Tips for starting up a food truck

As a mobile entity you can quite literally go to your market rather than wait for them to come to you. So here are a few handy tips to get your food truck business on a roll.
 

Create your truck's theme

What will you sell and how will that be conveyed (quite literally) on your truck's exterior? What kind of food are you going to make? Do you have a speciality, a cuisine or special niche? Or can you adapt your food to suit a local demand? These are the first questions you need to answer. Then you can begin the process of marketing your concept.

Embrace the concept of street food

Generally it's food on the run, but that doesn't mean it has to be junk. Quirky street food with an exotic, reasonably priced menu can build a cult following if it's in the right location. And that's the key: where will your truck be parked and what demographic will make up your passing traffic? Do some research. What cuisines are already covered? What's doing well and what's not? What's the most promising gap in the local market?

Paint your wagon

A bland truck will elicit an unspectacular response. So budget for an eye catching on-the-road image to build intrigue and get heads turning your way. Music (if local restrictions allow it) is another way to mould your image and get attention.

Where will you sell?

Will you be operating from a fixed, regular location? Or are your offerings better suited to major events – stadium sports, music festivals, fairs and functions? A fixed location allows you to build a loyal following of local diners, be they business people seeking a quick lunchtime bite or shoppers eating on the run. Focussing on events means your truck is off the road for long periods and you're reliant on major event day sales. Inventory becomes a serious balancing act – too little and you miss sales, too much and wasted food eats into your profits.

Make it all above board

As with any food business, there are rules and regulations to ensure your food is safe for consumption. And as with any mobile business, rules apply to your food truck as well. Make sure you study all the legal requirements in your state to make sure your food truck stays on the road to success.