No matter how much we love what we do and what drives we have, all of us get into our fun and exciting mobile and concession food businesses for one shining reason above all others: to make money and make a living, hopefully by doing something that doesn’t feel like work. Being able to survive while doing this is key, and as such we need to have an idea how much we can make each year; can we survive on the actual profits of a concession trailer job? One definitely needs to double check all the factors and ensure their [...]

It’s only in the smallest and most unique operations, like hot dog stands an pastry carts, that a mobile food vendor will be able to run their unit completely by themselves or just with whatever friend/partner they’re starting out with. And if you’re actually successful and last for the long-run, then there’s no avoiding it: sooner or later, you WILL have to hire someone. As simple as the particular role may be, there are always things to be aware of and fully consider in choosing the person or persons to better fill your team… without also destroying it. Here are [...]

Building up a Business Plan for a BBQ company truly is no different or harder than for any restaurant or catering idea; you’re just looking at a lot more considerations on the cost of Smokers instead of ranges/ovens, and most of the food cost will likely come from pig and cow. Like your prized recipes, this business needs to be taken low and slow, planned out over at least three years as you grow into a point where you can finally break even and solidify the brand. There are plenty of resources and examples to creating one of these, ideally, [...]

There’s been a lot of attention put on New Orleans throughout the years; articles, movies, food interest, cocktail references, mardi gras, books, top chef seasons, etc. And for good reason, it’s been made readily apparent to anyone who’s heard even the slightest bit about the city that it holds one of the richest, most cross-cultural histories in the whole country. Not to mention its quite the unique place, with its narrow streets, old buildings, particular style, and of course their famous food. The place is a gastronome’s delight, yet at the same time a pit for the most hardcore party [...]

One of the bastions of the southeast and southern BBQ, and practically connected by the hip to neighbor Florida, Georgia is no stranger to the sweep of food truck fever. We’ve already discussed the trials and battle that the city of Savannah has and is still going through to create their own society and band of successful truck, read about it Here. Contrary to that, however, the capital of Atlanta is thriving, practically overcrowded with over 60 trucks currently in their roster. It’s safe to say that, like its fellow big cities across the border in Florida, the region has [...]

Despite size and activity as one of Florida’s central cities, St Petersburg has grown a latecomer in the Food Truck Culture trend. With an administration and council that was severely opposed to the idea, likely with much leaning from area restaurants, it has become almost a miracle that food trucks are allowed at all. But with new administration members, new ideas, the urge to take advantage of people’s desires in this field, and other factors coming into play, the turnaround has been quite sudden and growing fast. Starting with allowances in 2013/14, new regulations then loosened even further last summer, [...]

Summer 2013, officials in Huntsville, Alabama released an ordinance allowing Food Trucks to park in certain areas downtown. Initial regulations, though great to introduce the street food scene possibility, forced the Trucks to only open between 9pm and 2am, so as to thus avoid ‘upsetting’ local restaurants. As such, one could imagine survival worries; would the scene actually kick off? Luckily for us, a year later Downtown Huntsville Inc, an organization focused on revitalizing the area, stepped in to start promoting these mobile businesspeople. With a plan to increase interest through a set of 6 Food Truck events during the [...]