As you prepare to start your new business, the food truck is an essential piece of the puzzle needed to ensure your success. Whether you are purchasing or leasing your food truck, you want to choose the best truck for your business. Your food truck needs to help you achieve your entrepreneurial dreams by supporting your vision and your brand. Choosing the best food truck for your business means selecting the right model with the necessary equipment. Here are some tips to help you get started.
Start with Your Basic Needs
You know you need a food truck but equally important is what you will need inside. Part of these requirements will stem from food truck guidelines lines in the region you will be operating. Some localities prohibit food trucks from prepping and storing food within, which means you will be working out of a commercial kitchen or commissary and won’t need the same level of equipment or preparation space on your truck. On the other hand, if your region allows you to prepare food on your truck, all the equipment within will need to meet local health codes and guidelines, including requirements for prep space, sinks, and cooking.
Next, among the basics, is the number of people working on your food truck as well as the number of people you anticipate serving on a given day. Will you be going solo or have a full team? Will you start solo and expand? You want to make sure the food truck you chose has the space to accommodate the number of people you are planning on for food prep, cooking, dishwashing, and more. Plus, each of those people will need seats with seatbelts or you’ll need a car to transport them to each location you serve. The number of people you will be serving daily increases your need for storage space and ensures you won’t run out of supplies on your busiest days.
Finally, concluding the basics is what you will be serving. Your menu will determine your specific equipment, tool, and supply needs for each and every dish. Next up is storage for each of those items, plus food. Even if you are starting with a limited menu and hoping to expand, you’ll need to factor future needs into the food truck you are considering.
What Comes Standard?
At this point in the planning, you have a good idea of the space and equipment you will need for your food truck and are ready to start your search. Whether you are looking at designing a new food truck to meet your needs or purchasing a used truck, you should know what the industry considers standard. Generally, your food tuck should have this common equipment:
- A generator
- Heating
- Air conditioning
- Refrigeration
- Freezer
- Plumbing
- Disposal
- Stoves
- Grills and Fryers
- Food safe preparation area
- Electrical outlets
- Water heater
- Freshwater and greywater tanks
- Fire suppression system and sprinklers
- Hand sink
- Dish sink and drain boards
- Grease trap
- Fan motor and exhaust hood
- Lighting
- Non-slip flooring
- Storage: food and ingredients
- Storage: Tools and utensils
- Storage: Paper products and cleaning supplies
- Awning and Ordering Window
This is not an exhaustive list but will help you get started as you choose the best food truck for your business.
Choose the Best Food Truck
Your food truck will be unique and will require standard as well as specialized equipment for your business. As you search, remember you are looking for a truck which meets your business needs but also can grow with you into the future. If you haven’t found exactly what you are looking for in the used food truck market, it may be time to consider building your own custom food truck. Sizemore Ultimate Food Trucks can help with experienced and knowledgeable team members ready to answer your questions and a Free Quote to get you started.