Food truck vs brick-and-mortar restaurant. It’s a question that many people are pondering these days. Luckily, the reason they are pondering is that opening a food truck is not just a crazy idea as it might have been in the past. It is a great way to break into the food business without spending a fortune or needing investors.
Opening a food truck may be easier than a restaurant, but it does need to be done intentionally so that you are setting yourself up for success. Without knowing the right steps to take you could make a mistake that makes it difficult to succeed. In this article, we will go over several things you need to do to open a food truck business.
1. Make it safe
When you are serving food to the public, it has to be done safely. This should be your first priority over serving amazing food. If people are getting food poisoning from your truck then it doesn’t matter how good the food is.
You will need to have some basics on the truck to pass inspection so you will be cleared to operate in your chosen city or town. For starters, food will need to be stored in containers that are washable to avoid contamination and at the proper temperature to prevent food-borne illnesses.
You’ll need to make sure that you are preparing food in a way that prevents cross-contamination. Always have many types of disposable gloves to avoid bacteria on your hand transferring to the food. The cutting boards should also be kept separate so you aren’t cutting vegetables on a board that handles raw meat.
You’ll also need to have a sink with running water that is only for washing hands as well as plenty of disinfectant sprays to keep the surfaces clean and sanitized.
2. Be better, not different
Many food truck owners are trying to reinvent the wheel and come up with many crazy ideas to stand out. You don’t have to stand out with some weird type of food. In fact, once the trend passes you’re not likely to survive long.
Instead, make better food than what is already out there. If you want to serve tacos make the best tacos possible instead of the weirdest just to stand out. Become known as the truck that makes the best tacos and it won’t matter if there are already a lot of others doing it. You’ll have long lines anyway.
3. Marketing matters
You’ll have to get very good at marketing if you want to have a food truck that is always busy. Take advantage of social media and Youtube to start a following of fans. Create content that speaks to your target market and they will engage. This will create a brand for you that people will recognize and they will actively seek you out.
Make sure to also have an email list that allows you to market to your audience more effectively than social media allows you.
