People are food lovers, they prefer to spend money on food to try different cuisines other than anything else. The time when they crave for tasty bites, they pre-book seats to favorite restaurants or else have to wait until they die out of hunger. During such time, food trucks are the best way to get food as they are movable and mostly available in your nearby areas. They don’t break the bank and aren’t short on flavors too.
Food trucks can provide you with freshly cooked food in a friendly atmosphere. It is the most convenient way, not only for the people who visit food truck as a customer but also for the people who wish to start up their own food truck business.
So, what are you waiting for? Start your own food truck business and make the most of it.
For the initial start, you need to register your business. The food and safety norms differ from country to country. It is mandatory to register for FSSAI License in India for any food business. You can either buy your food truck or rent it. Buying a food truck is long term, and even if you are renting it, you can pay your bills easily out of the profits which you’ve earned. To gain those profits, you need these few things.
Contents
• Make your food truck trendy
Your food truck shall be welcoming. Generally, some people visit food trucks with their friends and not majorly with their families. Design your food truck in such a way that it attracts customers and clears the idea of your business.
• Analyze the trend
Go on with the trend. Keep a track on the food which is popular. Do not hesitate to introduce new food items in your truck. Test it out, you don’t have to change the entire menu, but it’s okay to add few things on.
• Daily/ Weekly Special
Introduce a special item which you don’t usually include in your menu, or you can have an offer for customers. Example: Happy hours between 1pm-5pm in which you provide discounts on food items.
Give brief detail about the food items listed on the menu. Write down the exact ingredients which were added to make that food item so the customers while buying it, can go through it and choose accordingly. It prevents dissatisfaction of customers.
• Social media visibility
Promoting your business online is the best way to gain profit. Attract more customers through social media, which will increase your sales. Unless and until you don’t tell people about the business, there won’t be traffic to your truck.
• Events
To gain more income, start traveling and catering to events such as parties, weddings, concerts, etc.
• Know your exact food cost
Make a list of all the ingredients you are buying and their cost. Mention the final food cost on the menu calculating the value of all the ingredients added. Adjust your price accordingly. Lower the price, more the customers but make sure you are not decreasing it too much because you may incur a loss.
• Plan
Plan your daily schedule and implement it. If you are setting up a target profit for the day, then make sure you earn it by the end of the day.
• Expand
Start thinking about merchandising as soon as your brand has taken off to build strong grounds for your business. You can sell promotional items and t-shirts in person and online. The more unique idea and the bigger your brand is, the more willing customers coming towards you to advertise your brand wearing its shirts and caps. Also, once you gain a proper recognition, you’ll be able to approach coffee shops and local grocers about selling your food in their shops.
• Set clear goals for the future
Your food truck business is the first step towards owning your own full-service catering company or restaurant. Decide what your future dream is and where you want to be in the upcoming years. Clear goals for your business will help you stay focused and motivated.
Food truck advantages
• Mobility:
Being able to shift your locations every time you want to, depending on the demand, can be a huge advantage
• Business ownership:
Numerous tax advantages come with business ownership, and while it is challenging to own and run a business, at least there is a little bit of relief on the tax front.
• Freedom:
The vendors you want to purchase from, choosing menu items, your employees and the events at which you wish to vend are just some of the freedoms you will enjoy as a food truck business owner. You’ll also have full control over the marketing, scheduling, and your social media.
Food truck challenges
• Time:
When owning a food truck business, long hours are the norm. This is more than a full-time job including marketing, shopping, event booking, preparation, cleaning, accounting and tax obligations, truck maintenance and many more.
• Competition and Market:
Since you will most certainly have competition, carefully research your market to increase the chance of success compared with other food trucks.
• Location
Make sure you know the rules of each location you plan on operating your business to prevent fines because every area is different concerning how long you can park and where you can park your food truck.
Food truck business has upgraded over the past few years, trending as one of the hottest businesses and has a wider scope in the future. There is a huge consumer demand for food truck due to the availability of best food in less time. If it is something you want to go for, then check your targeted city to see what options you have to introduce in your food truck. Expect to invest a considerable amount of time and money especially at the start-up stage. All the aspiring food truck owners, utilize these facts and build your business. Finally, food is often fun to eat and if it is right in taste, great to talk about.
