Running a Food Truck For Dummies. Richard Myrick

on heavy greasy food may not be a great fit. However, a truck that sells coffee and tea along with a variety of breakfast sandwiches for early morning commuters may be a fantastic niche to build around.

      ❯❯ Being passionate about your idea: Your food truck will become a huge part of your life; you’ll work long hours and deal with every aspect of running it. With all the time, energy, and money you’ll be putting into your mobile business, be sure you’re passionate about your concept. A few special signature dishes that you love to make for your friends and family can be a good indicator of where your passion may lie. If the idea of serving burgers and fries doesn’t really excite you, for example, your business may not last very long if you choose burgers and fries for your truck’s cuisine, and you may end up wasting a lot of your time and money.

       Note: No matter how passionate you are about your idea, don’t forget to determine whether it’s viable. Is there enough demand in your area for your concept? Will people pay for what you plan to offer on your menu? Ask yourself, would you buy this item at this price? Flip to Chapter 3 for details on researching your local food truck market.

Narrowing your concept according to your customer base

      

After you have a basic idea of your concept (see the preceding section), you need to determine the type of customers you want to target. You need to find out whether a substantial market for your concept exists in the areas you plan to operate in. Use the following tools to help you further narrow down your concept according to your potential customer base (see Chapter 3 for details on these tools):

      ❯❯ Demographic survey: Use the demographic survey to determine the demographics of the market you’re going to be located in. This survey gives you information, such as the ages, occupations, and income levels, of your prospective customers; ethnic groups in the area; and the size of the market to help you see whether your concept is a good fit for the area. You may find that a large ethnic group in the area isn’t currently being catered to by existing food trucks or restaurants. You may want to lean your concept toward this demographic.

      ❯❯ Competitive analysis: This tool helps you understand who your local competition will be. You can use this information to compare your menu prices with those of your competitors. Do the prices required to give you a market advantage fit with your concept?

Understanding the importance of atmosphere as you generate your concept

      The atmosphere your truck presents may be one of the most important methods for achieving your food truck concept. When considering atmosphere for your truck, think about the experience you want and the senses that will be affected when a customer walks up to your truck. Read on for some important considerations.

      

Designing the atmosphere or feel of your concept involves a lot of work on your part. Can you manage everything on your own? Do you have the expertise to gather all the information you need? Hiring a professional graphic designer or food truck consultant costs some money, but it can save you a lot of time and potential problems in the long run. By farming out this work, you can brainstorm your ideas with experts and get their feedback, and their professional guidance can give you the confidence you need to move forward with your concept.

      Here are a few resources for finding the experts you need to help come up with the right atmosphere for your desired food truck concept:

      ❯❯ Food Fellas: www.foodfellasllc.com

      ❯❯ Mobi Munch: www.mobimunch.com

      ❯❯ Vucurevich | Simons Advisory Group (VSAG): www.vsag.com

       Sight

      What do you want your customers to see? A concept’s visual effect encompasses more than just the graphics you wrap your truck in (see Chapter 7 for the scoop). Lighting applies to trucks that work at night, but even if you plan to work only during daylight hours initially, considering lighting upfront is a good idea in case you later decide to start working shifts after the sun goes down. The lighting on the interior of the truck as well as the lighting inside the kitchen can help you achieve different visual effects. Think about the lighting in the area where you plan to park your vehicle in, too, because it can help you achieve a certain mood as well.

      Another important aspect to consider regarding your customers’ sight is your kitchen. Will customers be able to see into the kitchen of your food truck? The type of vehicle you select will determine this aspect of your conceptual atmosphere: Some give better views into the kitchen than others based on the height and size of the service window.

      The lighting in the kitchen is important. You must provide a safe environment for those working inside. The lighting you choose also influences how well your customers can see inside.

      

Providing a show in which the food is prepared in full view of the customers, as sushi chefs are famous for, or providing the sight of a few flames flying up from the grill may establish a unique and engaging atmosphere.

       Sound

      The noises coming from your food truck affect the atmosphere. You may want to play a certain type of music to enhance your concept. Playing Hawaiian or Mariachi music can give an energetic, exotic feel to the atmosphere around your truck, whereas playing hard rock can help a concept intended to attract a crowd with a little heavier music preference.

      

Be sure to check with your local municipality about the laws relating to playing music on your food truck. Some don’t allow it or put restrictions on how loud the music can be.

      Evaluating Different Types of Vehicles

      So you’ve pinpointed the concept for your food truck, with the help of the information I provide earlier in this chapter, that’s a great start. Now you have to figure out what type of vehicle to use to deliver your concept. You can select from a variety of platforms as a means to make a kitchen mobile. I give you the scoop on trucks, carts, trailers, and buses in the following sections.

      

The vehicle you choose for your mobile business must meet your local permitting office’s requirements as well as your own personal kitchen needs. Before you begin shopping for your vehicle, I suggest you determine the amount and types of kitchen equipment you’ll need to prepare your menu items (see Chapter 10 for full details). You need only a general understanding of your necessary equipment at this point so you can determine the types and sizes of vehicles you can choose from. Some of these vehicles can be restricted in their use, depending on the vehicular codes and laws that regulate food trucks in your area. So speak with the heads of your city’s health department and permitting offices to make sure you’re aware of their requirements.

Trucks

Food trucks are the preferred choice of most vendors in the mobile food industry because of their range in sizes and their mobility. By definition, a food truck is a licensed, motorized vehicle or mobile food unit that’s used for selling food items to the general public. This definition is quite vague, but that may be because the definition of a food truck varies from city to city. In some cities, you may find that a food truck is a set of heating units sitting in the back of a pickup truck. In other areas, a food truck is a mobile kitchen built into a truck the size of a standard delivery truck (this definition has become the most common one since the surge in the mobile food industry in 2008). These trucks can range in length from 14 feet all the way up to 30 feet. The kitchens in these trucks are fully functioning kitchens that are regulated just as any other commercial kitchen, with additional inspection requirements to make