What to Look for in a Qualified Food Truck Builder with 20+ Years Experience
After 20+ years of building coffee trucks, BBQ trailers, burger trucks, Thai food trucks, and more, I’ve learned a few things about what it takes to create a food truck that lasts. My job isn’t just to get a completed truck: it’s to set up a kitchen that works, day in and day out, in some of the toughest conditions out there. While finding a food truck builder might seem straightforward, finding the right one requires more than just choosing someone based on price or convenience. Before you settle on a builder, there are some key questions you should be [...]
Why Florida’s M Shack Restaurant Added a Mobile Concession Trailer
What happens when two brothers that grew up in the catering business decide to open a restaurant together? If you're the Medure brothers (Mathew and David), you join forces to create an vintage-inspired burger joint with a new-school twist serving up hormone-free burgers and fresh-cut fries called M Shack. M Shack also worked with M&R Specialty Trailers and Trucks to build a food trailer for their growing business. We recently had the opportunity to catch up with Mathew Medure to learn more about his business and why a mobile presence was the right choice for M Shack. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgGn5Gb-wjA M&R: Tell [...]
Customer Payment Options for Food Trucks: Cash, Credit Or Cell Phone?
Giving customers the option to pay how they want is a simple way to improve the customer experience, ideally increasing loyalty and sales. But as many small businesses, including food trucks, have found — paperless forms of payment like mobile payments can pay off far beyond convenience. Increased payment options can boost overall revenue for a concession businesses too. This post explains why you should consider adding payment options beyond cash. How Multiple Payment Options Can Improve Your Bottom Line Utilize the equipment you use daily. Before mobile payments gave customers the option to pay using a credit or debit [...]
All-Aluminum Disaster Relief Vehicle Built to Serve
At M&R Specialty Trailers and Trucks, we take great pride in custom-building vehicles that serve communities in times of need. One of our latest projects was a fully aluminum disaster relief trailer designed and built for the Florida Baptist Convention. This trailer is built to provide efficient, mobile food service for disaster relief workers and the communities they serve. Let's take a look at what makes this build special. The Power of Aluminum: Durability and Efficiency One of the standout features of this disaster relief trailer is its all-aluminum construction. “Aluminum is an incredibly versatile material,” says Richard Willis, Owner [...]
Battery-Powered Medical Exam Trailer: Power Anywhere, Anytime
At M&R Speciality Trailers and Trucks, innovation meets practicality with our latest build—a 24-foot battery-powered medical exam trailer. This impressive mobile unit is designed for ultimate convenience and efficiency, making it possible to bring healthcare services to any location without being dependent on external power sources. “We wanted to build something that could operate anywhere, and this trailer does just that,” says Richard Willis, highlighting the trailer’s ability to function without a generator. Get a full tour of this unit in the video below. https://youtu.be/SwmXTc_tuSM?si=-afDQ2p85wktwNJk Key Features: 2 Roof AC Units 2 Exam Rooms: Fully equipped with sinks, exam tables, [...]
Ultimate Guide to Promoting Food Trucks on Social Media
A decade ago, social media wasn’t a big part of business strategies—most advertising was done through TV, billboards, and other traditional methods. But today, having a presence on social media is essential for any successful business, including food trucks. Customers now expect constant updates, including links, funny quotes, and attractive pictures, to stay engaged and aware of our presence. For food truck owners, letting people know where you are is crucial. While managing social media can seem overwhelming, especially if it’s new to you, it doesn't have to be. Posting regular updates, sharing your location, and highlighting your food are [...]
How Food Trucks Can Partner with Local Breweries
Food trucks and breweries make a great team. They complement each other perfectly—food trucks provide tasty street food, and breweries offer unique craft beers, creating a great experience for customers without the hassle of each business offering both. Partnering with a brewery can be a smart move for food truck owners. It draws more customers to the brewery, encouraging them to stay longer and buy more drinks. For food trucks, it's a guaranteed spot with a steady stream of customers, without competition from other food options. If you’re starting a food truck, building relationships with breweries should be a key [...]
Should You Start a Mobile Boutique or Fashion Truck?
There’s a new trend in mobile business gaining popularity. Instead of a typical food truck with fryers, refrigerators, and a delicious meal, you’ll find a mobile department store where shoppers can purchase anything from suits to dresses, socks, shoes and other apparel. These mobile retail shops are often called fashion trucks or mobile boutiques. At first glance these vehicles look a lot like their food truck counterparts from the outside: Flashy wrap that draws attention to a brand and an ability to change locations daily. But this is where the similarities end. Some mobile boutiques allow customers to enter the [...]
12 Ways to Increase the Odds of Winning Your Next BBQ Competition
At M&R Specialty Trailers and Trucks, we're big fans of BBQ. In fact, many of our customers have gone on to win regional and national competitions with our line-up of New South Smokers and Grills. Whether you've got plans to participate in a community BBQ or hit the regional circuit, I asked multiple top-ranking BBQ teams for advice you can use. Whether it’s your first time or want to gain an advantage over the competition, I hope that this little collection will improve your grill game. Suffice it to say it’s a heck of an atmosphere to survive and win [...]
How to Grow Your Concession Business Through Fundraisers
Food truck fundraising events aren’t just a great way to give back to the local community and charities. They offer opportunities to promote your business, create goodwill, and a new source of revenue. In fact, some of the biggest mobile brands like Kona Ice built their business on fundraising and partnerships. You may have noticed this shaved ice vendor raising money for schools, youth sports teams, or other causes. Kona Ice trucks do revenue shares with these groups to help them raise money for everything from jerseys to food pantries. This creates the ultimate win-win situation between food truck owners [...]