There are over 24,000 active food truck businesses in the U.S. Whether you’re starting out or have been delivering food on the go for years, maintaining your truck is extremely important. 

But what goes into regular food truck maintenance? And why is it so important?

That’s what we’ll be looking at today. In this article, we’re highlighting why regular maintenance matters for your food truck and tips on keeping your vehicle in tip-top shape. 

Regular Maintenance Delivers More Food

The low-hanging fruit of regular food truck maintenance is that it keeps your operation going. The more you pay attention to how your truck is doing, the more time you can spend on the street selling your products. 

Many people choose food trucks because it’s cheaper and slightly easier than owning a traditional storefront. The number of documents and regulations you have to work around is different than owning a store, but it’s still necessary. 

Additionally, just as a traditional restaurant owner has to pay attention to their AC units or other machinery, a food truck owner needs to keep their eye on their truck. 

After all, if your truck stops working, your entire business grinds to a halt. 

Less Downtime Equals Greater Revenue

Things like checking your engines, keeping a tidy washing station, and maintaining a good power supply are just a few things you can do to keep your food truck in good shape. 

Being on top of preventative maintenance benefits you in the long run. A Decisiv & Oakley study found that truck maintenance improved food trucks’ revenue by reducing downtime. 

Unexpected downtime that comes from fixing lingering truck issues eats away at your productivity. You have less time to serve your customers, meaning your revenues will drop. 

You also can’t afford to lose potential catering customers by having an unreliable truck. If you’re booked to cater a private event, make sure your truck is in good working order ahead of time so you don’t have any unfortunate surprises on the big day.

Food Truck Maintenance Tips

So what can you do to make sure your food truck is running at maximum efficiency? Because a food truck is essentially a mini-restaurant, you should ideally keep a truck maintenance checklist.

Here are some key points that you can include:

Check Your Battery

Your foodservice operation is quite reliant on your truck’s battery. Check to make sure it’s not running out of juice and replace it when it’s no longer operating reliably. 

Watch Fluids

Check your truck’s transmission, brake, and power steering fluids throughout the year. Sometimes winter seasons can diminish their effectiveness. 

Change Oil Regularly

Lubricating your engine with the right oil will prevent unwanted downtime. Always find time for oil changes to make sure you’re never hampered by breakdowns during your regular food service. 

Check Filters

Oil, fuel, transmission, and air filters are common mechanisms that preserve your engine. Check these filters and change them according to manufacturer specifications to keep everything chugging along. 

Watch Tire Pressure

Flat tires can ruin just about anyone’s day, especially food truck owners who are right in the middle of service. Be on top of your tire pressure to make sure you never have to fill up at inconvenient times. Keeping a close eye on your tires will also make you aware if one of them possibly has a slow leak and needs to be replaced.

Leverage Regular Food Truck Maintenance Today

A healthy food truck means more consistent service and greater revenues. Leverage regular maintenance to keep your food truck business profitable in the long run. 

Looking for your first food truck, or another mobile kitchen to add to your expanding fleet? Contact us today and we can get you started on a solution right away!

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

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The last year has changed so much about how the food and restaurant business operates. Many people relied heavily on order ahead and food delivery services, a trend that doesn’t seem to be slowing down. 

Thanks to order-ahead food truck apps, this proverbial ship has been able to stay afloat through the pandemic and beyond. In fact, integrating online food ordering into your food truck business can ensure your ship not only stays afloat but has an upgraded propulsion system and is ready to sail!

Here are three unique ways to use this technology to your advantage!

1. Mobile Order Ahead

What makes this service so useful is that it lets QSRs build clout on the internet through mobile apps and PC web browsers while ensuring the customers’ orders will be prepared in advance.

This means that wait times will be practically nonexistent. Customers can show up when their order has been completed, pick up their meal, and be on their merry way.

Here’s a little food for thought. If everyone is on the internet these days, then where do you think your food truck business should be?

If you guessed the internet, then congrats! You’ve already got the right mindset!

2. Using the Right QSR App

Don’t just settle for any QSR app. Make sure the one you choose fits with your catering business needs. Here are three tried-and-true QSR apps you can find on the market today!

Square for Restaurants 

This is arguably the #1 best point of sale service on the market. It has an online store integrated into it and a conversational ordering system. Better yet, its baseline service is free.

Revel Systems

Cloud-based, highly customizable, detailed reporting, and has a loyalty baseline subscription. Comes with a price.

Toast

Easy-to-use, contactless ordering and payments, always making new tools. Also has a price.

The trick is to choose a QSR app that has a highly conversational system so you can interact with your customers during the life of the sale. Customers want to know when their meal will be ready and the step-by-step process by which it is being made. If the app you’re using provides this feature, then you’re doing things right!

3. Reach More Customers With Delivery Apps

Instead of hiring people to deliver food to your customers, consider partnering with a delivery app to save money. What makes these apps convenient is their ease-of-access systems and cheap delivery options.

Here are some tried-and-true delivery apps:

• Postmates
• Doordash
• UberEats
• Grubhub

Using one of these apps gives you access to another customer base that you might not otherwise tap into, but be careful—many of them charge hefty fees. This is a decision you’ll want to do your research on before deciding if it’s worth it for your food truck business.

Don’t Wait to Transform Your Food Truck Business

There has never been a better time than now to change how your food truck business operates. Everyone has gotten used to the ease and convenience of ordering ahead online, or ordering online for delivery.

With the aid of online food ordering and delivery apps, you can flip the switch in a matter of minutes. Take your food to your customers and they’ll keep coming back for more!

Have Food Truck Questions?

Before you get online ordering and delivery set up, it helps if you already have your food truck up and running! Need help getting started on your food truck journey? Give us a call today at (800) 910-8533, or fill out a free quote request to be contacted by one of our food truck specialists.

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post 3 Ways to Integrate Online Food Ordering into Your Food Truck Business appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Keep on trucking. 

The food truck industry is growing rapidly. It is valued at more than one billion dollars, with nearly 25,000 businesses on the road. 

If you want to run an affordable and fun restaurant, a food truck is perfect for you. But you are going to have a lot of competition. How can you stand out? 

Here is a guide to the most popular foods in food truck cuisine. 

Burgers

Burgers are an all-American classic. They’re easy to make. Throw some beef on a grill, brown it on both sides, then slide it in between two pieces of bread. 

Yet there are thousands of street trucks selling burgers. To be successful, you will need to put a spin on your burgers. 

Use bison, ostrich, turkey, or lamb. These meats are healthier than beef, and far fewer trucks sell them. 

Top your burgers with interesting cheeses, like sharp cheddar, Swiss, or feta. Add other interesting toppings like bacon, avocado, and fresh-made sauces. Use potato rolls and French bread instead of white burger rolls. 

You’ll also want to have creative sides. Sell loaded fries, poutine, and baked potatoes. 

Pizza

Pizza is only second to burgers as the most popular street food. It’s also simple. Put some cheese and sauce on some dough and throw it in the oven. 

But people want more than Prego sauce and shredded mozzarella. Make your own tomato sauce. Infuse crushed tomatoes with onions, garlic, and fresh spices—or try something different to put a unique spin on your pies.

Spice things up a bit: try using freshly sliced buffalo mozzarella as your cheese. Top your pizzas with fresh meats and vegetables.

For best results, cook your pizzas in a wood-fired oven. Let your customers see you roll dough, prepare toppings, and bake their pizzas. The more authentic the pizza is, the more they will want to buy it. 

Curry

Curry is popular throughout Asia for its affordability and strong flavors. Few food trucks sell curry in the United States, so you will stand out all the more for selling some good ones. 

Stew chicken with ginger, turmeric, coriander, and other spices. Serve over Basmati rice, and side it with naan bread. 

Curry is also a great option if you want to sell vegetarian foods. Stew chickpeas in coconut milk and diced tomatoes. Stir in ginger, cayenne, and lime juice. 

Experiment with sweet potatoes, green beans, and carrots. Curry takes longer to cook than other dishes, but it has rich flavors unmatched in those dishes, and it’s a big crowd pleaser.

Falafel

Falafel is another popular street food in the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. Like curry, falafel has flavors not found in most American dishes. 

Soak chickpeas in water until they loosen. Dry the chickpeas, then mix them with garlic, onions, and herbs in a food processor. Form them into small balls and deep fry them. 

Serve falafel with tahini sauce and fresh vegetables. Wrap them in a pita for easy transportation. 

Go to the Experts on Food Truck Cuisine

Food truck cuisine is ever-evolving. Keep up with demand by standing out in your marketplace. 

Make burgers made from different meats. Use fresh and premium ingredients in your pizzas. Serve non-American street foods, like curry and falafel. 

Keep searching for new food menu ideas, but be sure and talk to mobile food truck experts before launching any food truck. To get started on your own truck today, contact us for a free quote. 

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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Photo by Polina Kovaleva from Pexels

By the end of the year, roughly 92% of people will not have achieved their New Year’s resolutions. But, if you haven’t made immense progress in just over one month, that doesn’t mean you should scrap your resolutions altogether!

If you had some goals set for your food truck business, this is a great time to reassess them and get back on track. Grab a pen and some paper because you’re about to learn how to stick to your food truck plan and make some achievements this year. 

Break Down Goals

Setting huge goals often means you won’t cross the finish line for a while. The longer it takes to see results, the more unattainable the goal will start to feel, and the more likely you are to give up on it. 

Taking these high aspirations and breaking them down into manageable tasks is more useful. Say your goal was to take your business online this year. Break that down even further and decide where on the internet you want people to find you.

Do you want to build a website, or do you want to make a social media account? What form of social media would you use? 

Once you can answer these questions, decide who is best suited to take the steps required to launch your online platform. You can then establish a timeline, mapping out when you would like to get each action on the plan ticked off. 

Make an Outline

Sometimes a whole year is too long of a time frame for you to stay motivated about your food truck business plan. For instance, if you want to expand your food truck to include online ordering you’ll need to come up with a logistical plan to keep things running smoothly—including setting yourself up on an online platform, tracking order fulfillment, etc. If you give yourself an entire twelve months to do so, you might not get around to the task for a while. 

Setting monthly or quarterly goals can be more beneficial. Since you have already broken down your resolutions into small tasks, you can set deadlines for them. Making this outline will motivate you to get them done and keep you moving toward what you ultimately want to achieve. 

Track Your Progress 

When you complete a task, you should write it down somewhere. Every time you achieve a goal, the dopamine levels in your brain spike. Psychologically, your brain is more willing to repeat that action.

You can build off these progress trackers the following year too. Perhaps one of your intentions this year is to increase your food truck revenue. Tracking the percent increase from this year will give you an idea of what realistic expectations you should have going into the next one. 

Keep on Going with Your Food Truck Plan

Remember that failure is normal, and it doesn’t mean you can’t get back on track. Write down a purpose as to why you want to achieve the list of goals on your food truck plan to remind you why you are striving for them in the first place. 

Last but not least, if one of your New Year’s resolutions is to upgrade your food truck, don’t hesitate to reach out today for a free quote. 

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post Your New Year’s Resolutions and Food Truck Plan: A Follow-Up Guide appeared first on Custom Concessions.

So, you want to start a food truck business, and you’ve heard others talk about step vans, but what are they?

Also called “multi-stop trucks,” Chevrolet was the first to refer to them as “step vans,” which is the most widely-used term today. These trucks are most often seen delivering packages, baked goods, snacks, and the like. 

Step vans are a fantastic option for a mobile food truck. They’re tall enough to allow you to stand and move around in, and you have ample space for essential equipment. Since they’re usually only a couple steps up, they sit low and are easy to enter and exit. 

Keep reading to learn more about step vans and whether one is the right fit for your food truck business. 

Why Step Vans Are a Perfect Fit for Foodservice

1. Proven Track Record

Step vans and foodservice have a long history together. 

Since the 1930s, they’ve been used as forward-control food trucks to deliver milk and baked goods. Today, many entrepreneurs turn them into food trucks that offer everything from classic ice cream to gourmet dishes. Mobile food trucks are a significant trend across the US.  

In 2015, the food truck industry was valued at nearly $857 million. 

2. Ample Space to Work

If you’re in the foodservice industry already, you know that having space to move around and work is paramount, especially when there’s more than one person in the kitchen. Step vans offer quick passage and sufficient storage options.

Having the room for more equipment means you can get specialty appliances such as pizza ovens or espresso machines to help take your truck to the next level.

3. Customization

Step vans are also highly-customizable, allowing you to maximize efficiency and stand out. You can experiment with accessories such as TVs, security systems, speakers, retractable awnings, service stations, and more.

Size is another important thing to consider. With step vans ranging in length from 12 to 30 feet, there is a large range of sizes to suit your needs. Whether you’re operating a small ice cream truck or a massive stadium food truck, you can find a step van to meet your needs.

4. Mobility

With a mobile food truck, you can take your business to the customers. You can travel to events and festivals, as well as go on tours for higher earning potential. Explore new markets easily by packing up and driving to the next area of interest, as long as you’ve got the proper permits first. 

You can do all of this and more without committing to the substantial investment involved in purchasing and maintaining a brick-and-mortar establishment. 

Financing a Food Truck

While it may not cost as much as opening a restaurant on a street corner, starting a food truck business is still a business, and will require some investment to get started. 

Finance your food truck through investors, use your savings, or search for business loans to meet your needs. Just be sure to create a business plan, as it’s an essential document required to apply for the various types of loans available.

Where Will Your New Food Truck Take You?

With a fully-capable, customizable, mobile kitchen you can take your business anywhere! 

If you’ve on a step van for your food truck, you’ve just opened up the opportunity for extraordinary earning potential. Take your new food truck to festivals, events, and new street corners throughout your community.

Ready to learn more about our mobile-kitchen solutions? Contact us today for a quote on custom step vans!

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post What Makes Step Vans So Popular as Food Trucks? appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Photo by Mansoor Del on Unsplash

Often times when you hear of someone starting a food truck, they either live in a big city, or they’re planning to move there and make a go of it. But a food truck business can operate successfully in smaller cities and towns as well; you don’t necessarily need to make that big move if you like the small-town atmosphere better.

Read on for a comprehensive guide to making the most of your small town business food truck.

Location

Your food truck’s location is critical to generating repeat sales and overall success. You cannot expect to see enough customers if you are off the beaten path.

Instead, find a main road that town residents often visit. Perhaps near a popular shopping center, in the downtown historic district, or near a major highway for commuters.

Each town has different rules for zoning regarding where you can set up shop. When doing the research to select your location, reach out to your local government to get clearance.

Create a Unique Menu

Each small town has a set of dining staples. It is hard to compete against local spots with a great reputation and a loyal customer base.

One way start building your own customer base is by offering a unique menu. If you offer exciting food items that are not available anywhere else nearby, customers are more likely to come. Since small towns tend to have fewer different types of food on offer, if you bring in something completely new people are bound to be curious and give your treats a try.

Use Digital Marketing

You cannot rely on location alone to attract customers. You need to get the word out in other ways. Social media and e-mail marketing are effective digital marketing measures to reach new and existing customers.

Platforms like Facebook and Instagram provide business owners with a valuable tool. You can generate buzz for your food truck online. Be sure to share high-quality images of your food to attract likes and shares.

Many successful food trucks ask their customers to follow them on social media. You can also collect e-mail addresses at the point of sale. This way, you can mass distribute coupons, specials, and exciting additions to the menu.

Price for Success

A key component to long-term success is finding the right price range for your menu. Of course, you do not want the menu to be overly expensive. Most people do not expect to spend a fortune at a food truck.

At the same time, you need to generate enough revenue to keep the business afloat. The cost of each menu item needs to reflect the labor required and the ingredients included. It is important that you find the right balance between profit and an attractive price.

Succeeding With Your Small Town Business Food Truck

Your food truck is the recipe for navigating these challenging times. Food trucks do not rely on indoor dining to bring in customers and you don’t have to be in a big city to operate one. Instead, you can generate revenue with unique menu items.

If you are interested in purchasing a food truck for your small town business, contact us today to speak with a sales associate.

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post Small Town Business: How To Succeed With Your Food Truck appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Photo: Freepik

In the United States alone, there are over 25,000 food trucks!

How do you make yours stand out in a sea of others?

One key is through food truck advertising on social media. Keep reading to discover seven tips for a successful social media strategy. 

1. Keep Your Socials Updated

When it comes to social media advertising for your food truck, nothing is more important than keeping your socials up to date! You shouldn’t make an Instagram one week and then neglect it the next. If people come across one of your social media platforms that seems abandoned, they’ll think that your food truck has been too.

2. Location Information

As a food truck, you’re constantly on the move. At any given time, if someone feels like eating a burrito from your truck specifically, they should be able to look on any of your socials and find out where you will be and at what times. 

Customers don’t have the luxury of always counting on your truck to be there, like with a brick and mortar store. Think of updating your social media with your location as paying your rent to stay in the same spot. It needs to be done!

You can make it easier on yourself by linking your socials to one location page that you update.

3. Menus (With Labels)

Perhaps one of the worst things about trying to eat out is trying to find a menu that seems ever so elusive. Very few people want to go to a restaurant if they have no idea what their options will be and how much they’ll cost. Your socials should include a way to easily access your current menu. 

Additionally, so many people these days have dietary restrictions, whether vegetarian, vegan or food allergies. Your menu should be very clear about what’s in your dishes and should be labeled accordingly. 

4. Use Stories

People love to know who’s behind the wheel and the spatula! So let your customers get to know you. Post stories about where you are on any given day, what new recipes you’re creating, and the amazing customers that you meet. 

Stories will help you connect with new clients and reconnect with old ones and they’re especially popular at food truck festivals. 

5. Repost User Content

It’s common practice to take photos of your food, especially when it’s from a food truck that’s active on social media. People love to feel heard, so a repost to the feed or to your story is a fantastic way to grow a loyal following. Plus, it saves you a lot of time creating your own photos. 

Use a social media scheduling service that keeps track of user-generated content and allows you to quickly organize your social feeds. 

6. Offer Unique Discounts

Offering discounts on your food for a follow on social media is a great way to get new followers and loyal customers. Every few weeks post something special on one of your accounts with a unique “codeword” that gets people a discount or bonus item.

7. Engage, Engage, Engage

On all of your socials, you need to constantly be engaging—whether with customers, foodies, bloggers, or other food trucks. Seeing your username popping up in feeds and comments will create brand recognition, and more importantly, get you new customers. 

Start Your Food Truck Advertising Plan Today

Now that you know how food truck advertising on social media works, plan your own strategy. Set up times throughout the day to be active on social media and to update your location. 

Keep reading to discover more tips and tricks to a successful food truck business!

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post 7 Essential Tips for Food Truck Advertising on Social Media appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Photo: Rawpixel

Facebook can be a critical free marketing tool for your food truck. If you don’t have the time or money to invest in creating a website for your food truck business, having a Facebook business page is probably your next best bet. 

Not sure what to post or how to get started? Let’s explore some of the ways you can keep customers engaged, and possibly attract future regulars to your truck!

Food Truck Facebook Tips

1. Share Your Location & Schedule

Share your daily location and any changes in your regular schedule. This is especially important if you don’t set up shop in the same place regularly. How can customers buy food at your truck if they can’t find it easily? If you are set up in front or in the parking lot of a business, consider tagging them in your post so potential customers can find you easily.

2. Post Food Specials

If you have a rotating menu, post your daily or weekly specials. Have a different special every day? You might want to share a brief menu for the week on Sunday or Monday so customers can plan ahead to eat at your truck on days their favorite food is being served. Follow that up with individual posts throughout the week of what the special is for each particular day.

Sharing these types of posts works especially well when you have an enticing food photo to whet your followers’ appetites.

3. Personal Updates

Post occasional personal updates about yourself or your employees, or just life around the food truck. This could include sharing big life events, new hire announcements, or photos of employees doing daily tasks with a smile. Something short and sweet will be easy to put together and showcase a personal touch.

For example, you could share a photo of a new team member and say something like, “This is Julia, the newest member of our food truck family. Her favorite food on the menu is … Welcome to the team, Julia!” Followers will enjoy getting to feel like they have an insight into operations on your food truck.

4. Food Truck Humor

Post memes or gifs that you find funny and relatable to your food. Customers will love seeing your humorous side.

5. Advertise Event Participation

Invite your followers to community events that your food truck will be participating in. Fairs, festivals, block parties, and holiday celebrations are all fair game. Posting a few times in the month leading up to the event is a great way to build anticipation and maximize your reach. In these posts, be sure and tag the organization putting on the event to get even more eyes on your content.

6. Get Customer Feedback

Post surveys for customer feedback: voting on upcoming menu specials, giving feedback about their customer experience at your truck, getting suggestions for people with dietary restrictions or kids, etc. The most engagement on posts occurs when you give the customer a question to answer that is relevant to them in some way.

This kills two birds with one stone: it gets your customers thinking about your truck and your food, and it also gives you helpful information that you can use to better tailor your food truck operations. Getting customer feedback will help you provide the best possible customer experience, which will in turn get you more business in the long run.

7. Use Hashtags to Expand Your Reach

Use relevant hashtags to make your content more easily searchable on Facebook and other social platforms you might use. This will boost the number of people who could potentially see your content. Just be careful not to overuse hashtags. A couple of concise and pertinent tags will do the trick.

8. Engage with Comments

Be sure to regularly check and moderate your comments! This is especially important if someone has a complaint that they decide to share on social media. By ignoring negative comments, you could signal to potential customers that you don’t care about their customer experience.

Be calm and professional when responding to negative feedback, but equally, thank people for taking the time to write something positive about your truck as well. This can be a good opportunity to invite them to come back in the future.

9. Use Facebook Ads

As a food truck owner, you might not have much of an advertising budget built into your business plan. This is where Facebook can really make it easy for small businesses to promote themselves. You can spend as much or as little as you would like on ads for your truck, and make sure it is only reaching relevant audiences, like people in your surrounding area.

Even if you can’t advertise on a regular basis, you might want to consider paying for a short run of targeted ads if you have a big event coming up, like a festival or fair in your area.

Facebook as A Food Truck Marketing Tool

We hope these tips have been helpful in getting your Facebook game on point. Social media is a powerful tool for sharing information and connecting with your customers, so don’t miss those opportunities. Now that you have some direction, get out there and start posting!

Don’t have your dream truck yet, or want to upgrade? Contact us for a free quote.

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post Social Media Marketing: How to Engage Your Food Truck Customers on Facebook appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Did you know that the Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival made 29.6 million dollars in 2019?

There’s no doubt that there is good money to be made as a festival food truck. Yet, there are so many mistakes that can take a bite out of your profit.

Here are 5 common food truck festival mistakes and how to avoid them.

1. Failing to Know the Competition

One of the most common mistakes people make when joining a festival food truck event is forgetting to inquire about the competition.

The number of attendees is important to know, but you also need to find out how many other vendors there will be. You’ll especially need to know if there is already another vendor selling the same cuisine.

Depending on the size of the festival, it might not be worth your effort to attend if the competition is fierce. 

At the very least, be sure to ask the event organizer to put your stall far away from any direct competitors.

2. Having an Expansive Menu

Another mistake is trying to reel in more customers by having a wide variety of menu options.

The more choices on your menu, the longer it will take you to move customers through the queue. When choices are plentiful, and lineups are long, many customers will simply choose elsewhere.

Consider cutting out the items on your menu that take the longest to make. Festival food trucks need to keep up a high speed of service.

There’s no reason not to have a festival menu that is simple for you and your customers. Plus, lowering the number of your offerings means that you can buy ingredients in bulk for cheaper.

3. Wrong Pricing 

A rookie mistake many food trucks make at festivals is with menu pricing. Remember, foodies are attending in order to sample as many options as possible.

Having a few low-cost menu options will bring new customers to your stand. Remember, lots of people will have cash with them. Keep that in mind when pricing items and keep it simple.

Items for $2, $5, and $10 makes paying for it and getting change easy peasy.

4. Not Buying Enough

You buy double the ingredients you think you will need. Yet, you still run out. Then, you have to rush to the store to buy ingredients at a higher price point.

Not only is that bad money management, but it’s also stressful and drives customers away.

Be sure to come to the festival armed with more ingredients than you think you could possibly go through. As long as your truck has plenty of dry and refrigerated storage, it’s OK to have leftovers.

Having extra after a busy day is better than the alternative. 

5. Ignoring Social Media

If you aren’t posting on social media before, and during the food festival, you are missing a huge opportunity to get your name in front of festival foodies.

Plus, all the other vendors will be promoting on social media, so you should too.

Be sure to use the festival hashtag in the weeks leading up to the festival. Make a point of engaging with people who are excited about the upcoming event.

Post pictures of your festival menu a day or so beforehand. This allows foodies to plan what they will eat on the festival day.

Also, make sure you let people know your location during the festival.  

Have A Successful Festival Food Truck

There you have it! 5 of the worst festival food truck mistakes people make, and how to avoid them.

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The post 5 Food Truck Festival Mistakes You Could Make (And How to Avoid Them!) appeared first on Custom Concessions.

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As a food truck operator, you know that in order to earn big you need to make the right choices in operating your food truck.

Here are some tips on how to keep customers cool and happy when the temperatures are up. 

Set Up Near Green Spaces 

Heat islands are a phenomenon that makes it feel many degrees hotter in urban areas than it is in surrounding greener areas. 

A jumble of roofs and pavements work together to bump up the temperatures. So, instead of a parking lot in a business park, opt to set up near a green space. Especially on those days where it is going to get hot, hot, hot.

Look for any patch of green: a golf course, a football field, a park. If you can find some trees to park under, even better!

Not only will trees block the sun from beating down on your customers, they will also provide cooling shade for your truck. 

Park Strategically

Running a food truck involves a lot of strategic decisions. One of them is where you will park. 

If you are attending an event, ask if you can choose the parking spot. Try to pick a spot where you are not in direct sunlight.

If you are not at an event and just trying to feed hungry people in the city, this still applies.

If you park facing north or south, it usually means that the sun will not be in your customers’ eyes. Depending on the time of day, you may even want to swivel around to face the other direction to give them some shade.

Also, look around and park where there are shaded areas nearby. If there are picnic tables that’s a bonus! Customers are more likely to stick around and buy from you if it is convenient for them to eat in the vicinity too. 

Pack an Umbrella

You pack a lot of gear and ingredients in order to run your food truck, we know. You have a list of food truck expenses. If you don’t have an attached awning, packing an umbrella and stand is one extra item to lug around and one more expense. 

Yet, this can make a huge difference in your business. Set up your umbrella near your order window. Try to angle the umbrella to cast shade towards the lineup. 

That way customers get some relief as they stand in line. Chances are people will stick around to wait for their order if they aren’t roasting. 

Ask Your Customers Their Names 

On those scorching hot days when the asphalt is melting, standing in a lineup is torture.

Don’t do that to your customers. Take their name down as you take their order. Tell them you will call their name when their food is ready.

Doing this takes just a few seconds. Then your customers can go stand by a tree or a building where there is shade.

They will appreciate not having to stand in the open where the sun is fiercest. 

Play Some Music

Playing music won’t lower the temperature at all. But, it can do a lot to boost the mood.

People naturally feel happier when there is music on. Even if they are so hot, sweat is dripping down their back. Put some music on and suddenly they feel like they are on vacation at the beach!

Running a Food Truck Is All About Customer Satisfaction 

There you have it! Some fool-proof tips for running a food truck during a heatwave.

Remember, running a food truck is just as much about customer service as it is about good food.

Contact us today for more info on our state-of-the-art food trucks.

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post Running a Food Truck on a Hot Day? Here’s How to Keep Your Customers Cool! appeared first on Custom Concessions.