It’s hard to imagine now, but ten years ago, there were only a few food trucks roaming the streets. Today, there are weekly food truck rallies, meet ups, and a dozen choices on any given street in every major city. While the competition is stiff, there’s still a lot of opportunity for people who want to make a name for themselves in the roving restaurant industry. But before you start rolling, read this guide to find out exactly what you’ll need to become a success.

First thing’s first: Come up with a killer concept. Make sure that you’re serving something that’s either really unique, or really good. Or, try to find a new twist on an old favorite – soft pretzels have been a food truck staple forever, but what if you serve them with a variety of housemade dipping sauces? Now you’ve found something that will make you stand out from the competition.

Next, find the right name. Do a search for other food trucks, restaurants, or other businesses in your area to make sure that your name is completely unique.

Before you serve your first dish, start marketing. Work with a designer to create a logo, and reserve all of the social media pages that you’ll use, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For roving food trucks that don’t have a permanent home, social media is the best way that you’ll be able to let your customers know where you’ll be each day, and you want to make sure that your pages look good. You’ll also want to create a simple website that lists your menu, a little bit about your product, and directs users to your social pages for the latest information.

Now, you’ll want to focus on preparing your food. Once you know what you’ll be serving, you should come up with a master list of all of the products that you’ll need to get up and running.

Keep things sanitary with gloves, hairnets and chef’s hats. Most state health departments require use of gloves and hair restraints in food trucks, so you’ll want to show that you have plenty on hand (and that you use them regularly) before your first inspection.

If you’re planning on grilling or frying foods, you’ll need to come up with a fry oil filtration system that works for you. You’ll extend the life of your frying oil with filter sheets and fryer cleaner, and your food will taste fresher.

Since you’ll also be providing a one-stop shop for everything that your diner needs to enjoy their to-go meal, make sure to stock up on disposable cutlery, like our stylish wooden forks, spoons, knives, and napkins to keep your guests neat and tidy.

Serving drinks? Don’t forget the straws, stirrers and coffee lid plugs (Stix To Go). Jumbo spoon straws, are perfect for milkshakes as they make them easier to scoop and sip.

Finally, since all of your food will be packed up in to go orders, you’ll need a good selection of take out containers to give your customers an easy way to cart their food.

With planning and preparation, you’ll be able to cut through the competition and make your new food truck business shine.

 

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