25 03, 2025

Food Truck Regular Maintenance Checklist

2025-04-01T17:48:53+00:00March 25th, 2025|Getting Started|0 Comments

For food truck owners, the golden rule is maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. Sure, scouting prime vending spots, perfecting your menu, and nailing your Instagram game matter, but nothing sinks your profits faster than a truck breakdown. A dead generator, a blown tire, or a seized engine doesn’t just cost you repair bills. It costs you customers and momentum. Your food truck is your livelihood, both kitchen and wheels, so a proactive, documented maintenance plan isn’t optional. It’s essential. Let’s break down a detailed, food-truck-specific strategy to keep your rig reliable and your business thriving. Why Food Truck Maintenance Is Non-Negotiable A [...]

11 02, 2025

How to Start a Mobile BBQ Business: A Step-by-Step Guide

2025-02-11T14:53:43+00:00February 11th, 2025|Getting Started|0 Comments

Richard Willis here from M&R Specialty Trailers and Trucks. After building custom BBQ units for over two decades, I've learned a lot about what makes these businesses run profitably. Let me walk you through the process step by step with some insider knowledge on building and marketing your mobile BBQ operation. Step 1: Planning Phase (6-12 Months) Initial Planning (Months 1-3) Before you even think about buying equipment, you need a rock-solid plan. Here's what needs to happen in your first three months: Are you in a region with a strong BBQ identity (like Kansas City or Texas)? What styles [...]

22 01, 2025

Should You Accept Cash Tips on Your Food Truck?

2025-01-22T22:43:40+00:00January 22nd, 2025|Getting Started|0 Comments

It feels like anywhere you eat now-a-days, you find a tip jar. Historically, people would tip their server a customary 10% at a sit-down restaurant or for services like a ride in a taxi. Today, you'll find find the tip jar front and center ever where from coffee shop chains like Starbucks to Subway restaurants. Which leads us to the question... With the continued acceptance and expectation of a tip jar, why not accept tips on your food truck too? According to TripAdvisor.com's Tipping Etiquette guide for the United States, a "good tip" should be 20% of the total bill [...]

22 10, 2024

What to Look for in a Qualified Food Truck Builder with 20+ Years Experience

2024-10-22T12:47:07+00:00October 22nd, 2024|Getting Started|0 Comments

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 [...]

4 09, 2024

Ultimate Guide to Promoting Food Trucks on Social Media

2024-09-04T12:52:15+00:00September 4th, 2024|Getting Started|0 Comments

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 [...]

26 08, 2024

How Food Trucks Can Partner with Local Breweries

2024-08-26T13:39:05+00:00August 26th, 2024|Getting Started|0 Comments

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 [...]

13 08, 2024

12 Ways to Increase the Odds of Winning Your Next BBQ Competition

2024-08-13T14:16:03+00:00August 13th, 2024|Getting Started|Comments Off on 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 [...]

14 07, 2024

The Eight Most Popular Concession Menus in America

2024-07-14T14:45:10+00:00July 14th, 2024|Getting Started|0 Comments

If you're trying to come up with a food truck menu, starting at the most popular concession items is a good place to start. Veteran concession owners at fairs and carnivals across the United States have been selling items like kettle corn, hot dogs, and amped up waffle fries for decades. Not only are these food items sharable, but their extremely high-margin as a vendor. With that being said, here are some of the timeless menu items you could add to any concession or food truck business. Best of all, any of these these concepts could be used for decades [...]

2 07, 2024

How to Price Food Truck Menu Items for Profit

2024-07-02T14:02:59+00:00July 2nd, 2024|Getting Started|0 Comments

Figuring out the menu prices for a concession business or food truck isn't as simple as guessing what looks right. Every price in any food establishment is based on a variety of factors that the owner must consider before landing on a price that will satisfy customer and your business. Keeping these profits up through menu pricing is another important duty of any food truck owner or you might end up losing money. The Math Behind Menu Pricing At the end of the day, pricing is mostly determined by numbers and finding that sweet spot that helps you break even [...]

20 06, 2024

How to Write a Press Release for Your Food Truck – Template Download

2024-06-20T13:15:13+00:00June 20th, 2024|Getting Started|0 Comments

At some point you’ll need to write a press release for your food truck. Press releases are a communication tool journalists and editors use to find stories to cover. This applies local media in particular. Local news and newspapers find out about local events like new restaurants opening, fairs or programs through these communications. Newsworthy reasons you might want to submit a press release to the local media in your area include grand openings, special events, charity work, or awards. But you'll need to make sure the press release includes the right information and is formatted correctly. We've published a [...]