Increasing the Average Spend Per Food Truck Customer
In difficult times, identifying ways to deliver more value to the same number of customers can be an effective business approach. After you’ve been running your food truck for a few weeks or months, you’ll probably start noticing some trends. For example, you may have noticed that on a typical day, you serve 50 customers, but your sales numbers have plateaued. There are only a few ways to fix these “stalls” in income. You can decrease the amount of money you’re spending on food, but there’s probably not a lot of wiggle room here, without sacrificing quality. You can raise [...]
Can You Install an A/C in a Food Truck Kitchen?
Can you install an air conditioner into the kitchen of a food truck? This is a frequently asked question we receive from prospective clients contacting our manufacturing center. The short answer is yes! You can get an air conditioner installed into a mobile kitchen. In fact, this is an extremely common feature in our builds. Let's face it. It gets hot in the summer even if you operate in a Northern state. When you combine summer heat inside a food truck kitchen while running a hot oven or deep fryers, the temperature can quick climb over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This [...]
COVID-19’s Impact on the Food Truck Industry–And What to Do About It.
COVID-19 (AKA the coronavirus) has disrupted the food truck industry. Concerts, events, and food truck festivals around the nation have been canceled as the public is strongly encouraged to stay inside their homes in an effort to minimize the spread of this nasty disease. But you already knew this. The goal of this post is to remind you that this too shall pass and to keep this health crisis in perspective. We'll also offer some practical ideas to keep your food business operating during these difficult times. Do we know how long the current situation will last? Nope. No one [...]
How to Reduce Your Food Truck Suppliers and Simplify Operations
Operating a food truck business can be complex, but sometimes we as owners / operators make things more complicated than they need to be. One simple way I've found to make things easier to operate is by cutting back on the number of suppliers I work with. If you can narrow the number of suppliers you use, you can drastically simplify your life (not to mention your bookkeeping). For example, at one point, we had a sandwich menu that used six different types of bread. The rye and the sourdough were easy; they came from a commercial bakery and could be [...]
37 All-Time Best Grilled Cheese Food Truck Name Ideas
Thinking about starting a grilled cheese truck, but can't find a good name? We're here to help you out. We've categorized a list of some of the best ideas we could come up with that make sense for a grilled cheese truck. In case you didn't know, you can build a really solid business around the based around this beloved sandwich. You can go upscale serving sandwiches with artisan French baked bread and cheeses. You can attract meat lovers by adding bacon or prosciutto. Finally, you could get creative by making a dessert grilled cheese made with cinnamon toast bread, [...]
Eight Ways to Prevent Food Truck Theft For Your Unit
One of the unfortunate aspects of operating a food truck is that the units are targets for theft or vandalism. While you can't control the actions of bad guys, you can take measures to improve the security of the unit. While good insurance coverage can make getting back on the road easier, if your food truck is stolen you'll still be out of business for months as you wait for the insurance check to clear and a replacement vehicle to be manufactured. Fortunately, there are proven actions you can take to prevent this disruptive event from happening all together. Here are [...]
7 Ways to Prevent Food Truck Burnout
Life as the owner of a successful food truck can sometimes feel like it’s going to swallow you up. If you’re not actually on the truck cooking for your customers, you’re running around town sourcing those hard-to-find ingredients that make your culinary creations unique. You’re constantly in some state of breaking down or setting up, from draining fryers to filling water tanks to scrubbing surfaces. You’re handling endless last-minute emergencies, whether it’s an empty propane tank, a generator that refuses to start, or a zero-hour run on the artisanal sour mustard pickles that’s left you short stocked for the weekend. [...]
The Power of Stories in Food Truck Businesses
Stories are introduced to us almost immediately when we are born. These parables help us to learn important lessons, remember things easier and entertainment us. Even the simplest and best children's stories have the power to be passed along and retold for generations. Even though this form of communication is natural and effective, most of us don't think about sharing our story in our businesses, especially in the food truck industry. But it's essential that we do. By taking some time to reflect on our personal journey starting a business, we can use those experiences to help connect on a [...]
Fives Tips to Reduce Stress as a Food Truck Vendor
Feeling stressed? We get it. As a food truck owner you're being pulled in 101 different directions at once. You're probably wearing a couple dozen hats in the business as well. From CEO to chef, customer service to strategic marketing director and driver. You can do it all! But after awhile this type of ongoing responsibility will weigh on anyone. If you're feeling the pressure of being a small business owner, you're not alone. Running any self-funded business is extremely stressful, especially in the critical first year of the business when you don't have everything figured out yet and are [...]
Four Food Trends Every Food Truck Owner Needs to Consider in 2020
Consumer preferences are constantly changing. Fortunately changes in behavior and taste happen gradually over a period of years so if you're paying attention, you can adapt. Here are four specific food trends that will almost certainly play a bigger role in food trucks businesses in 2020. Even if you've got a winning formula already, we recommend choosing one of the following trends to test out in your business. You never know which of these trends will positively impact your bottom line. Built by M&R Specialty Trailers and Trucks Animal-Free Meats Animal-free protein has been one of the biggest [...]