Dreaming of starting your own food truck business? It’s a great dream to have and a growing business to be in as the industry grows by leaps and bounds. Sizemore Ultimate Food Trucks can help you realize your dream with a custom food truck. Here the experts at Sizemore share the tips you need to get started with a successful food truck business.
Preparation Before Design
As you prepare to design your food truck, keep in mind you want a space that is efficient, can accommodate your staff, and enhances your customer’s experience. To understand what you to know what foods will be on your menu, what type of equipment do you need to prepare, cook, and serve your menu items, and what your budget allows.
Choose Your Food Truck
The vehicle you choose for your food truck business is a big decision. Keep in mind your overall vision as you make the decision, realizing that you will likely have to make minor adjustments to your layout as you move forward. Here are the crucial factors to consider as you decide on what food truck is right for your business.
- Size Matters! – A larger truck means more space for staff and equipment, but a bigger vehicle can also mean parking challenges. A smaller truck will be easier to drive, maneuver, and park, but will mean you’ll need a very efficient layout inside to get prep, cooking, and serving done well.
- Is New Better? – Whether you chose a new build or a quality retrofit, be sure the look of your truck complements your brand.
- Got Power? – An electric option can work if you’ll have easy access to charging stations and won’t be driving for long distances, but fuel and biodiesel are better options if you’ll be regularly traveling, attending festivals, or setting up shop where access is limited.
Develop Your Layout
Your food truck’s interior design will have a significant impact on both your staff and your customers. The truck kitchen design is crucial to your success and should be configured with your menu items in mind, as well as the safety, efficiency, and productivity of your staff. You need to incorporate durable, fireproof, non-slip flooring as well as appropriate ventilation (fan, vent, windows) and an emergency exit. You will also want to create enough room for staff to move safely and freely, with easy access to equipment and inventory and smooth workflow between various workstations. Workstations will likely include refrigeration as well as dry storage, preparation area, cooking area (oven, stovetop, grill, fryer), a plating area, a serving area, a handwashing station, and a clean-up station.
Power Options
Obviously you need to power your food truck and you’ll need to determine the most affordable and sustainable option. To do so, you need to know the voltage your equipment requires, the emissions regulations in your location, and your selected power sources affect on insurance. Generators are the most common source of power and come in a variety of sizes, but generators produce heat and carbon monoxide, so you’ll want to have yours professionally installed. Solar panels offer an eco-friendly option and bragging rights when it comes to marketing, but they can also be costly up front and cumbersome enough to take away from the aesthetic of your truck. A biodiesel generator can be a great option because they can run on vegetable oil.
Ready to Get Started on the Fulfillment of your Food Truck Dream
If you are ready to get started on your food truck dream, call on the experts at Sizemore Ultimate Food Trucks to begin.