Common Mistakes To Avoid When Opening A Food Truck

Running a food truck has become a viable way to make a living. There are food trucks that serve everything from barbecue to ice cream. If you choose a unique menu and find a few good places to park, you should be able to build a customer base and turn a profit. However, there are a few mistakes to avoid as you do so.

Mistake #1: Not consulting the health department regulations before you build

In most municipalities, the health department has regulations that food trucks need to follow. Often, some of these regulations apply to the truck. They specify the kind and number of sinks you must have, how hot your heating equipment needs to get, and so forth. You don't want to build out your truck only to find it does not meet health department requirements. Check these requirements and build to suit them.

Mistake #2: Trying to do it all yourself

It may be hard to hire employees or an employee at first when you're still growing and building a customer base, but you really need to do it. Running a food truck is a demanding business. Before you even go out in the truck, you have to prep all the food. If you can hire even just one person to help with the prep, you will have a much easier time getting everything done, which means you'll be able to serve in more spots and earn even more.

Mistake #3: Trying to cook in the truck

Many food truck owners start out trying to actually cook in the truck and then quickly realizing they can't keep doing it. Trucks become incredibly hot in the summer, and there is limited space. Try to design a menu that you can prepare ahead in the commissary, and then keep warm or heat-to-serve foods in the truck. The less actual cooking you do in the truck, the better.

Mistake #4: Driving too far from your base

Eventually, you might have so much hype and demand that it's worth driving far away from your commissary to serve. But at first, you want to stay close to home. This way, you can focus on raising awareness of your brand within the community. And you will use a lot less fuel, which is a major expense.

Avoid the mistakes above and you should have an easier time getting your food truck business up and running. For more information about mobile food trucks and how to get started, reach out to a local service, such as Shanghai Mobile Kitchen Solutions.