I love food trucks. Some of my favorite food – related memories are associated with food trucks. After I graduated college, I took a break for a year and I worked as a ski lift attendant in Massachusetts. Sometimes before work, I would stop for a hearty grilled cheese and bacon sandwich at a truck that was located along the way. More recently, I have developed a barbecue habit of sorts. Every couple of weeks, I take the boys to a barbecue truck in town. The hand cut French fries are amazing, and the home made sauce on the slow smoked chicken thighs is so good that I am drooling just thinking about it.
With a tasty product, reasonable pricing, and the right location the owners of a food truck can do quite well with their home – based restaurant on wheels. Perhaps the biggest thing to check out before going into the food truck business is what the local regulations are concerning food trucks in your area. You will want to look into regulations regarding the truck itself, where you can (or can not) park it, and the home – based aspects of the business.
If the local rules seem like something that will work for you, it’s time to work on the business plan for your food truck. You will need to collect information on equipment and startup costs, as well as costs to maintain the business once it is up and running. Developing a menu can be a lot of fun, why not have some friends over for a tasting party to try out dishes and discuss what they would expect to pay for the items if they were buying them at a food truck. Make sure that you take the time to find the right location for your food truck. If you want to visit several locations on a rotating schedule, you can use social media like Facebook and Twitter to keep your customers apprised of where you are. While you’re at it, why not use those same social media outlets to announce daily specials, coupon codes, holiday hours, or anything else that you find relevant.
Food trucks are a lot of work, but they can also be a lot of fun. The people who own the barbecue truck that I like to go to say that they get to meet so many people through their work, and they have a lot of fun. Their truck is usually parked at a gas station next to the interstate, so people from many different places who just happen to be passing through Randolph, Vermont can discover the deliciousness that is Vermont Maple BBQ.
Photo by photojock on morguefile.com.