The Top 5 Food Truck Infographics of 2017
An infographic is a visual illustration of something that is complex. These images can help take something that is complicated like running a business and simply it into something that is easily understood. In 2017 there have been numerous of these infographics published that help better explain a variety aspects of the food truck business and operations. As the popularity of mobile food has continued to grow in recent years numerous organizations have designed infographics that dive deep into different aspects of running this type of business like marketing, history of food trucks, and overviews of the industry as a [...]
Funnel Cake Concession Trailer Business Startup Report
Classic Funnel Cake Concession Trailer. If you're looking for a concession business that performs well at state fairs, county fairs, or just about any summertime event, funnel cake is a proven treat that has been enjoyed by fair goers for almost a century. No doubt you've tasted this fried, crispy, and sweet dessert that is one of the most popular food items you can purchase at fairs across America. Although it is considered a classic American dessert, the funnel cake first broke out on the scene at the Kutztown Folk Festival in 1950. This is a festival that [...]
More Restaurant Owners are Supporting Relaxed Food Truck Laws. Here's Why.
Over the past few years, you may have read stories like this Wall Street Journal article about the ongoing battle between food trucks and restaurateurs. The basic premise of the hundreds of stories written over the past half decade is typically the same: Restaurant owners want to restrict the number of food trucks in the area and to prevent competition. Food truck owners, on the other hand, want less restrictive laws that will allow them to vend when and where they want. While this animosity between restaurants and food trucks may have been the case a few years ago, this [...]
How to Schedule Catering and Special Events for Food Trucks
Built by M&R Specialty Trailers and Trucks. Event sales are pretty similar to your daily sales but, to me, are much more of a gamble. Some events will be a home run where you have access to thousands of people willing to spend top dollar (think theme park prices) and you’re expecting to make over $1000 for the day. Some events will have only about 100 people who aren’t hungry and don’t want to spend money and you end up making $100 or less. It will be up to you to figure out which events are worth the [...]
Custom Built Soft-Pretzel Concession Trailer Business Overview
Pretzel Wagon. Photo Credit: Pinterest Some concession owners know the exact type of food they plan to serve from their vending unit before they ever start a business. There is a group of food vendors that invested years perfecting the perfect BBQ through years of testing and know exactly what they plan to serve before they ever turn their passion into a business. Another category of vendors have been handed down a specific style of food that represents their family like grandma's secret meat ball recipe that they plan to share with the world from their concession trailer. [...]
Jacksonville's Newest Desert Craving: Stroopwafels from Van D's Dutch Delights
Van D's Dutch Delights Desert Trailer. Got a craving for warm and delicious stroopwafel? If you live in the Jacksonville area finding freshly baked Dutch inspired deserts can be nearly impossible. Fortunately in 2016, Van D's Dutch Delights entered the scene to fill the void and quickly become a staple of the Jacksonville food truck community. Since starting their mobile food business Van D's isn't just serving up one-of-a-kind deserts, but has introduced countless locals to a whole new food group that many didn't even know existed. Take for example the stroopwafel, a Dutch word that translates to [...]
How To Start a Kettle Corn Concession Trailer
Fresh and delicious kettle corn. Photo Credit: JV Foodie Kettle corn is not just a snack, but nostalgia in a bag. It's a food item that brings us back to simpler times and enjoyed regularly by people of all ages. From an operations perspective there's also a lot to like about this time tested concession business too! For one, kettle corn businesses can focus on one doing one core product really well. There are a lot of vendors that try to do too many things on their truck or trailer. One challenge is that there's only so much [...]
Austin Based Chi'Lantro Food Truck Raises $600,000 in Shark Tank
Jae Kim, owner and founder of the Austin-based Chi'Lantro, didn't make it into ABC's hit investment show “Shark Tank” on his first two attempts to be on the show. Kim’s concept was to launch a Korean BBQ inspired restaurant chain that had the potential to generate millions in revenue each year. But on Kim’s first attempt to be featured on the investment show, Chi’Lantro was just an idea without a proven track record of sales. Instead of getting discouraged by not getting on the show, Kim started to put his concept into action by buying a food truck because he [...]
The Ugly Apple Cafe Food Cart is Changing Perceptions of Fresh Produce
Laurel Hague, owner of The Ugly Apple Cafe based out of Madison, Wisconsin, works with local farmers to minimize waste by using overstock produce to help the cities less fortunate. We had the opportunity to speak with Laurel about her business and the long-term vision of The Ugly Apple Cafe. M&R: Tell us about the Ugly Apple and your goals. Laurel: The Ugly Apple is a food cart that serves breakfast in downtown Madison. Madison has strict size restrictions for mobile food, so it's a 6ft by 9ft trailer that is designed to look like an apple crate. It's a [...]
IBISWorld Reports Less than 5,000 Food Trucks Operating in United States
How many food trucks are currently operating in the United States? According to a 2015 report from IBISWorld, a leading industry research agency, that number is less than 5,000 (4,130 food truck vendors to be exact per the report). The number of active food truck businesses operating in the United States has been a topic of much debate over the past few years. Adding to the confusion of an agreed upon accurate estimated number of food trucks are the varying media reports. Some of the most cited reports have been inconsistent while others rendered completely inaccurate when a bit of [...]