It’s no secret that food trucks are all the rage right now, but have you ever thought about how popular a beer truck would be?

If you own a brewery, this is the best thing you can do for your business. Purchasing a beer truck means you can bring your special craft brews to more people and have a lot of fun doing so. It’s the unique spin on the standard brewery experience your customers will absolutely love.

Plus, this can offer a lot of benefits for your bottom line.

Here are 3 of the main reasons why you need to create a mobile brewery.

1. Expands Your Brand’s Reach

No matter where your brewery is located, you can only do so much to make sales in your local area. Sure, you can explore the option of opening new locations in the future or expand your distribution efforts. Or, you can figure out how to bring a piece of your brewery to your target market!

This will expand your brand’s reach immeasurably. Having the means to drive to food festivals, city events, holiday celebrations, and annual gatherings gives you the chance to put your mark on any event near or far. It’s your opportunity to not just serve more beer, but create a bigger sense of brand awareness among beer enthusiasts.

2. Boosts Sales

Your brewery truck is going to give you the means to boost sales on the road and at home. When you start showing up at more and more events, people will take notice. Before you know it, you’ll be serving a huge line of customers from the truck and start to see a few more people coming into your brewery location, too.

3. Creates Personal, Memorable Interactions

At the end of the day, a brewery is about more than just beer.

No matter how good your brews are, it’s the experience you provide that keeps people coming back. Investing in a beer truck enhances the value you’re able to offer your customers. It creates a fun, memorable interaction whether they’re walking up to your beer truck at an outdoor market or grabbing a drink before a big concert.

Not to mention, it will definitely set you apart from other breweries in your area. It’s not every day that people see a “food truck” that focuses on just beer pull into an event. But when they do, they won’t soon forget it.

Find the Ideal Beer Truck for Your Business

It’s one thing to read about everything that a beer truck can do for your business and another to see the benefits unfold right before your eyes. However, you do have to make sure that the beer truck you buy is on-brand with your brewery.

It needs to be well-designed, fully-functional for your specific needs, and of course, cost-effective. Click here to get started in your search for the ideal beer 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 Beers on Wheels: Why You Should Take Your Brewery Business on the Road appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Are you considering joining the ranks of food truck nation? 

With rising rents and the unpredictable cost of operating a storefront, many entrepreneurs have chosen to take their business on wheels. Not only are mobile businesses more cost-effective, but they’re also incredibly appealing to today’s clientele. 

If you’re thinking of starting a mobile business, you’re certainly not alone. The food truck industry has seen 12.5 percent growth in the last five years alone. As the years continue to progress, we only expect this number grow. 

While the majority of food trucks today focus on serving food, others have chosen to focus on something a little different. In fact, one of the most sought-after mobile businesses today is centered upon serving beverages such as coffee. This is a creative way to serve your caffeine craving customers without having to operate from an official storefront.

If you’re considering taking your business to wheels, you’re going to want to read this. We’re uncovering the seven essential steps to starting your own mobile coffee shop. 

1. Establish Your Budget 

First and foremost, you’re going to want to begin by establishing a strict budget. 

While the cost of the mobile vehicle itself is the most prominent cost, it’s also important to consider other factors. For example, you’ll want to consider the cost of routine gas money, maintenance, insurance, cost of materials and paying your staff. 

In preparing your budget, it may be worthwhile to work with an accountant. This will ensure that you’re acting responsibly and following proper tax guidelines. 

2. Register Your Business

Next, it’s time to officially register your business. 

This is what makes your operation one that is both official and legal. Of course, the license requirements will vary state-by-state. 

The cost and structure of your registration will depend on the ownership structure of your business. For example, if you are the only owner, you can register as a sole proprietorship. However, if you share ownership of the company with someone else, you will have to attain a different registration. 

3. Attain the Appropriate License 

Just as you’re required to register your business, you’re also required to obtain a license for your business. 

If you’re going to be serving any type of food or beverage, that will require a specific license. This is not something that can be avoided and can result in significant trouble if ignored. 

Fortunately, these licenses are generally inexpensive and relatively easy to obtain. 

4. Purchase Your Mobile Vehicle 

Now, it’s time for the fun part! 

You have your business registered and you have obtained your license. It’s officially time to purchase your mobile vehicle!

Remember, this is the vessel which your entire business will operate from. Not only does it have to look good and feel good, but it also has to function as a standard coffee shop. In order to rival your competition, you need to ensure that you’re offering the same quality drinks despite your physical limitations. 

You will want to carefully consider the layout of your mobile coffeeshop interior. A lot of this will depend on what types of drinks you plan to make, and whether you plan to offer food or not.

If you’re going to offer drinks with espresso, like lattes, americanos or macchiatos, you will need an espresso machine. If you want to have drip coffee, you will need enough industrial sized coffee makers to keep up with the number of clientele visiting your shop. Think your guests will want smoothies or frozen coffee drinks? Those will require space for blenders.

Offering food adds a whole other dimension to your business, but it also means you will need more space inside your truck for food at various stages. Some of these could include prepping stations, cooking appliances, and warming cabinets.

5. Do Your Product Research

You probably won’t be very successful at running a mobile coffeeshop if you don’t actually know anything about coffee. If you are already a coffee connoisseur, you are one step ahead. If not, you will want to do your research.

Look into the latest technologies and techniques that will make your coffee the best. Find coffee roasters who will produce quality beans with great flavor. Practice tried and true mixed coffee drink recipes, and then experiment with making your own if you want something unique that will stand out from the crowd.

6. Gather Your Materials 

Once you have selected your vehicle and done your product research, it’s time to focus on the materials that are going to make up your business. 

Although small, a mobile coffee shop is going to require the same goods and materials as any regular coffee shop. To start, be sure that you have these materials ready: 

• Bean grinders for both espresso and drip coffee
• Quality coffee beans
• Other coffee ingredients such as cream, sugar and flavored syrups
• Disposable coffee cups and lids
• POS system 

Once you have these essential materials, you can move onto the next step. 

7. Hire Your Staff

Now that you have your wheels and your material, it’s officially time to begin hiring. 

In terms of numbers, the size and structure of your mobile vehicle will determine how many staff members you require. As compared to your standard store, a mobile business typically requires fewer staff members. In fact, the average food truck employs just 2-6 people in total. 

Because you will be hiring fewer staff members, it’s extremely important to focus on hiring quality and dedicated members.

You may want to seek employees who have firsthand experience in working in a mobile environment. This will help to minimize your overall turnover rate for employees who cannot handle a small-scale working environment. Finding candidates who have experience working in a coffeeshop will also be helpful, otherwise new staff may require more extensive training.

8. Commence Your Marketing 

Last but certainly not least, it’s time to begin marketing your new business venture. 

Of course, the majority of business marketing is now conducted online. To ensure that you have a dedicated online presence, you can start by setting up various social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or other platforms. This will allow you to engage with future customers and better establish your brand. 

You can also speak with local business owners to spread the word and establish community connections. From here, you can look into advertising on community bulletin boards as well as local newspapers, magazines, and radio stations. It will also be important to find local events and festivals where you can get more concentrated exposure for your new mobile business.

In terms of timing, it’s best to begin your marketing prior to your official opening. This will help to create a sense of excitement amongst your clientele and generate anticipation for your grand opening. 

It’s Time to Open Your Mobile Coffee Shop! 

If you’ve always dreamt of starting a mobile coffee shop, it’s time to make your dreams a reality! 

In opening a mobile coffee shop, you don’t have to worry about the realities of having an actual storefront. Instead, you can narrow your focus to what matters the most: serving the best coffee possible to your customers. 

Fortunately, there are many ways to customize your mobile kitchen which will help your mobile coffee shop run smoothly. Even with limited square footage, these tools will allow you to create quality coffee that rivals your competition.

With these features, opening your own mobile coffee shop doesn’t have to be a distant dream. Contact us to find out how you can make your dream a reality 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 Espresso Yourself: 8 Essential Steps to Starting Your Own Mobile Coffee Shop appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Would you pay $3,000 to sit down?

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

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

Getting the Right Paperwork

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

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

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

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

Service and Food Standards

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

Online Reviews

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

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

Food Standards

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

Mobile Catering Service Operating Costs

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

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

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

Customizing Your Vehicle

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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