For the purposes of this particular blog post we will be focusing on the costs to start a BBQ concession, catering, or vending business using a mobile unit like a trailer or truck. At M&R Specialty Trailers and Trucks one of our specialties is manufacturing BBQ trailers, trucks, and smokers built to our customers needs and desires. Not only do we understand the cost to operate this type of business, but understand the different goals people have when investing in a BBQ trailer. Some of our customers like Wade, an active service member of the United States military, invested in [...]

Before the rise of gourmet food trucks there was the "roach coach." In fact, a small number of people (generally over the age of 60) still refer to mobile food units by the name roach coach. Fortunately, over the past 20 years the perception of the quality of food that can be served from a truck has been completely transformed and flipped on its head thanks to the innovative chefs that operate food trucks in the 21st century. In today's post, we discuss how that name came to be and dive into the history of the food truck so you [...]

Thinking about getting into the food truck business, but struggling to find your perfect menu? In today's post our goal is to help solve this problem by organizing a list of the most popular menu concepts we've seen executed well on food trucks in recent years. In our 15+ years in business, we've had the opportunity to help hundreds of food entrepreneurs launch their own mobile businesses each of these concepts on our list have produced numerous successful businesses for our customers. Often, if you want to be successful in the food industry you don't need to have the most [...]

There's a lot more that goes into the planning and manufacturing a food truck than most people think. Take for example the layout and installation of the cooking equipment inside the truck. As a straight-forward example, a tater tot truck would need to make sure they had deep fryers, a fridge to keep product cool, and a prep station to add all the yummy toppings like sour cream or chives. Another satisfied customer of Smokin' Bull Shack. Built by M&R Specialty Trailers and Trucks. But having the tater tot equipment is installed in the food truck is not [...]

What floor plan is right size for you? In this guide our goal is to outline the most commonly used food truck floor plan sizes and demonstrate the pros and cons of each. The ideal floor plan for you will depend largely on a combination of these three factors including: local laws, menu, and personal needs. Ready to find the right layout for your unique situation? Read on. Local Legal Requirements If you're just beginning the food truck research process, you may soon discover that your local health code requires your truck to be a certain size. One example is [...]

Searching for new ways to increase revenue for your concession business? The often-forgotten craft show could be the answer to unlocking consistent profits in your area. In today's post we show you where to find these craft shows and things to look for when determining whether or not you want to test these events for your existing food business. Enjoy! Food vendors at a local craft show. Photo Credit: Pinterest Advantages of Art Shows From an economic standpoint, people at craft fairs are an ideal customer for a concession vendor. People that can purchase hand-made necklaces or custom [...]

Ever been waiting in line at a fair or festival and wonder how much those food trucks or concession stands are making? Well, there's actually a pretty simple formula you can use to estimate the sales a food truck will make at per event. If you're considering this as serious business venture, you can also use this estimate when conducting the financial planning for your business. Ice cream is a popular product at fairs.  The short answer, of course, is that each festival is different and will yield different sales numbers. Bigger events that attract more potential customers [...]

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 [...]

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. [...]

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 [...]