{"id":12571,"date":"2019-08-26T06:00:36","date_gmt":"2019-08-26T06:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.customconcessions.com\/?p=12571"},"modified":"2019-08-20T19:56:31","modified_gmt":"2019-08-20T19:56:31","slug":"take-it-on-the-road-how-to-start-a-mobile-catering-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.customconcessions.com\/take-it-on-the-road-how-to-start-a-mobile-catering-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Take It On The Road: How to Start a Mobile Catering Business"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"menu<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Thinking of entering the exciting world of mobile catering? You couldn’t have picked a better time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These days, running a food truck is considerably easier than running a restaurant. For starters, the overhead is much lower, and you won’t have to hire as many staff. Plus, you can always go to where your customers are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, this type of business still requires a lot of time and effort. Much like restaurant owners, you’ll have to deal with bad weather, slow seasons, and languid economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want to know more about how to start a catering business? Here’s a quick guide to help you out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Find the Right Place<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First of all, you should make sure your city allows food trucks. For example, New York City and Los Angeles have a cap on\u00a0food truck permits<\/a>. Needless to say, the waiting lists for these permits are quite long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if your city does allow food trucks, some streets and districts may still be off-limits. Before setting up shop in a business area, make sure it’s legit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Define Your Concept<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To give your catering business the best chance to succeed, you’ll need a catchy name. Ideally, the name should reflect your food or theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While you’re brainstorming, give some thought to your menu as well. Are you going to serve the same food every day or rotate the daily specials? Will you have a menu board, plastic sleeve menus, or a combination of both?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Secure Financing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As we’ve mentioned, catering businesses are cheaper than sit-downs. That said, you may still need some financing. Used food trucks cost between $20,000 and $40,000, and a new truck can set you back as much as $125,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want to go down the economical route? Consider a food trailer. Concession trailers aren’t as glamorous, but they’re affordable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Stock the Truck<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you do go with a mobile catering truck, make sure it’s a good fit for your needs. See, outfitting a food truck is a lot like equipping a commercial kitchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, are you planning to serve pizza or fried foods? If so, you’ll need an oven and\/or fryolator. If your business plan involves selling pre-made sandwiches, you’ll need\u00a0plenty of\u00a0space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Market Your Business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Again, marking a mobile kitchen is easier than marketing a restaurant. After all, food trucks are basically advertisements on wheels. Still, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put in some extra advertising effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unsurprisingly, social media outlets are great for building a customer base. You can get started by tweeting a morning route or posting photos of lunch specials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Prepare for the Future<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Like with any other business, you’ll need to establish clear goals. Before doing anything else, decide where you want to be in 5 or 10 years. This can be a great help at keeping you focused and motivated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, do your best to be ready for emergencies. Whenever you can, save some money for equipment repairs and other unexpected events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More on Mobile Catering<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mobile catering is all the rage right now, and there are no signs of this trend slowing down. In the long run, operating a food truck can even be the first step toward opening a restaurant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want more food truck advice? <\/em><\/strong>Check out more blog posts here<\/a><\/em>!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thinking about starting a food truck? <\/em><\/strong>Request a free custom quote<\/a><\/em> and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions<\/a> has to offer! Like us on Facebook<\/a> and follow us on Twitter<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thinking of entering the exciting world of mobile catering? You couldn’t have picked a better time! These days, running a food truck is considerably easier than running a restaurant. For starters, the overhead is much lower, and you won’t have to hire as many staff. Plus, you can always go [\u2026] <\/p>\n

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Read More →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[32],"tags":[132,215,161,214,165,141,233],"yoast_head":"\nTake It On The Road: How to Start a Mobile Catering Business<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There are lots of great reasons to start your own mobile catering business. Startup costs are low & you could make a huge profit. 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