The food business is one of the most fashionable and profitable sectors of activity. Restaurants, bakeries, and pizzerias can find them in every neighborhood. You can find them with friends, for a professional dinner, and
The food business is one of the most fashionable and profitable sectors of activity. Restaurants, bakeries, and pizzerias can find them in every neighborhood. You can find them with friends, for a professional dinner, and sometimes to celebrate a family event, etc. In recent years, a new trend has appeared in the restaurant world: food trucks.
Coming straight from the United States, these mobile restaurants are indeed very successful in all countries, especially in the United States. Fast food, snacking, pastry, ice cream, there is something for everyone. Indeed, if before, you could only find fast food to take away, nowadays they offer more varied recipes. So, without further ado, let’s dive into this blog and learn some of the things you need to know about the food truck industry.
Do I need a specific vehicle for a food truck?
Mobile catering, or food trucks, can find them almost everywhere. It is a vehicle specially equipped with kitchen accessories and offers food products. Indeed, the food, as well as the dishes sold, are prepared and cooked on the spot. Hence the need to have the appropriate equipment, like the new food trucks. If you are interested in this solution, you should know that it will require a rather large budget. The equipment for the kitchen is already installed and meets the required safety standards.
However, if you have a van or a utility vehicle, it is possible to convert it into a food truck. This way, you can design the layout of the space yourself according to your needs, as well as the choice of materials for the floor and the kitchen equipment to be installed. However, since it is a converted vehicle, obtaining an approval or registration is essential. You should know that your converted restaurant truck cannot pass the technical inspection without this approval.
What are the administrative steps to follow?
If you want to start a food truck, there are some administrative steps to follow. However, you are not allowed to sell alcoholic beverages. In addition to the itinerant merchant card, you must also apply for a land use permit. However, if you plan to park your restaurant truck in a private garden or a company parking lot, you will not need a permit. You must contact the owner or the person in charge of the premises directly.
On the other hand, if you want to operate your business on the public highway, you must have a permit. If the location is on the market, you should contact the organizer of the event (fair, etc.) or the mayor directly. Similarly, to occupy a public area, you must also contact the city hall and pay a fee. Once the administrative steps have been taken, you can now focus on the right marketing strategy in order to quickly make yourself known.
How to stand out from the competition?
Food trucks or mobile restaurants have become very trendy. They are no longer just for employees who don’t have enough time to go home for lunch. In fact, given the diversity of the dishes offered, everyone can find something to eat, young and old alike. In the face of this competition, you need to do everything you can to stand out and make yourself known. As for local activities, all means of communication are effective for advertising.
Moreover, unlike traditional restaurants where the buildings are often rented, you have a great advantage since the vehicle belongs to you. You can therefore personalize your restaurant truck according to your needs. For cars, covering is an effective way to advertise. Contact a professional who can help you.
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