Potential food truck owners often wonder what it takes to get into the food truck business. And this is a very important concern, but few people give it enough thought.
While being excited about the potential to become a great entrepreneur by starting a food truck business is quite alright, there are plenty of other things you have to consider before you even get started.
Most people mistakenly think a food truck and a few great recipes is all it takes to get into the food truck business and earn some money. But these things, while still important, should come much later.
In order to establish a successful food truck business, here are some things you have to give some thought to first:
- Will the business be profitable?
- Do you have enough money to start and run the business?
- Are your cooking skills any good?
- How good are your selling skills?
- Do you know how to build a customer base?
- Are you good at marketing?
- Have you ever run a business in the past?
- Are you going to do this part time or full time?
- Do you plan on having additional food trucks in future?
- How many workers do you plan on hiring once the business takes off?
- What hours will you be operating your food truck business?
- How much time will you set aside for this business?
- Do you have the skills to sustain a business?
- Can you think of any good locations?
What’s a Gourmet Food Truck?
Once you have figured out the answers to the questions above, you can move on to consider what a gourmet food truck is. There is a world of difference between a gourmet food truck and any other kind of food truck.
Generally speaking, a food truck refers to all kinds of mobile food trucks. Traditionally, food trucks had standardized menus and the meals were average. Typically, these trucks would serve meals that were previously prepared or packaged. Some of them cooked where they were located, such as taco trucks. But these trucks are nothing like the gourmet food trucks we have today.
Gourmet food trucks, which are also considered modern food trucks, provide better quality food to their customers. These kinds of food business place their focus on serving one type of food. They can also focus on a specific food niche. In addition to improving their foods to offer their customers better quality, the food trucks also employ advanced marketing techniques to reach their customers. These modern trucks will also usually prepare their foods within the truck in order to ensure freshness and better taste.
You can easily notice a gourmet food truck based on the kinds of designs on them. That is because the trucks usually have bright colorful logos. Owners of these trucks actually have plenty of options here, and there are a lot of creative designs being used on these trucks as their owners try to stand out and have a greater impression on their potential customers.
So, if this sounds like something you can manage, and think that you can make a business out of the idea, then here are three types of foods you can consider serving.
Breakfast
In gourmet food trucks, breakfast meals are incredibly popular. But needless to say, the kind of food you serve should depend on the time of the day you are operating your truck. Anyway, when it comes to breakfast, it is important to keep things simple by having a quick and simple menu. You have to keep in mind that people buying breakfast from food trucks are often in a rush as they don’t want to get late for work.
Alternatively, you can also offer food items that do not have to be prepared immediately. Examples include pastries, fruit juices, and pre-packaged sandwiches. Granted, this is sort of contrary to the whole idea of having a gourmet food truck since the meals should be freshly prepared. But obviously, it is equally important to ensure that you do not have any service delays that might cost you some customers.
In any case, you can still have gourmet style breakfast items even if you are not preparing them right there on your truck. For instance, you can make them in advance and then have them loaded into your truck.
Lunch
If there is one thing food trucks are known for, it is lunch. But the customers who show up at this time of the day are a little different from the breakfast crowd. For one thing, they have more time on their hands, and that makes the freshness of the food you serve them more important as they can afford to wait a little.
That said, when it comes to serving food, you should be fast as your customers will certainly appreciate it. This is a great way to ensure they come back to your truck the next day. Remember that most trucks target this group of customers, and you will also have to compete against restaurants. So, with some competitive pricing, and making sure to have unique and popular foods that competing food businesses are not offering, you can grow your client base and edge out your competition.
Dinner
Just like lunch, dinner is very popular. During this time of the day, there are usually people coming home from parties, concerts, sports and so forth. Usually, people want simple meals they can carry away. Many food trucks target these people. Therefore, competition is stiff during this hour. That is why today there are even food truck pods that form when several food trucks come together in order to attract more patrons. In many cases, customers will usually buy from more than a single truck.
As a food truck owner, you can focus on areas where there are many tourists and areas with special events. Such situations offer a lot of customers. In the case of tourists, a chance to sample local cuisine is usually a very welcome proposition. So, setting up your truck near a tourist attraction can be a great idea. Otherwise, you can also check and see what events are coming up and be there to cater to the feeding needs of the attendants.
Just be sure to get all the permits and the approvals necessary to operate your food truck business at or near such events.