Food trucks are only growing increasingly more popular, and with good reason. They enable people with a passion for food and creativity to take their skills and share them with others without having to worry about the logistics, costs, or hurdles that are necessary to overcome when establishing a traditional brick-and-mortar restaurant.
With so much freedom to operate how they wish and relocate when they want, wherever they want, it comes as no surprise that more and more people are deciding to enter the food truck industry. That said, while designing and maintaining a food truck is much simpler than going the traditional route of opening a restaurant, there are some things you need to keep in mind.
Fit Your Truck With Fire Protection Equipment
The first step to protecting your food truck, yourself, and anyone working alongside you from fires and burns is to ensure your truck has all the necessary protective fire equipment. That list includes portable fire extinguishers and fire blankets, which you can use to prevent the spread of the flames and stop it from hurting others.
While a deadly fire is something you may never experience in your career or lifetime, you need to prepare in case something happens that starts a fire. Learning basic skills on containing fires can go a long way to protect you, your truck, and your employees.
Install Non-Slip Mats
Another tip for avoiding accidents is to install non-slip mats in your food truck. The last thing you want is to accidentally trip or slip when carrying hot food or moving items out from the fryer. By designing your food truck with this in mind, you can reduce the risk of burns while you work inside the kitchen and maximize everyone’s safety.
High-Quality Cooking Equipment
As you design your food truck and consider which cooking appliances to install, choosing high-quality equipment is a great way to mitigate the risk of burns. By using equipment that can withstand high temperatures, you can reduce the risk of overheating or accidentally burning yourself due to poor built quality and design. While it may cost you more to install, it will last you a lot longer while maximizing your safety when cooking.
Test Electrical Cooking Appliances
Another thing to remember when designing your food truck is to test your electrical cooking appliances before finalizing your purchases. Making sure they can withstand the rigors of your business will ensure there is little risk of burning yourself due to a malfunction and eliminate electrical faults. The choice of appliances will depend entirely on the size of your operations and what you serve. Be sure to analyze your business plans and then purchase electrical cooking appliances that suit your needs.
Fryers That Automatically Lower Food Into Oil
Depending on the menu you wish to serve, you may have items that cook in deep fryers, like French Fries. While you can certainly operate the fryers carefully to avoid burning yourself when lowering and pulling the food in and out of the oil, you can avoid this risk altogether by using fryers that automatically do it for you. Many fast-food restaurants use these types of fryers to maintain their speed of operations while preventing burns.
Splash Guards Around Cooking Areas
Whether you are cooking with a skillet, fryer, or pan, whenever there is oil involved, there is a risk of being burned. One easy way to minimize the risk and avoid getting hurt is by placing splash guards around cooking areas. In the event of an oil splash, it is less likely to hit you if you have splash guards.
Design Your Food Truck With Safety In Mind
If you are planning to enter the food truck industry, you will need a manufacturer that can deliver quality results with safety in mind. To avoid mishaps while working behind the counter, consider partnering with Sizemore Food Trucks. We offer high-quality builds with fast delivery times at a competitive price. Contact us today for a quote!