How to Start a Food Truck Business

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How to Start a Food Truck Business

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Food Truck Business 101: The BasicsFood trucks are different from a regular restaurant in some ways – you get on the road and go to the customer.

You don’t have a physical location with an address so you don’t wait for customers to come in your front door.

But like restaurants, service still needs to be topnotch. The truck needs a little niche so people have a reason to purchase. It’s also important to be consistent.





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Your TruckFood trucks come in all shapes and sizes which varies the cost.

A basic used food truck with bare bones equipment and lots of miles could run you as little as $10,000 while a full equipped truck could run you several hundred thousand dollars.

If you’re looking to bootstrap the business it’s best to look for a used truck, likely finding one from another food truck business that is maybe moving up to the next level and getting a new truck.





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Equipment for your Food TruckEquipment works much the same as the actual food truck. You’ll need the equipment you need to make your food specialty and from there you have to figure out if it’s possible to put in a truck or trailer.

Most trucks run on gas just like your average outdoor grill. Your average food truck can use around 1,000 gallons of propane a year, but it all depends on the amount of business you’re doing.





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LicensesLike any vehicle, you need insurance and it can be expensive.

You’re not running a typical Toyota Corolla so be prepared to insure the truck for all the equipment costs and potential loss of revenue if something were to happen.

It doesn’t have to be much more than a regular vehicle, but the more you leave off the more risk you take on.





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Permits and Legal RequirementsLike any other business, there are permits. Each city or location varies in how they operate with permits.

Some have more strict rules such as limits on the number of trucks that can operate in any given area.

There might also be local requirements for inspection and where you can park the truck. You’ll want to look for public parking areas because private parking can be tricky unless you’re buddies with the owner.





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General Business Suggestions You can go in full guns with a food truck,

but bootstrapping might be the better option.

Find your customers first before getting a truck or equipment by asking a local business if you can bring some of your food to their break room for lunch and see if anybody will give you cash for your food.

There is nothing wrong with bringing food to businesses for a few months in the backseat of your minivan before finally stepping up to a truck.





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Bonus: Website Marketing Tips for Food Trucks• When people like your food and service they’ll tell their friends

so make it easy for people to email or message friends.

• Create an area where people can leave comments on your site.

• List your typical locations on the website so people can find you.

• Have a responsive website as people looking for lunch or quick meal ideas are likely using their smartphones.

• Integrate social media into your website - photos from Facebook & Instagram, Twitter tweets, and sharing buttons.

• Capture email addresses on your site with a signup form.





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ConclusionFood trucks aren’t a new business idea, but there is still tons of opportunity. If you have a unique product to offer and you know there is demand you have a great chance of succeeding.

Follow the basic steps for starting your truck, start out small if you can and build from there. When things get some momentum you can start looking to expand and that includes getting your own website.




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