Post: #1

Hey fellas,

I've been knocking around this idea of startin up a food truck biz. It's really popular now as it's easy to get into as opposed to a full blown restaurant.

Not only can it be a biz but I can also make it into a lifestyle. As my title says, I get to travel, make money and meet a lot of people.

Anyone here also thought about getting into this type of biz? Any cons/disavantages?

Cheers!

Post: #2

There's rules and regs for permits for each state and city. It's not a traveling gig and it's got and dirty and sweaty and begins at 4am to prep.

Post: #3

It's not like you drive across the country and hit every Costco and Walmart along the way. They're gourmet lunch trucks and require fresh ingredients daily.

The competition is fierce too. I have friends in the food biz. I hear stories of food truck turf wars, tires getting slashed. Craziness.

Post: #4

Driving across the country is definitely the plan. The main ingredients I can get anywhere: meat/poultry, vegatables, water, oil, etc. The spices/seasonings I'll have to bring.

And I don't have to be the best truck out there - just need to be a desent earner. As long as I make an income and still have time to game, I'm good.

Post: #5

(03-12-2013 08:56 PM)guerrilla Wrote:  There's rules and regs for permits for each state and city. It's not a traveling gig and it's got and dirty and sweaty and begins at 4am to prep.

How much time/work are we talking about in gettin the permits? Can I apply while still in another state/city?

Post: #6

This sounds like it would be fun if you could get it to work.

I imagine people are wary of new trucks, sanitation etc. ;
and it would be hard to be in compliance right away the first day
you get to , say, Rhode Island.

Ways around that:

1) Offer free samples
2) Get pre-certified in the states you want to go to. California is like three states in one.
3) Go to events where people don't expect to see trucks they know because it's a one off like Lollapalooza etc.
4) Strictly limit menu-- chicken sandwiches and baked taters and some healthy fruitjuice soda for instance; to ease resupply.

Post: #7

(03-13-2013 02:17 AM)iknowexactly Wrote:  This sounds like it would be fun if you could get it to work.

I imagine people are wary of new trucks, sanitation etc. ;
and it would be hard to be in compliance right away the first day
you get to , say, Rhode Island.

Ways around that:

1) Offer free samples
2) Get pre-certified in the states you want to go to. California is like three states in one.
3) Go to events where people don't expect to see trucks they know because it's a one off like Lollapalooza etc.
4) Strictly limit menu-- chicken sandwiches and baked taters and some healthy fruitjuice soda for instance; to ease resupply.

Thanks for the tips.

I'm fine with giving out samples to pretty girls. Good way to open them/break the ice.

Maybe I'll park outside the haristylist convention, they prolly won't expect me there.

Maybe I'll specialize in grilled cheese sandwiches, don't need any special ingredients and theyre easy to make. Or serve green tea ice cream - chicks dig this!

Post: #8

I've been tossing around the idea of opening a food truck in my town. I haven't found anything on regulations. I don't think there are any currently here etc.

I've been watching a lot of that eat st. show where they tour food trucks and the most successful ones seem to follow a pattern:

- niche with very specific product (ie. a meatball truck, a crazy donut truck, asian fusion tacos or something)
- hand held food (doesn't matter if its extremely messy).
- the artwork and vibe of the truck/owners matches that of the city
- cater to chicks and their need to be "bad" with luscious carb laden food

I think it would be a lot of work to start up initially, but once its running smoothly it'd work pretty well. I'd start on weekends/friday nights to cater to the bar crew (not many bars here anyways), the hospital, events etc.

Thing is I don't know what the product would be. There isn't a lot of 'fine dining' in this town so it couldn't be too over the top gourmet, but it can't be something extremely basic. Since I wouldn't be running every day I'd have to make the product both extremely easy to prepare, but also fresh.

What about drinks? You could probably make a ton on juiced stuff, what about selling stuff like pop (I always see some 'craft pops' or whatever around here that sell for more than a normal one and people dig it)

What are the trends in food right now? I've been seeing a lot less over the top "pig out" places and more things leaning to the healthy side as well as local ingredients. maybe something that showcases the 'multiculturalism' of the town.


Seems like a lot of work compared to other stuff, but if you're the first one in town you might be able to capitalize on an untapped market.

Any input?

Post: #9

I just got back from a trip to Brownsville. Everytime I go I eat the tacos from there. Amazing is all I have to say. The menu is simple. I make some at home and if I could cut my prep time down I can see myself starting a truck.

I have a buddy who does brisket and the permits arent that bad. We have maybe three trucks in corpus so no competition. As far as the tacos here, there arent any taco specific restaurants here as there are in bville. I am going to start researching now. Startup should be less than 10k and thats if I buy a used truck instead of renting.

We have a hotdog guy that sells at one club per night. Dude rakes like crazy. He is cool as a fan so I may get him to be my mentor or just pick his brain one night. I also need to finetune my tacos to get it right. Drunk crowd is where it begins because it will be a side gig then move to the industrial lunch crowds. I have been looking for a side hustle for the longest. I think I found one finally.

I read something on here yesterday. Your twenties is where you need to try and fail. I have been thinking about that the last 24 hours. I am ready to make that jump. Just need to do my due dill.

Probably will start a running open thread on here. My step by step, thoughts, problems, hiccups, breakthroughs. As I type this I am getting fucking hyped. After my Mexico City trip next week, I will write out a plan of action and begin from there.

Post: #10

I know a guy who does this. He's making pretty good money but said he's getting burned out, because working in the truck is basically like working in a tiny fast-food kitchen all day. The only way to get out of that is to start running multiple trucks, which means you have to deal with the much bigger hassle of hiring and managing people and making sure they don't fuck up or steal from you.

Another thing he said is that there's not as much variety as you'd think in terms of setting up at different places. The game is basically to find a good lunch spot to park the truck during the week, bar spots late night on Fri/Sat nights, and weekend events during the day. The weekend events will really be your only variety, and even then a lot of them will end up the same location depending on your area, at like sporting events or outside a convention center, etc... Working basically all weekend will also put a dent in your social life, obviously.

It's worth doing if you have a strong desire to work for yourself and don't mind food service. Another benefit is being able to meet a ton of women and develop a bit of microfame in your area.

Post: #11

(06-08-2013 12:06 AM)WesternCancer Wrote:  I've been tossing around the idea of opening a food truck in my town. I haven't found anything on regulations. I don't think there are any currently here etc.

I've been watching a lot of that eat st. show where they tour food trucks and the most successful ones seem to follow a pattern:

- niche with very specific product (ie. a meatball truck, a crazy donut truck, asian fusion tacos or something)
- hand held food (doesn't matter if its extremely messy).
- the artwork and vibe of the truck/owners matches that of the city
- cater to chicks and their need to be "bad" with luscious carb laden food

I think it would be a lot of work to start up initially, but once its running smoothly it'd work pretty well. I'd start on weekends/friday nights to cater to the bar crew (not many bars here anyways), the hospital, events etc.

Thing is I don't know what the product would be. There isn't a lot of 'fine dining' in this town so it couldn't be too over the top gourmet, but it can't be something extremely basic. Since I wouldn't be running every day I'd have to make the product both extremely easy to prepare, but also fresh.

What about drinks? You could probably make a ton on juiced stuff, what about selling stuff like pop (I always see some 'craft pops' or whatever around here that sell for more than a normal one and people dig it)

What are the trends in food right now? I've been seeing a lot less over the top "pig out" places and more things leaning to the healthy side as well as local ingredients. maybe something that showcases the 'multiculturalism' of the town.


Seems like a lot of work compared to other stuff, but if you're the first one in town you might be able to capitalize on an untapped market.

Any input?

If there isn't anything in your town right now it may just be a case of visiting successful food trucks in other towns in the region and copy and pasting. No shame in that.

One of the best food trucks I ever visited was in Tofino (just out of town). They were very well known and popular. One specialty was polenta fries which were a little unusual and very tasty. Some people will say something like: Well, they're in a tourist area so the food they sell will be very different than the food I can sell in my working class town, but I'm not so sure. The basic crap like burgers and donuts are already covered by McD's and Tim Hortons, so you'll have difficulty unless you try something unusual.

Post: #12

I own a truck in the New York City area. Here are some thoughts:

- There are plenty of opportunities to meet people when you are working the truck. However, those are on slow days. If you have time to chat with girls all day, you probably won't be around too long.

-FACT: You cannot travel across the country stopping in small towns along the way, selling turkey sandwiches to support yourself. You need health permits, vendor permits, a customer base who gives a shit about you, etc. And most of all, that would take some serious wear 'n tear on your vehicle AKA your ENTIRE LIVELIHOOD. Food trucks aren't built like Honda Civics. Expect to do a ton of maintenance.

-The hours vary - on a regular day, I get up at about 9 to prep my truck if I want to be on the street selling by 11am. I also worked about 40 hours over Memorial Day weekend for a special event.

-The microfame thing is real (if you have cool truck).

-I agree that having a food truck alone is not a really great way to live -- it has to be part of a bigger goal. It could be a franchise, a brick and mortar restaurant, a spinoff product to be sold in stores (me), or some kind TV show/media presence (also me). If you aren't doing anything beside working a restaurant on wheels, have fun. It's far from easy.

-If your the new kid on the block and want to get famous, or even sort of popular in the city you operate in, it takes a shit ton of work. You have to have your social media on point. You have to be doing promotions with other businesses. You have to be friends with everyone in the whole community. And if you are a dick, even if you aren't working, some bitter asshole can ruin your reputation on Yelp.

-You don't have to work when it rains! But you also don't make money! And you can't go to the beach!

-It's terrifying to hire people to work the truck for you. The job requires customer service, cooking skills, restaurant management, cashier skills, and driving skills all in one. You can't hire some dip shit for minimum wage.

-Bad days are tough, but good days and satisfied customers are extremely rewarding.

Conclusion: If you want to be in a new state every day and bang girls while making piles of cash, join a fucking biker gang and sell drugs or something. If you want to slowly get your town or city on lockdown while working your ass off, maybe its something you want to look into.

Post: #13

I don't think you can make a living by traveling states to states.
Obviously, if you only go to events, they don't give a crap about your reputation. they just want the certain food right now and they can't go to stores to get some. you have a monopoly there. you can charge more than restaurants. the problem is it's not easy to get into those events. you have to apply several months before and there are a lot of applicants.

I think they make a profit by having regulars who follows them. if you move around, obvious you can never build those clients.

Some guys spend their early 20's going to mountains, hitting ski slopes, hitting beach areas while just working part time here and there.
If your plan is just making enough money to pay for your travels, it might work out in the end.
I say that could be a huge asset to your life experience.

I wouldn't mind doing it if I was in early 20's but............