4 Tips on Opening a Food Truck Business

Last month I got an e-mail from a sushi restaurant owner aspiring to open a food truck.

I was asked, as someone who writes about food trucks, if I could offer any sage food cart advice.

I started asking myself, what sets certain food trucks apart from the rest? Which food trucks seem to be more successful, and why? After mulling this over a bit, I came up with a couple factors that can have a major impact on the success of a food truck.

Below are my four tips for opening a mobile food cart business.

Starting a Food Truck Tip #1: Lookin’ Good

Any kindergartner will tell you: you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. And yet, let’s face it kids, people do.

You can serve the best food cart grub this side of the Mississippi, but if your truck doesn’t look appealing, you’ll be missing out on a large contingent of the population.

We’ve been taught from a young age to be wary of unmarked trucks ripe for kidnapping, so that automotive mistrust is deep seeded. You can’t really blame people for being cautious about food being served out of a glorified mini-van.

If you have a sketchy looking truck with great food, you’ll still get a small, loyal fan base who enjoys the hipster-esk thrill of being a regular at a dive truck.

But you’ll be selling yourself short and will get boat loads more customers with a more spick and span looking vehicle with a enticing food truck design.

Check out Staff Meal’s transformation from dangerous-alleyway darling to pink and fashionable mobile food eatery!

When it  comes to food trucks, cute goes a long way too – something fun and colorful won’t go unnoticed by the masses.

How to Decorate a Food Truck:  There are a couple different approaches you can take here. You could dish out the big bucks for a fancy food truck wrap, and boy do those look great! Or can pretty up your truck DIY style and paint something – check out Compliment’s process on their Facebook album, “How to Build a Food Truck.”

Starting a Food Truck Tip #2: Use Social Media

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, social media is a pretty big deal these days.

Whether you’re hooked in to Facebook or Twitter, businesses all over the world have implemented social media to reach new audiences, develop brand awareness, and foster a richer relationship with customers.

For a mobile food truck, social media can be one your best assets. Since food carts lack a brick & mortar location and are always on the move, it’s essential to be able to broadcast to foodie fans where your current location is.

New customers might feel lazy – if it isn’t easy for them to find where you are, they’ll probably just pass you up. Even regular customers might not remember your exact hours at different locations. If you are running late (which you should do your best to avoid), it’s crucial that you don’t leave people waiting around for you.

Besides keeping folks up to date on your whereabouts, using social media for food trucks helps customers get to know you better. It’s your chance to show your fun side – let’s face it, if you are in the food truck biz, you are probably a bit of a personality (not just anyone dives into such uncharted, risky land of entrepreneurship).

Use your wackiness to your advantage – share photos of your latest food cart creations on Facebook, tweet funny comments by customers, and Google+ whatever the hell you want. No one ever goes on that thing anyway.

Starting a Food Truck Tip #3: Friendly Staff

A great staff is extremely valuable in many businesses, especially food service. A smiling face on the other side of the counter can make a customer’s experience, and even just exchanging a few polite pleasantries can set your truck apart from the sandwich shop down the street.

Make an effort to hire an amiable staff, and make the extra effort to chat up customers. They’ll remember you for it.

Starting a Food Truck Tip #4: Rotating Menu

Mobile food carts tend to have pretty limited menus, since one food truck can only hold so many supplies. This isn’t a bad thing at all – as one plagued by indecisiveness, I greatly appreciate a pithy menu.

However, customers can sometimes get bored when you only offer three menu items and they’ve tried them all. One great technique I’ve seen many food carts implement is a rotating menu.

Many food trucks will alter food offerings depending on what is in season. Some food trucks will scrap some menu items completely and develop entirely new creations.

Having a rotating menu not only gives customers some variety, but also lets you experiment as a chef. Let your culinary creativity run wild and try something new!

Experimenting with new menu items also lets you enter into a great social media dialogue with customers – ask them what they want to see on your menu, or what regulars think of the new dishes. If a dish doesn’t do so well – no problem, you can just try something different.

Advice on Starting a Food Cart Business: Interview Series

While these tips on how to open a successful food truck will help those looking for advice on starting a food truck, I’ve realized that despite my time with Boston food carts, I still don’t know all that much about the business side.

That’s why I’ve decided to start a new series in the upcoming months on how to open a food truck, or rather, things you should know before you take the plunge and go professional food truckin’.

I’ll be asking popular food trucks in the Boston area about their trials and tribulations in the food truck business, and what advice these mobile food experts can offer for food cart greenhorns.

What did you think of the tips on opening a food truck? Do you have any additional advice to offer those wanting to start a mobile food business? Leave your suggestions in the comments section!