The food truck industry is growing faster than the traditional restaurant. In fact, more restaurants are using mobile services to expand their businesses.
As popularity is growing, the need for an attractive and functional vehicle is at an all-time high.
In order to reap the benefits of the food truck industry, investing the money in a custom truck can make your new venture fun and more profitable.
Here are the top 10 reasons to convert your culinary business into a unique, one-of-a-kind vehicle.
1. Mobile Advertising
One of the benefits of owning a custom food truck is that your logo travels with you. Driving around town allows you to market your company for free.
This can have a direct effect on your restaurant business as people will recognize the name when they search for their next meal online. You can also add pictures of your food and restaurant location to become a mobile billboard.
2. Gain New Customer Base
Some people are food truck junkies. They seek out new trucks to add to their list of favorites. These types of people may have never set foot in your restaurant or have heard of it until it has gone mobile.
By adding a second location, you gain new customers who may never have heard of your restaurant otherwise.
3. Introduce New Menu Items
Starting a food truck means inventing a tiny new restaurant. And with it comes a new menu. You want to market toward the type of people who want good food fast.
Cooking in a truck is also different than in a commercial kitchen. It is small and may not include all of the appliances that you have in your restaurant. Consider adapting your current menu with simpler takes on customer favorites.
Tailoring your food to be simple and quick will keep down the maintenance and cook time required.
4. Participate in Community Events
When thinking about how to open a food truck and gaining a local presence, consider attending local events. You can join many of the social gatherings that cater to food truck businesses.
With a restaurant, you are stuck in one location. As a mobile service, you can bring food to the party.
5. Expand Your Business
Looking for ways to get more business may include adding a delivery service, offering coupons, sending out mailings, and marketing through traditional means. You may even have considered opening another location or franchising.
By having a food truck, you can expand without a huge marketing budget and without using a brick and mortar location. Food trucks are much cheaper than restaurants to design and maintain.
Another plus is the simplicity of having a smaller operation—you do not need to hire a full staff to operate a truck. Just few employees can run a mobile service.
6. Build Social Media Presence
Buying a food truck helps promote your following online. Many trucks post on social media their daily locations. When your reputation for tasty treats expands, so does your social media presence.
People start looking for your truck and when it will be in their area. This makes for a devoted customer base, especially during the business lunch hour. Professionals love to get out of the office when a food truck is nearby.
7. Get Creative
Besides being great for your business, having a food truck gives you a chance to design a whole new look.
Food trucks want to be noticed, so you can go all out with the theme. People should be able to spot your truck from afar. Also, this is your chance to have fun by thinking outside the box.
Your restaurant may be fancy or conservative, but your food truck can be a more inventive interpretation of your cuisine.
8. Travel to New Neighborhoods
The great thing about a mobile business is that you can travel to areas where people might not know your name yet.
Most restaurant-goers stay in their own neighborhood when choosing a place for dinner. When you bring the restaurant to them, they might love your food so much that they will make the drive to check out your establishment.
9. Match Your Brand
When designing your own custom food truck, you have the ability to make it cohesive to your restaurant brand. Use the same logo as your restaurant and represent your overall marketing strategy.
Although your menu might be different, it should be an extension of your main menu. Make sure that you market with unity in mind.
10. Make it Comfortable
Buying a food truck and making it your own gives you the ability to make it functional. You can customize your cooking, serving, and prep area according to the type of food you serve.
Food trucks are smaller than a typical restaurant kitchen, so making the space work for you is essential to success.
You also want to make sure that your customer is comfortable by adding things like a canopy to shield them from the elements. Offer entertainment with outdoor speakers for music. And make sure your menu is attractive and visible.
Getting Started with a Food Truck
The first step in starting your food truck business is finding and designing the vehicle.
Make sure you have the means to cook, store, and transfer food safely by contacting us for a quote. Tell us your needs and we can ensure you will be prepared for going mobile.
Interested in getting into the food truck industry? Request a quote from us today to get going!
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For more food truck advice and inspiration, check out the rest of our blog here.