, equipment, and layouts you can find.

Why waste time searching when you know exactly what you’re looking for?

By purchasing a customized food truck, you make the decisions. You’re not limited to what’s for sale. Instead, you can design the truck to match exactly what you have in mind.

Meals on New Wheels

Ready to hit the road? Discover our food truck options and request a quote for your food truck 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 7 Benefits of Buying a New Customized Food Truck appeared first on Custom Concessions.

What if your food truck could become the hottest new business in town? No matter how good your food is, becoming a successful business is all about marketing. Unfortunately, many owners don’t know how to take their food truck marketing to the next level.

A good social media strategy can help propel your business to new heights. Keep reading to learn more about how to improve that strategy and achieve serious success!

1. Jazz Up the Menu

Many owners think their social media strategy should be limited to social media platforms. The reality is that many social media initiatives take place “off-screen.”

For example, social media users will want to check out your menu online before coming to the food truck. This gives you a perfect chance to jazz up your menu before posting it.

Try to add plenty of images and an eye-catching cover. Don’t be afraid to upsell: recommend which dishes and drinks complement each other for maximum flavor!

2. Make It Visual

Earlier, we talked about the importance of making the menu more visual. However, that wisdom extends to your entire social media strategy.

While it’s not the only thing your customers care about, most of them have visited your social media page to learn more about your food. This is why you should prominently feature professional photographs of your tastiest dishes.

Feature those images in your posts and encourage customers to like, comment, and share. This helps get new customers’ attention while turning the old ones into brand ambassadors for your food truck.

3. Use QR Codes

So far, we have focused on how social media can drive new customers to your food truck. But have you considered how to steer your food truck customers to your social media platforms?

One surefire way to do this is QR codes. Customers can simply scan the code with their smartphone and are instantly taken to your social media.

You can use a similar strategy to drive customers to your website. It is highly effective because it takes most of the work out of finding your truck online.

4. Multi-Platform

How many social media platforms is your business currently using? Chances are that you’d be better off by adding a new platform (or two, or three).

Different platforms have different strengths. Facebook makes it easy for customers to engage with you and for you to track analytics. Meanwhile, Instagram makes it easy to focus on your absolute best food photography and share it with users online.

Keep in mind that various third-party apps help you cross-post and schedule future posts. This helps you post to multiple platforms without giving up all of your free time.

5. Advertise Major Events

When used correctly, social media is the perfect vehicle to advertise your food truck. And those advertisements should focus heavily on major events.

Are you unveiling a new dish, or maybe taking part in a downtown block party? Use social media to make customers aware of what’s going on.

These advertisements build anticipation and word-of-mouth advertising. And anyone who finds out after the fact will have serious FOMO, making them likelier to come to the next major event you throw.

6. Online-Only Coupons

The quickest way to a customer’s heart is through their wallet. That’s why you should feature online-only coupons and deals.

Customers will get instant gratification from the ability to save money. And making those deals a regular occurrence (such as posting new ones every month) is a great way to get customers coming back.

The more they save, the more they buy. And they’ll be happy to tell others about the great deals they found online.

7. Engage With Customers

Social media marketing must be different from traditional marketing. If all of your posts are pure advertisement, it will quickly turn away customers who want something more substantial.

This is why you should have posts that engage with your customers. For example, you can let customers vote on what your next new dish will be. Or you can ask them to post pictures of their favorite meals.

Inviting such engagement increases loyalty and helps your online community thrive. 

8. All Analytics, All the Time

Redesigning your social media strategy means making several big changes. It’s important to understand whether these changes are having a major impact on your business.

First, don’t forget to use the analytics of your chosen social media platform. Facebook, for example, provides an easy way for you to look at every aspect of user engagement with your professional page.

Second, try to cross-reference those analytics results with your revenue. If you can tie an increase in customers to new social media strategies, this means you’re on the right track with your strategy.

9. Regular Posting

Retaining customers online is just as important as retaining them offline. In order to do this, you need to regularly post new content.

If you only post one or twice a month, you will not have much customer engagement. Furthermore, a low post count may keep your page buried by the social media algorithms.

Try to commit to posting once a day or several times a week. This gives loyal customers something to look forward to without completely clogging their timeline.

10. Networking Synergy

Fortunately, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel when you reinvent your social media strategy. Old techniques such as networking still work wonders.

Let’s say you want to be a brand that many people trust. One of the easiest ways to do so is to partner up with an existing brand.

Try to get a well-known food blogger or influencer to create original content about your food truck. Additionally, see if they will regularly mention you to their own group of fans.

This technique builds credibility with potential customers while letting you benefit from someone else’s built-in audience.

Food Truck Marketing: Serve It Up

Now you know the secret to food truck marketing via social media. But do you know the secret to running a successful truck?

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 Food Truck Marketing: 10 Ways to Improve Your Social Media Strategy appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Photo: Rawpixel

You finally have accomplished your dream of owning your own business, a food truck. You researched ways to start a food truck business, did a ton of work to get it going, and now you’re the happy owner of your own mobile business. 

But food trucks are not immune to problems. A myriad of things can go wrong in the blink of an eye. Knowing what can go wrong will help you know how to handle a food truck emergency.

What Could Go Wrong on a Food Truck?

The same things that happen to a traditional restaurant could happen to a food truck. So to avoid emergencies, you need to imagine them first. Research restaurant emergencies, and then picture them on your truck. Check out these potential food truck emergencies, and then take a look at the solutions provided below.

Power Emergency

A power outage spells trouble for a traditional restaurant. Food will spoil without adequate refrigeration. 

The same goes for a food truck. If this happens, you will find yourself with compromised products. According to the FDA, you have four hours before refrigerated food spoils if you do not open the refrigerator.

Inadequate Change

Not having the appropriate change for a customer qualifies as an emergency that will negatively affect your business. When a customer gives you a twenty-dollar bill, you need to have adequate change or you will immediately gain a reputation of inefficiency and inexperience. 

Inconsistent Taste

You are a great cook, and you can make amazing food. But then your customers begin to complain: the food doesn’t have the same zing it did before. It’s bland or too salty. 

Inconsistent taste can detract from customer experience and give you a reputation that you’ll not recover from quickly.  

Physical Harm

The same kitchen accidents that happen in a traditional kitchen can easily happen in a food truck. In fact, the small quarters make accidents even more likely.

A knife slips, grease splatters, a kitchen fire breaks out, or an employee slips on a slick floor. All of these could shut a truck down indefinitely. 

Robbery and Theft

Whenever you run a business, you’re at risk for robbery.

Food trucks make an easy target, especially if you’re servicing customers late at night. Many food trucks run late-night hours for bar patrons looking for a bite to eat on their way home or concertgoers who need a late-night snack. In some cases, you’re a sitting duck in a darkened area, waiting for someone to hold you up. 

Dwindling Business

You may have had a booming success at the start when curious individuals patronized you. But now you’re noticing no return customers, and business as a whole is dwindling.

This truly is a food truck emergency because you need revenue to run your truck. And you cannot pay yourself, your bills, or your employees if you do not have customers, no matter how well you manage your money.

How to Respond to a Food Truck Emergency

Knowing your potential emergencies is the first step to the solution. Planning for such emergencies is the next step. 

Have Backup Power

Most food trucks have the option to use a generator or hook up to electrical shore power, when available. Invest early on in a reliable generator that will run your entire truck. Make sure to have both your shore power cable and back up generator fuel available.

You’ll also want to test your generator regularly so you can fire it right up when you really do need it. 

Keep Cash on Hand and Go Digital

Make the plan to never run out of change by having an adequate amount of cash on hand. Go to the bank daily, and keep a fixed amount of cash in your drawer every day. 

However, don’t keep too much cash in your vehicle in case of a robbery. Make a bank deposit daily. This way, if a robber does target your business, you will lose only a small amount of your overall profits. 

Also, invest in a credit card reader. Even a simple set up like a Square will help make your business less like a neighborhood lemonade stand and more like a corner diner. 

Scout Out a Location

The right location will deter would-be thieves and potentially boost your client numbers as well. Look for a well-lit area with a roaming police force nearby. You can help feed the boys in blue and keep your business safe at the same time.

Stay Consistent to Stay Tasty

Once you develop your secret recipes, write them down. Then make sure you’re using the same brand of ingredients whenever you cook. Keeping the same brand and following the recipe’s precise details will ensure a consistent product every day. This will boost your reputation as a great food truck with consistently tasty food.

Plan on tasting your food every day to make sure the quality stays the same. If you are the cook, it’s important to make sure you haven’t missed something. And if someone else is cooking, you need to make sure that your cooks are not fudging the recipe.  

Post and Practice Emergency Procedures

Have a plan for physical emergencies, and practice a dry run of that plan. Keep your safety protocols posted in the truck for all employees, like making sure burners or gas lines are turned off. 

Plan staff emergency training, even if your business consists of just you and your family. Make sure everyone knows what to do if there is a fire in the truck or if another physical emergency occurs. 

Keep a fire extinguisher handy and current. Write a note on your calendar or set a reminder in your phone for close to the expiration date to make sure you never have an old extinguisher. 

It is also essential to keep a well-stocked first aid kit, with the essentials to address kitchen related accidents, like burns or cuts.

To avoid kitchen emergencies, consider the flow of your kitchen. A small space can lead to more accidents, so having a set work pattern and a smooth flow will help you avoid problems and also increase your efficiency. 

Know Your Market

To fight dwindling business, research your potential customer. Understand who you serve at your location, and make sure you have food your potential customers will be interested in eating.

Know your community and park in an area where you’ll have a good customer base.

There are lots of strategies you can implement to grow your food truck business. 

Stay Fresh

To keep your customers coming and avoid declining clientele, make your food, your packaging, your service, or your delivery unique. Ask yourself: “What will make my business stand apart from the others?” 

Prepare for the Worst

By understanding possible food truck emergency you may face, you can plan solutions that will help you avoid a disaster.

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 Respond When You Face a Food Truck Emergency appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Photo: Freepik

The food truck industry is not for the faint of heart. It takes a lot of hard work to get where you want to go with your truck and your business. You can expect to work a whole lot of hours, expend lots of creative energy, and learn a whole lot about how to run a small business. You have to have a drive to succeed.

If you think you have the necessary determination, awesome! However, there are also other important ingredients you will want to have if you plan on running a food truck business.

4. Your Food Truck—Of Course!

Let’s get the most obvious ingredient out of the way right at the top—the food truck. Of course, you have to have a food truck to run a food truck business.

Our advice? Don’t purchase the cheapest food truck you can find, because that mistake will be costly in the long run. Going with a customized truck is your best option.

A truck made just for you will look the way you want it, with custom graphics that match your branding. You can even add a shadow box TV on the outside to showcase your menu, or custom rooftop sign boards for that extra touch of glam.

Your custom truck will also have all the right equipment for your particular food enterprise. Need specialty equipment like a pizza oven, espresso machine, or ice cream dipping cabinet? Done. Have a specific way you want your kitchen laid out? No problem! That’s exactly why having a custom truck is the way to go: you can make sure everything is designed to your desired specifications.

3. Recipes Your Customers Will Love

This is one of the most important ingredients on this list, because it’s your actual product. Don’t try to be the next McDonald’s or Subway. Try to be the next you. You can achieve this by serving up your own unique recipes.

Your food has to stand out from the crowd. You want your food to be so good and so unique that customers can’t get it anywhere else. Do you have dishes that you are known for among your family and friends? Try those out on your food truck customers and see how they go over.

2. Your Business Plan 

If you are trying to break into the food truck industry, then you’ve probably already heard that a business plan is essential.

In order to be as accurate as possible, your business plan has to map out everything, including one time and recurring expenses: 

• Initial inventory, and restocking costs
• Employee pay
• Your salary
• Your food truck build
• Insurance (for your physical truck and for your business as well)
• Licensing and Permits
• Storage (if you don’t have somewhere to park your truck when it’s not in use)
• Gas for Transportation

This is not an exhaustive list by any means, so be sure to add any other foreseeable costs to your business plan. These costs may vary, depending on the type of food you plan to serve.

The more detailed your business plan, the better prepared you will be to face the day to day running of your food truck operation. An impressive business plan can even help you secure your food truck financing.

1. A Vision for Your Food Truck Business

Successful business owners need a vision, food truck owners included. A little imagination never hurt anyone, right?

Part of having a vision is being able to picture yourself succeeding, and making a plan to get there. It takes a whole lot of creativity to be a food truck chef and a business owner at the same time.

In order to make your vision a reality, you need to create concrete goals that will help you get there. Set aside time for planning and strategizing. Have a set period after which you will review your goals, and see if you have put in the work you planned to. If you have, congratulations! Now set your next goal and keep on trucking. If you haven’t, examine what you can do differently to meet those goals by your next self-review.

Don’t Let Your Food Truck Dream Flop

Some of these ingredients are going to take a lot of work, creativity, and trial and error. Don’t let that scare you away from pursuing your goals. Every successful business has to start somewhere, and food trucks are no exception.

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 4 Key Ingredients for Your Food Truck Business appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Are you having trouble growing your food truck business? You’ve come to the right place! Whether you’re a current or future food truck owner, we think these tips will help jumpstart your strategy for food truck success.

Market like a Maniac 

Marketing is one of the most important aspects of your business. This is how you get your name out there to the people. After all, if no one has heard of your food truck, how are you going to grow your business?

Make sure your truck has a branded identity that is easily recognizable and pairs well with the food you serve. It doesn’t make sense to brand yourself like a 50s diner when the only dishes on the menu are Japanese noodles. 

This doesn’t mean that you can’t be creative with your styling; just make sure your creativity flows in the same vein as your food theme.

Up Your Social Media Game

Does your truck have a strong presence on social media? Or would potential customers wonder if you are even still in business judging by the lack of recent posts?

Keeping up with your engagement on social media can be tough, but your mobile food truck will thank you when lines are gathered outside of it.

Post your daily or weekly specials on Facebook. Share photos of your most enticing dishes on Instagram. Advertise your current location on your Snapchat story.

Be Frugal

Sometimes it’s tempting to look at the success you’ve had in the past and take it for granted, but don’t forget that a lot of what helped you get there was careful planning, patient saving, and judicious spending.

It’s very easy to go all out when you feel you’ve finally “made it,” but continuing to wisely steward your business resources is the best way to go. This way, if hard times unexpectedly befall you, you will have greater potential to bounce back.

Keep following your business plan. Don’t stop looking for even the small ways you can save on spending. And don’t forget to always seek wise business counsel for any major financial decisions you may find on your horizon.

Run with the Seasons

It is important to continue making the food that has gotten you so much success in the first place, but it is never a bad idea to change up the menu every now and then.

One of the key ways you can do this is by introducing seasonal specials or limited time offerings. Customers often enjoy products that are relevant to the time of year, like specialty frozen treats during summer, fall-inspired flavors in autumn, or warm comfort foods for winter. 

Having certain dishes that only return to the menu at specific times of year adds to your food truck’s nostalgia. These specials allow you to build anticipation among your clientele when a favorite seasonal item is about to come back on the menu.

Offering temporary specials also gives you the advantage of testing new recipes or ideas before adding them to your regular menu. It allows you to gauge how popular a food will be before committing to it as a permanent offering year round.

Remember To Be You

While change is a good way to add some spice to your food truck offerings, remember to stay true to your food truck’s core identity. You have made it this far with your mobile kitchen, so you’ve been doing something right along the way.

Don’t throw everything out the window or change too much at once. If you are known for specific quirks, then by all means stick to them. After all, they are probably the very things that keep returning customers coming back again and again. 

Do you serve certain specials every Wednesday? Is there a secret sauce you add to signature dishes? No matter what you are known for, keep doing you.

Start Catering

Branch out and offer catering for weddings, special events, festivals or whatever else you can find. This is not only a great way to make some serious dough (perhaps literally and figuratively), but it is also a great way to get your food truck’s name out there.

Try displaying a sign announcing your new catering service wherever you set up shop to generate awareness among your regular customers. Be sure to announce your new catering services on your social media channels. 

You could even consider contacting local print media, like food magazines, newspapers, or community newsletters, to see if they would be interested in running a story on this new service in the local food scene.

Set Goals for Growth

Finally, don’t forget to set goals for your business growth. Like any other restaurant venture, running a successful food truck comes down to implementing essential business practices. Setting goals is an important way to make sure you get where you want to be. 

Don’t let temporary slumps or unexpected bumps in the road throw off your mobile kitchen mojo. No great achievement is gained without hard work and determination, successful food trucks included. 

So get out there and keep chasing that food truck dream!

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 Seeking Success: Strategies To Grow Your Food Truck Business appeared first on Custom Concessions.

The food truck industry is growing faster than the traditional restaurant. In fact, more restaurants are using mobile services to expand their businesses.

As popularity is growing, the need for an attractive and functional vehicle is at an all-time high. 

In order to reap the benefits of the food truck industry, investing the money in a custom truck can make your new venture fun and more profitable. 

Here are the top 10 reasons to convert your culinary business into a unique, one-of-a-kind vehicle. 

1. Mobile Advertising

One of the benefits of owning a food truck is that your logo travels with you. Driving around town allows you to market your company for free. 

This can have a direct effect on your restaurant business as people will recognize the name when they search for their next meal online. You can also add pictures of your food and restaurant location to become a mobile billboard.

2. Gain New Customer Base

Some people are food truck junkies. They seek out new trucks to add to their list of favorites. These types of people may have never set foot in your restaurant or have heard of it until it has gone mobile. 

By adding a second location, you gain new customers who may never have heard of your restaurant otherwise. 

3. Introduce New Menu Items

Starting a food truck means inventing a tiny new restaurant. And with it comes a new menu. You want to market toward the type of people who want good food fast. 

Cooking in a truck is also different than in a commercial kitchen. It is small and may not include all of the appliances that you have in your restaurant. Consider adapting your current menu with simpler takes on customer favorites. 

Tailoring your food to be simple and quick will keep down the maintenance and cook time required. 

4. Participate in Community Events

When thinking about how to open a food truck and gaining a local presence, consider attending local events. You can join many of the social gatherings that cater to food truck businesses. 

With a restaurant, you are stuck in one location. As a mobile service, you can bring food to the party. 

5. Expand Your Business

Looking for ways to get more business may include adding a delivery service, offering coupons, sending out mailings, and marketing through traditional means. You may even have considered opening another location or franchising. 

By having a custom food truck, you can expand without a huge marketing budget and without using a brick and mortar location. Food trucks are much cheaper than restaurants to design and maintain.

Another plus is the simplicity of having a smaller operation—you do not need to hire a full staff to operate a truck. Just few employees can run a mobile service.

6. Build Social Media Presence

Buying a food truck helps promote your following online. Many trucks post on social media their daily locations. When your reputation for tasty treats expands, so does your social media presence. 

People start looking for your truck and when it will be in their area. This makes for a devoted customer base, especially during the business lunch hour. Professionals love to get out of the office when a food truck is nearby. 

7. Get Creative

Besides being great for your business, having a custom food truck gives you a chance to design a whole new look.

Food trucks want to be noticed, so you can go all out with the theme. People should be able to spot your truck from afar. Also, this is your chance to have fun by thinking outside the box.

Your restaurant may be fancy or conservative, but your food truck can be a more inventive interpretation of your cuisine. 

8. Travel to New Neighborhoods

The great thing about a mobile business is that you can travel to areas where people might not know your name yet.

Most restaurant-goers stay in their own neighborhood when choosing a place for dinner. When you bring the restaurant to them, they might love your food so much that they will make the drive to check out your establishment.

9. Match Your Brand

When designing your own food truck, you have the ability to make it cohesive to your restaurant brand. Use the same logo as your restaurant and represent your overall marketing strategy. 

Although your menu might be different, it should be an extension of your main menu. Make sure that you market with unity in mind.

10. Make it Comfortable

Buying a food truck and making it your own gives you the ability to make it functional. You can customize your cooking, serving, and prep area according to the type of food you serve. 

Food trucks are smaller than a typical restaurant kitchen, so making the space work for you is essential to success. 

You also want to make sure that your customer is comfortable by adding things like a canopy to shield them from the elements. Offer entertainment with outdoor speakers for music. And make sure your menu is attractive and visible. 

Getting Started with a Food Truck

The first step in starting your food truck business is finding and designing the vehicle.

Make sure you have the means to cook, store, and transfer food safely by contacting us for a quote. Tell us your needs and we can ensure you will be prepared for going mobile.

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 10 Benefits of Building a Custom Food Truck Designed for Your Business appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Autumn is waiting just around the corner… bringing colorful leaves, crisper temperatures, and fall-favorites for your food truck.

The fall season often gets used as an effective marketing tactic for businesses. Seasonal changes offer innovative ways for food truck owners to grow their customer base. They can even get an edge up on the competition with unique marketing ideas.  

Read on for a few key ways you can use the fall season to boost sales.  

Rethink Your Menu

Creating an inventive menu is one of the most exciting parts of owning a food truck. Autumn brings about new ingredients, like seasonal fruits and vegetables. This makes it easy to change up your menu to feature new fall offerings.  

Feature specials that use fresh ingredients from the local farmer’s market. These new recipes can include seasonal favorites like pumpkin, squash, apple, and fig.  

People also love local products and favor businesses that offer them. This is a great way to reach younger demographics, like millennials. Supporting farmers and other small businesses can help boost your sales with customers, and it can also help spread your food truck’s name in the community.

Certain flavors also appeal to customers during the fall season. Focus your sweets menu on maple, salted caramel, and spices, like cinnamon.  

People search for comfort foods during the autumn season. You can feature melty paninis, oven-roasted pizzas, and gourmet mac and cheese. The warm goodness of shepherd’s pie and chicken pot pie will appeal to your customers as autumn chill creeps into the air.

Serve Up Something Healthy 

Customers also appreciate a healthier option now and then, and these menu items can work well with fall flavors. More and more, people are beginning to have a preference for whole foods with organic ingredients.

Serve pizzas made with organic tomato sauce and fresh all-natural toppings. Sell salads with seasonal ingredients and homemade dressings. These could include apple slices, toasted pumpkin seeds, and a fall-inspired vinaigrette, like sweet maple balsamic.    

Be sure to use an attractive and easy-to-read menu design to appeal to customers. This will help alert them of your menu changes and your new featured offerings. 

Offer Up Some Autumn Warmth

Colder temperatures cause people to change their food preferences. This means you’ll want your food truck business to adapt to these changes.  

Offering warm beverages is a comforting way to appeal to customer needs. These are inexpensive to make, so profit margin is usually high on these types of items. 

Expand your beverage selection to include espresso, hot cider, or caramel hot cocoa. Seasonal coffees, with hints of pumpkin and spices, will also sell well. You could even add hot chai tea or mulled wine to the menu.  

Offering a daily soup special will help draw in customers. Rotate between homemade hearty soups, chilis, and stews.

Popular choices include chicken and wild rice soup or sausage and tortellini soup. Broccoli cheese and french onion are other favorites. Serve these soups with freshly baked bread from your truck or a local bakery.  

Soups also make it easy to appeal to different dietary needs. Try a vegan sweet potato chili or butternut squash bisque. 

When Fall Weather Stays Warm

Flavored ice creams may be more ideal for those operating in southern states. However, you can still use these same fall-inspired ingredients. Feature a pumpkin spice sundae or caramel apple frozen yogurt to boost sales.

If it’s not cold enough to make hot drinks, try iced versions of some fall favorites. You could make a frozen apple cider slush, or iced maple cinnamon lattes.

When hot soups and pot pies won’t work in your climate, try going for salads or sandwiches with fall-favorite flavors. You could experiment with adding fall ingredients like stuffing or cranberry vinaigrette to a turkey sandwich. Or make a fall-inspired chicken salad, with apples, cranberries and pecans.

Feature Seasonal Decorations 

Operating a food truck allows you to get creative with your truck’s branding and design. For fall, you can go with some cost-effective decorating options. This includes fall florals, pumpkins, and bales of hay.

You can also spruce up your menu design to feature fun fall graphics. This is as easy as using a chalkboard for your menu with drawings of fall leaves and pumpkins. 

Try switching up your paper products and cups to be more fall-focused. Serve food on fall-patterned or orange-hued napkins and plates. You could even create a custom design to advertise your brand further. 

If your fall decorations catch customers’ eyes, this can generate more business by word of mouth or online sharing. Customers will tell friends about your memorable presentation, and they may even share photos on their social media profiles.

Make a Smart Parking Plan 

Deciding where to park your truck is an essential part of any food truck business plan, but changing up your usual locations during the fall can be a good way to drum up new customers. 

Try new spots near popular fall activities. Park near festivals, hayrides, breweries, and wineries to attract new crowds. 

Other popular fall places are orchards that offer apple picking or farms that have a pumpkin patch. Fall-themed food truck festivals can also bring in new customers. Be sure, however, to get the right parking permits if trying out a new location.  

Amp Up Your Marketing Tactics 

Running a successful food truck takes an innovative and strategic marketing plan. A fall marketing push can help increase awareness of your new offerings. 

Use social media channels, like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to attract business. You can post timely updates and engage with customers. Be sure to post about your fall specials, and even include some photos of particularly attractive dishes.

It’s also helpful to get people to interact with your brand. Entice them to share pictures of your food and geotag your location. A website will help more customers find you and learn about your business year round—not just during the fall season.

It could be helpful to hire a professional photographer for fresh and unique image content for your website or social media platforms. They can capture some great images of your fall food truck display and menu items.   

Taking advantage of popular holidays like Halloween can be another good fall strategy. Offer a free meal from your food truck for the customer with the best costume. Advertise the contest on your social media channels and also use food truck signage to spread the word. 

Boosting Food Truck Sales All Season Long 

Making small yet smart seasonal changes can help your food truck business thrive this fall. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity for inventive menu changes and new marketing tactics.

Promote these menu changes and use local ingredients that change with the seasons. Have fun with festive decor that ties in with your branding. These ideas will help to attract new business and boost sales.

Who knows, you may even have customers who “fall” in love with your truck and continue to visit throughout the rest of the year!

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 Fall into More Sales: A Food Truck Owner’s Guide to Selling in Autumn appeared first on Custom Concessions.

The food truck industry is more popular than ever before. But, are food trucks profitable? 

That depends on if you know how to do it right. There are many motivations for ditching the brick-and-mortar model in favor of the flexibility of food trucks. 

You can experiment with new recipes and ideas. You get to reach out to your audience rather than wait for them to come to you.

And yet, many people still wonder how to realize the dream of running their own food truck business. Follow our 9 steps to get your food truck business on the road.

1. Know Your Target Market 

You need to know your target market. If you’re selling tacos in your food truck to a bunch of people who don’t like tacos you’re not going to last very long.

Do your homework before you launch your enterprise. Sure, you can go to your customers rather than having them come to you.

But, that also means that you’ve got to find out where your customers are going to be. If you have regular spots, then your regular customers will know where to find you, won’t they?

It’s also essential that you know who your competition is. Are you a Cuban sandwich food truck? Don’t park up next to another truck selling the same thing as you.

2. Develop Your Food Truck Brand

You probably already know what type of food you’re going to sell. You should build your brand around the same theme.

Do you provide organic and vegan dishes? Are you a gourmet pizza truck? Your unique selling point is your amazingly delicious food.

You need to pick a name that is totally original. You don’t want to discover that another food truck has the same name. 

Therefore, probably stay away from another play-on-words, such as things that end in “on wheels.” They’re already taken, trust us!

Then, have a logo designed that’s consistent with your brand image. This can be anything, but make sure it’s memorable and eye-catching.

3. Put Together a Business Plan

Around 60 percent of food trucks fail within the first few years. What makes you different? You need a business plan to be able to handle the challenges that come your way.

You may have lots of ideas in your head. But, you need to get them down on paper if you want to realize them!

Start with a description of your business. This includes everything from your mission statement, your business concept, and your target market.

You should conduct a market analysis. You want to know the market trends, information about competitors and your customer base.

Next, your organizational matters need to be taken care of. Who is responsible for what? If you’re in charge of everything by yourself, then this part is simple.

You should also consider creating a marketing plan and financial information. It’s important you stay organized. Running a business isn’t the same as cooking!

4. Acquire Registrations and Licenses

You should know that you can’t simply buy a truck and start selling food out of it straight away. No, you need to jump through some hoops before you can get started!

You need to get your hands on a food permit license and a business license to operate legally. There may be other permits depending on your location, such as a health permit or a food safety certificate.

Remember, since you’re a food truck, you’re able to cross state borders, but you need to have the proper permits to operate in a new location. While this is unlike brick-and-mortar restaurants, you’re still subject to many of the same rules and regulations.

5. Get the Money Together 

If you don’t already have the funding, you need to secure it from somewhere. You can start saving, but depending on how much disposable income is available to you, that could take a while.

Of course, you can take out a business or personal loan. Or you could consider other options to give you the capital you need, like crowdfunding or finding investors. Having a good business plan will be critical at this point, as most banks and investors won’t want to back a project that hasn’t been well planned and demonstrated profitability.

6. Design Your Food Menu 

Your food menu is one of the first things that will draw customers to come to your food truck. 

Many trucks use a signboard or chalkboard to display the dishes of the day. This is perfect if you’re regularly changing your menu.

Ensure that everything is listed clearly with the price as well. The best performing food trucks often have simple menus, which means that they can focus on perfecting just a few key dishes.  

7. Setting Up Your Food Truck

Your food truck builder will work with you to ensure that you have everything you need on your food truck. Think about what kind of food you want to serve, and how that will affect what appliances you will need on your truck. If you are planning to serve ice cream, you’ll need a dipping case. If you’re going to open a mobile coffee shop, you’ll need an espresso machine on board.

You’ll also need to insure your truck. There are a bunch of different types of insurance to consider. You want to check every box to ensure that everything is legit for your food truck business. 

8. Promote Your Food Truck Business

Sure, your food truck itself is your biggest advertising asset. You can promote your business with an eye-catching display on the side of your truck.

However, you also need to consider other ways to boost your food truck. This includes social media. Ensure that you’re an active social media promoter. 

You can tweet about your latest menu and post pictures on Instagram of your delicious dishes. You may also want to invest in flyers to distribute on community boards.

9. Begin Selling Food and Making Money 

Now that you’re up and running with your food truck business, there’s nothing to stop you going from strength to strength.

Just keep making delicious snacks and yummy dishes. Customers are always eager to try something new.

Are Food Trucks Profitable?

If you follow our tips you can make your food truck business a success. Are food trucks profitable? That part is up to you!

Do you have a brick-and-mortar restaurant? You can branch out by launching a second location from a food truck, or by offering food delivery from your existing location. Check out this blog post to learn how.

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 Are Food Trucks Profitable? 9 Steps to Running Your Own Business appeared first on Custom Concessions.