This could be your year. All trending data point to this year being a good year to get into the food truck business. Have you always wanted to be your own boss, but don’t have the money to invest in a brick and mortar restaurant or shop?
A food truck may be a great way for you to be your own boss without overextending yourself. Check out these 5 reasons to start a food truck this year.
1. Lots of Growth Popularity
According to experts, the size of the food truck industry is estimated to grow by nearly 20% in 2019. So now is the perfect time to get your food truck started.
2. A More Affordable Option
Choosing to open a food truck is also a more affordable option because the initial investment required is a lot less than it would be for a brick and mortar business, $250K-$500K vs. $100K-$200K.
3. Fosters Innovation
According to a recent Forbes report, 34% of vendors say that having a mobile food business allows them to regularly experiment with new menu items.
4. A Very Diverse Industry
It is really true. Anyone can own a food truck. Currently in San Francisco, 38% are immigrant-owned, 38% are women-owned, 8% LGBTQ-owned and 2% military/vet-owned. You will be joining an open and diverse industry.
5. Increase in Mobile Lifestyle
One of the big reasons, the popularity of food trucks continue to grow is that more and more people are living a mobile lifestyle, always on the go, looking for quick, but well-made and diverse food choices. The popularity of pop-up events has also led to the need for more food trucks.
Sold on the idea of starting your own food truck? Here are some basic questions you will have to ask yourself:
Where Will You Be Taking Your Food Truck? The size of your truck is crucial to the success of your food truck so pick it carefully. Too big and it will be hard to drive and maneuver around, not to mention making parking on city streets a nightmare. Too small and you and your staff will be crowded together like sardines and it will be hard to keep everything sanitary and working in an efficient manner.
Experts recommend that you take into consideration what you will use the truck for when making your decision. If you are going to be parking your truck on the streets and vending out of it, then a smaller truck about 14 to 16 foot would probably be best.
On the other hand, if you plan on catering parties and special events as well as vending then a bigger truck will be necessary.
How Much Staff Will You Need? Another thing you should consider when selecting a food truck, is how many staff will be on the truck at any given time. To answer this you really need to figure out your work flow and be honest about how many staff it will take to run your operations efficiently. If you only really need two to three people then fitting into a smaller bus won’t be a problem, but if you need more than 3 people and you require several work stations to prepare and cook all the food then a bigger truck makes more sense.
Also don’t forget that your truck needs to have enough seats with seatbelts for all your staff members that will be driving around in the food truck. It is required by law for the safety of everyone involved. Your only other option is to have some of your staff drive separately to each location.
How Much Equipment and Inventory Will You Need? You should also factor in how much equipment and inventory you will need. Do you just need a grill and a couple of fryers and some refrigerator space and storage or does your menu require a lot of specialty equipment that you will need room for?
The best way to make sure you have considered everything is to think about how you prepare each dish on your menu and then make a list of all the tools and supplies you will need. Then consider how you will store everything.
Even if you think you will start out initially with a smaller menu, if you plan on expanding it at any time make sure you have the space for it from the start. Trying to upgrade space and equipment later on will get really costly.
Will You Have a Commissary? Knowing the health code laws in your city is important. Many cities require you to prepare and store your food at a commissary instead of on your truck. This can be a factor in your choice of size and layout of your truck. You can get away with a smaller truck if you are doing most of your prep and storage in a commercial kitchen.
How Many Customers Will I Serve Daily? Another big question you should ask yourself is how many customers do I want to serve each day. This will influence the size of the truck you will need and how much storage space you will need.
Start Thinking about Design and Layout Now. While you will be doing the actual design of your food truck after you have settle on the size and purchased it, you should have an idea of what you want early on because it will help you decide on a size.
Give yourself time to visualize what the inside of the truck will look like and how you see the work flowing. Where do you see the grill? Where makes the most sense to have the prep area? Where will the service window go? A bad layout can cause a lot of bottlenecking inside the truck. How much space you have will affect how you can lay everything out.
It can all seem a little overwhelming but with the right knowledge and support, you will be on your way to running a successful food truck business in no time. If you join Zac’s Burgers’ burger bus licensing program we will help you every step of the way, from selecting your food truck to buying equipment and laying it out and of course the daily running of the bus. We want you to be successful so we will make sure you have all the resources on how to start a food truck.
If you are interested in joining the Zac’s Burgers family, call us or message us today to find out more about their burger buses.
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Zac's Burgers is presently not selling franchises and does not have a certified franchise disclosure document. Zac's is offering licensing opportunities, however, potential licensees must meet all federal and state requirements.
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