You are at the music festival enjoying a perfect afternoon, the skies are sunny and you are surrounded by happy people all digging the great tunes. The only thing is, you have been there since morning and your stomach is starting to grumble louder than the music! That’s when your nose twitches to a delightful aroma wafting across the crowd from the parking area- someone is cooking up some fantastic food nearby, and you realize you have got to go get some! You make your way out of the crowd following your nose!
At last, you see the source of this amazing, mouthwatering scent- someone has parked their food truck there and wafting from under the canopy a trail of smoke can be seen, the telltale sign of barbecue! There is a line of people forming, other hungry festival goers like you have also answered the siren smell emanating from this mobile eatery! You eagerly queue up, your mouth watering as you watch those who have gone before you walk away with heaping plates of scrumptious steaming ribs along with various delicious-looking condiments and side dishes! It’s only a few minutes as you shift from foot to foot waiting your turn, then at last you are at the front of the line and can at long last say “I’ll have what they’re having!”
Once you find a spot to sit on the grass and tuck in, you, like others before you, realize that not only is this stuff heavenly, you want to make it yourself, and follow in the tyre tracks of those other pioneers of the food truck industry who have made travelling meals their stock and trade! Consumer food preferences change over time, but there has always been a big demand for affordably priced high-quality food that isn’t fast food. The food trucks is uniquely suited to provide such a service, and the relatively low entry costs when compared to a brick-and-mortar restaurant allow you to get up started quickly without breaking your bank!
So, what do you need to do to get your food truck up and running?
Research – Who do you want to cook for, and what do they want to eat? The best way to find out is to go visit the places that your area’s food trucks frequent, and make some observations about what they have on offer and what sells best! Can you come up with a menu that is as successful as theirs without lifting their concept whole cloth? What’s your personal spin on the cuisine that you might want to make your business, do you have your own secret recipe that you think the crowd will line up for? Speaking of lining up, where is the current competition parking, and is there some great locale they haven’t thought of? Outside public parks and sporting events, or various local fairs and festivals are givens, but what about the busy city street corners where hungry office workers pass by looking for lunch, or near college campuses? Students are always hungry and looking for some great affordable eats!
Menu – This is the fun part. Once you have done your research you can conjure up your magic menu to please the hungry masses! Think about your own personal favourite dishes, and how you would present them to the public. What foods are you famous for among family and friends? What’s that special thing you always bring to block parties and family picnics that everyone raves over? It’s important to be able to make it fast on the fly, so bear that in mind. One great way to experiment is to throw a party and invite a bunch of hungry people over, then you can cook up a storm and watch their reactions, there’s no better way to learn than by doing! Finally, settle on something fairly simple like three main courses, three sides, condiments, and at least one special dessert, then let your customers choose from those. Remember, whatever it is, it’s got to be easy to eat standing up!
Business Stuff – Much has been written elsewhere about the nitty gritty aspects like equipment, supplies, licenses, etc., more than we have room for here today. The main purpose of this article is to inspire the creative side of this venture and get you excited about your new career as a food truck chef on the go!
Bon Appetite!
