HOW TO START A FOOD TRUCK

The food truck market is a growing market with a lot of opportunity. The first step to success in this industry is having a healthy understanding of what it truly takes to operate a food truck. When people think about starting a food truck, usually the first thought is, “If my food is good, I’ll be successful.” While good food is important, it really is just the beginning. Here at Auto Contractors Ltd, our mission is to help our customers become as successful as possible as quickly as possible. With that in mind, we’ve put together the following items to consider when starting a food truck. If you can execute these things at a high level your chances of success will increase dramatically. 

1. Know Your “Why”

Like any business, starting a food truck will come with challenges. At some point, you are likely to face discouragement and setbacks. Being able to recall WHY you are doing this will be a helpful motivator for pushing through and overcoming the challenges that lie ahead. Share your “why” with some people close to you so they can remind you of your purpose when things get tough. While this can feel like a small thing, being able to overcome hurdles that are in your way is often times the difference between those who make it in this business and those who don’t, so keeping your motivation up during difficult times can be critical.

2. Know Your Local Codes, Rules, and Regulations

The last thing you want to do is get a food truck in your hands only to find out it is not compliant with your health codes, fire safety codes, business licensing requirements, or any other requirements you might face. This can be a tricky part of the process because regulations are different per state, county, and cities, so understanding who you’ll need to report to and what they want to see can be a challenge. Talk to other food trucks in the area to see what their experience has been, reach out to your local health department and fire marshal to understand what they’ll be looking for, and contact your city and let them know your plans. Working with your required government agencies ahead of time can help this portion of the process go surprisingly smooth, but trying to get them to pass something after the fact can go horribly wrong. We’ve heard countless horror stories of people buying used, or foreign products that are not approved ahead of time, and it ends up costing them thousands more to bring it up to code, and in many cases, it was so costly that it killed their business. Please don’t assume you’ll be fine without looking into these requirements ahead of time. This is why Auto Contractors Ltd provides any needed trailer plans, specs, and schematics that are required for all of our customers. Getting those plans pre-approved will fast-track the inspection process later.

3. Create a Profitable Menu

Developing your food truck menu is one of the most critical parts of the process because it will impact the food truck design, equipment needed, workflow, and total cost of the truck. Of course, you’ll want to make great food, but you will also need to make it consistently fast. There is a concept in the restaurant industry called “Service Speed”  how long does it take to serve your food from the time it is ordered to the time you plate it and hand it to the customer? A more complex menu will likely result in longer cook times, and therefore fewer customers served per hour, whereas a smaller menu will mean lots of plates being served in a short amount of time. A larger menu will also require more storage, more cooking capacity, more prep time, and increases your risk of more food waste. All this can add up to the total starting cost being a lot higher, and cook times being a lot slower. This is why it is often the case that less is more. With this in mind, we recommend starting with a small menu that has your core items on it. Test what works and doesn’t work, see what your money makers are, and then build around that. Once your core menu is set, you can always test new menu items along the way. At the end of the day, your menu will directly impact your plate’s per minute ratio and overall profits.

4. Food Truck Design

Now that you know your menu, creating the best food truck design just got a lot simpler. You’ll want a design that not only includes the proper equipment needed for your menu, but you’ll want it to be arranged in a way that makes your prep, cooking, plating, and serving as fluid and efficient as possible. We recommend of thinking of each of the stages as its own work station, and you want the work stations set up in a way where people in the food truck will cross each other as little as possible, and you want the prep, cooking, plating, and serving to flow, in order, from one to the next. The best thing you can do at this stage is partner with a professional. Some designers just try to fit specified equipment within the food truck and call it good. A true professional designer will ensure your truck is designed to achieve maximum efficiency by understanding your menu, the equipment needed to execute your menu, and the proper workflow so that you can serve a lot of food as quickly as possible.

5. Create a Food Truck Business Plan

Now that you have an idea of what your true costs are going to be, you are ready to make a business plan. This does not have to be overly complicated. Keep your plan flexible – there will be things that come up that are unexpected, and you’ll need to respond accordingly. 

At the very least, your plan needs to include:

• Projection of sales
• Projection of expenses
• Marketing Plan
  • Free Marketing
  • Paid Marketing
• Location(s)
• Hours of Operations
• Operational Contacts
  • Suppliers
  • Health and Fire Safety Officials
  • Vehicle Repair Contacts
  • Equipment Repair
  • Insurance
  • Legal Aid
  • Other trusted operators
• Employees
• Break even budget
• Etc.

6. Food Truck Location

Now it is time to consider your location strategy. You will need to decide on a model that fits your operation style. For example, you can have a mobile, permanent, semi-permanent, or catering style operation. You may also desire to have a combination of multiple functions. Ultimately your location will directly impact your model of operations.

Establishing partnerships with local businesses can be extremely beneficial to set up ahead of time. 

This can include:

• Retail Shops
• Food Truck Parks
• Breweries
• Factories
• Office Centres
• Hospitals
• Gas Stations
• Private land
• And more

Outside of that, there might be high traffic areas that are lacking food options as well, such as parking lots, highway exits, and we’ve seen a lot of our customers have success in small towns that have very limited food options. Local partnerships can take your business a long way and can help you establish a consistent operating schedule. If your customers know where you will be on any given day, it will make repeat business a lot easier. Large events such as fairs, carnivals, and concerts can be good money makers as well, if managed correctly.  Another option that has grown in popularity is turning your food truck into a drive-thru. Something else to keep in mind is you will want to research the protocol for whatever locations you settle on. Things like local noise ordinance laws and other local protocols can affect your operation, making it essential to do your research beforehand. Overall, you will want to have multiple location strategies on deck.

7. Powering Your Food Truck

After you’ve mapped out your food truck concept, it’s time to think about how you will power your mobile business. Typically, you can use generator power or shore power (an electrical plug that draws power from a permanent source). Food trucks are commonly powered by generators, and there are many different types of generators in the market. You will need to consider the equipment inside and conduct an electrical audit to determine what power level you will need when deciding what generator you will purchase. Essentially, you will have to choose between three types of generators: traditional portable generators (loud construction site type generators), inverter quiet portable generators (much quieter, more expensive, but also not quite as powerful) or in-line generators (quiet, directly wired into the food truck, most expensive solution). This is important to consider when buying your generator because you will need to understand how the sound produced from the machine will affect your business. Another factor to consider when purchasing is storing and securing your generator, so you will want to keep size in mind. Even when considering a permanent operating style, it is always good to own one. Generators are very valuable and provide the ability to power your truck and all the equipment inside on your own, allowing you to take your business to any location without power limitations. 

8. Buying a Food Truck

At AutoContractors Ltd, we understand that your food truck will be one of your largest investments, and it’s essential to get this part of your business right. Although we’re a new company in the UK, we work closely with an experienced and trusted manufacturer who has been building custom trailers for over 10 years. This partnership allows us to offer you high-quality food trucks and trailers, backed by decades of expertise and craftsmanship.

There are many dealers out there, each with different levels of experience, service, and build times. Unfortunately, like any industry, there are some that may not meet expectations—from those with limited expertise to others who may not have your best interests at heart. That’s why it’s so important to do your research, read reviews, and get referrals to ensure you’re working with a company you can trust.

Buying a food truck isn’t like buying a car. It’s a collaborative process where you work with a dealer to design and build a custom vehicle tailored to your exact needs. It’s important to understand build times, which typically take around 30 days for your truck to be fully operational after delivery. A reliable dealer will also help you connect with financing partners and other industry experts when needed.

At AutoContractors Ltd, we pride ourselves on transparency and honesty throughout the entire process. Once you finalize your build time and make your deposit, you’ll be well on your way to getting your custom food truck on the road. We’re here to guide you through every step, ensuring that your dream becomes a reality with quality, expertise, and a smooth process.

9. How to Run a Food Truck

Once you’ve considered everything you need to get your food truck business started, the next step is figuring out how to actually run it. Operating a food truck involves many variables—too many to cover in one place. However, a great way to begin is by connecting with your local food truck community. These groups are an invaluable resource for advice, tips, and support from people who have been in your shoes.

Social media has also proven to be an excellent tool for many of our customers. Food truck owner community pages provide insights from experienced operators and offer the opportunity to ask specific questions related to your needs. One of our favourite pages is Food Truck Training, which offers a wealth of information for new and seasoned food truck owners alike.

Beyond community support, there are other important aspects of running your food truck. You’ll need to figure out where to source your food and supplies, choose the best locations for serving your customers, and develop a social media strategy to boost your presence. Additionally, you may need to plan for tools like ordering systems, pagers, or awnings to enhance the customer experience.

It’s also essential to plan for practical considerations, such as where you can store, dump, and fill your water supply. And don’t forget that as the seasons change, you may need to winterize your trailer to protect it through colder months.

Running a food truck is a lot of work, but with the right preparation and resources, you’ll be set up for success. Once you’re up and running, all the effort you’ve invested in planning will ensure smoother sailing as you grow your business.

Next Steps

Thank you so much for reading through this guide. We genuinely hope you found it helpful. An investment in yourself is one always worth making.

Now that you have thought through these steps, what questions do you have? We’d love to connect and help any way possible. Here are some ways to stay in touch: