Food trucks are very popular in today’s food culture. They are on the street after bars close at night, they line up outside of conventions and festivals, and you can hire them for weddings, birthdays and other special events as well. Sometimes, they show up on a busy street taking advantage of a hungry lunch rush. COVID-19 has upped the need for food trucks as it’s easier to grab a quick bite from a truck than a restaurant at the moment.
If you’ve ever thought about running a food truck business or even if you need some tips to expand your operations or gather more customers, keep reading.
Getting Started
As of 2019, there were more than 23,000 food trucks in the US that collectively earn around $1 billion each year. Starting up a food truck business can cost around $50k, but if you are in a metropolitan area, you can see your profits range from $20k/50k per month if you have the right business model and drive.
Small Business, Large Job
Starting a small business is a lot of work. Make sure you know what you are getting into before you buy that new stove for your truck or trailer. You probably won’t have enough money to have more than a few employees at first, so prepare to be your own marketing manager, branding czar, chef, cashier, driver, PR rep, social media manager and more for a while. With any luck, you will become a success and get to start delegating some of those duties to new employees, but just make sure you are aware of the task in front of you when you start your new food truck business.
Test Out Your Business Model
Before you make the investment on a new truck or trailer, try catering a few parties and renting a small trailer or truck before you buy. Build up your clientele and customer base. Get your name out there before you get a business loan and jump head first into buying tens of thousands of dollars worth of capital assets. Many incredibly famous and popular food trucks started out small and built up to where they are now, and you can too!
Research
Check your local area. See how many food trucks like the one you want to start are out there. If you are completely unique, make sure you have an audience that will respond well to your truck and get people excited for your launch. Check out the competition. Call local businesses and see if you can set up. Offer free samples at events. Post discounts on your social media. Do everything you can to know your market and keep a home base of where you know you can profit on even the slowest of days.
Eye Catching Branding
A fantastic way to make a great first impression with potential customers is to have a truck that has colorful or intriguing artwork on it. Make sure your logo is one of a kind and draws people in. Working with local artists or a well-known artist to make you a logo or design can earn you points with a whole new base of clients as well. Putting delicious images on the side can get customers mouth’s watering from just one look. Don’t be afraid to let your creativity shine!
Promote. Publicize. Push For Customers.
You have a great truck or trailer, you’ve done your research, and now it’s time to get your name out into the world. Of course social media is the fastest way to spread the word about your new venture. Post on all the apps, make fun videos, make enticing food or drink videos, promote any new or signature dishes, and let everyone see how much you love what you do. Depending on funds, you can hire a small marketing firm in your area to help you with some of the more advanced parts of promotion or you can go all in yourself.
Make sure to also have an easy to read and use website with a catchy blog that utilizes SEO (search engine optimization) to keep your brand at the top of the Google search results when people in your area are looking for the best food truck near them. Always keep your website up to date, and make sure that it looks professional, is linked to your social media accounts, and makes it clear where you’re going to be and when.
Enlist your community to help as well. Go to events, make a name for yourself locally and then branch out of your area. Local love is the foundation for a fantastic food truck business. When you have people talking about you, it travels, so keep your name and food in people’s mouths!
Ready to roll with your business?
If you’re ready to start your mobile business, we can help you obtain what might be the most crucial tool: the trailer itself. Triple B Trailers has been in business for over 60 years and we’re here to help you get that perfect trailer for all your small business needs. Our trailers come in 6 different models so they can accommodate any set up you may need.
Check out our website today and take a look at our selection. We can’t wait to help you get your business on the road!