The availability and selection of mobile kitchens have helped advance what hopeful entrepreneurs can do with food trucks and trailers.

The industry has also demanded more creative, out-the-box options- and budding business owners were quick to jump on board.

We’ve seen hundreds of food trucks and trailers in our time, but these five beauties take the cake for us in terms of creativity and inventiveness.

(We’ve seen a whole lot of super cool food trucks though, trust us.)

Five Mobile Food Trucks That Are Seriously Inventive

The Pancake Selfie Express

The creative director for The Holiday Inn Express brand conjured up this insane (but effective!) way of combining yummy food on the go and our love for the selfie all in one.

Sounds a little out to lunch, right?

Well, we love it- and so does everyone else, it seem. The mobile kitchens travels around serving up delicious pancakes with your selfie on top.

These personalized dishes brings food truck and trailer dining to a whole other level, with the engagement element driving long lines outside The Pancake Selfie Express. Customers snap a quick selfie using software built into the truck, which is then sent to a printing device.

Viola- your face on a pancake. Eat up!

The Fair Food Co.

If they’re run properly, food trucks can be quite environmentally friendly.

The Fair Food Co, however, decided to create an even more environmentally friendly option for food on the go. Owners of THB Disturbance and The Hardy Boys created the three wheeled food “tuk tuk” that guzzles quite a bit less gas than traditional counterparts.

The edamame shack aims to provide a much healthier alternative for people who really only do what a snack to tide them over.

They sustainably source the edamame, as well as ensuring their takeout boxes are made of recycled bean pods.

By exploring different alternatives for transportation and waste management, the food mobile industry can become even more environmentally friendly.

Kitchen Of The Unwanted Animals

There’s two cool things about this mobile kitchen.

Their commitment to reducing food waste is nothing short of impressive, with the entire menu built on using the meat from animals that aren’t typically used.

This venture has been the centre of much debate, particularly from animal rights activists- but the truck maintains that safe and healthy consumption of these meats (such as pigeon, horse, goose etc.) plays a notable part in reducing food waste.
Secondly, though- Kitchen Of The Unwanted Animals is built within a Jeep. A Jeep!
Huffington Post called this mobile food truck- “maybe the craziest food truck yet.”

The Seattle Barkery

A food truck for dogs- finally! Don’t worry though, everything made and sold in this gem is good for both humans and canines.

Fancy a peanut butter and banana cookie?

If your dog does too, you’re in luck.

These clever owners used the truck for mostly product inventory to be sold, but the “barkery” also houses a small kitchen in the back to conjure up fresh little treats and snacks.

We can’t get over the use of space, though- the food truck operates as a small kitchen, but has really been transformed to house and sell product like a mall kiosk.

Genius.

The FoodShare Truck

Another beauty that used a food truck to effectively transport and sell product, this socially green initiative aims to deliver fresh fruits and veggies to Toronto’s food deserts.

The aim of this truck is to connect areas that are unable to get fresh produce with their 5 servings a day. Typically, the path of transportation for fresh produce runs dry to many Northern communities, as well as areas a little off the map.

The result? Many communities pay insanely inflated prices, or some have no option at all- their diet is doomed to lack fresh fruits and veggies.

It’s a complete retrofit of the original point of a food truck, but the versatility of these mobile kitchens provides an alternative path of transportation for goods that communities are lacking.

The FoodShare Truck is part of the Mobile Good Food Market Initiative, which falls under the Toronto Public Health Project.

Happy As Larry

Fresh pizza? From a food truck?

Yep! 100%. “Happy As Larry” sells fresh pizzas and pies from a converted truck – a truck that hauls a revamped storage container that’s a full Italian-style eatery.

The gigantic wood fire oven required some creativity, and the space of a shipping container provided just that. Their Napoli-style pizzas are known across the entire Australian nation, with the interior of this beauty being an attraction by itself.

In addition to the wood fire oven, “Happy As Larry” house a fully stocked commercial kitchen to serve up

The post The Most Creative Food Trailers Around appeared first on Custom Mobile Kitchens.

Food trucks/trailers and weddings. They’re not really two things that you would automatically pair together, but these mobile kitchens are becoming a budget friendly and memorable option for catering weddings.

We’ve been to quite a few weddings in our time, but one of all our all time favorites was our dear friends last June- a hot, but beautiful day out in the town of Canmore, Alberta.

The wedding was a small, super laid back celebration designed with an all Canada theme; plaid made many appearances, and the cocktail of the day was of course the classic Caeser.

But really, what’s one of the best parts of wedding for the guests?

(Aside from the open bar, of course.)

The food.

The typical catering options weren’t present at this wedding though. Much to our unbiased delight, our childhood friends opted for a food truck to feed the drunk and hungry.

And absolutely nailed it.

The Canadian themed food truck offered up poutine, bannock, lobster rolls, Montreal smoked meat sandwiches, nanaimo bars and a few other North American classics. Awesome, eh?

Why Hire A Food Trailer For Your Wedding?

Hiring a food truck or trailer is a great alternative to traditional catering options, and when paired with the right theme, can make for an unforgettable wedding.

• Food trucks are typically more flexible in terms of booking them and the space and resources required.
• If you’re on a budget, mobile kitchens are much more cost effective when it comes to feeding your guests.
• The menus offered by food trucks and trailers can be more unique and tailored to your
  weddings theme and dietary needs
• Little to no clean up for you or your guests post ceremony celebration- yahoo!
• Mobile kitchens leave way more time for socializing since guests aren’t being served food at set times, and at set tables.
• Working with a food truck or trailer can be a lot less stress than designing a catering menu from scratch.
• The food is fresher, since food trailer vendors are literally bringing the kitchen to the wedding-
  compared to food that is prepared off site, then brought over
• If you and your guests love to eat (or need a lot of food to control the open bar) then food trucks and trailers give you way more bang for your back, and the entire wedding can eat all night- not just once.

There’s A Few Drawbacks To Hiring A Food Truck For Your Wedding

Of course, a food truck or food trailer may not work for everyone’s wedding- and that’s ok! Mobile kitchens have their limitations, which may present a problem for some weddings.

• Typically, food trailers can only effectively serve 75 people or less at a time. By effectively, we mean little wait time for your guests and constant replenishment of grub.
• Mobile kitchens are weather dependant, creating one factor that’s entirely out of your control. Rain or shine? Not so much for food trailers.
• Food trailers don’t really do fine dining, and for some, it’s just simply what they want their menu to be at their wedding.
• Just like the struggles of licensing and permits (especially these food trailer owners, who found out the hard way) – certain cities impose stipulations on mobile kitchens that make it really difficult to use a food trailer at a wedding venue.

Just like any alternative really, what may work for some may not work for others- again, totally ok.

How People Started Hiring Food Trailers For Weddings

From an industry standpoint, it’s a new trend to choose a food trailer for your wedding. The idea has only been around a few years, and actually had a slow start.

Of course there is a perception about what mobile kitchens are, and where they should be. A wedding didn’t use to fit in that category, with caterers and venue kitchens being the choice for ceremonies.

Until some food trucks really nailed it; then the idea went somewhat viral.

Captured by younger couples mostly, mobile kitchens at a wedding started a social media buzz that paired well with more casual and alternative wedding styles.

The days of wedding tradition are dwindling down as people redefine how they plan and execute their wedding. Less emphasis on tradition = less emphasis on traditional food.

The post Food Trucks & Weddings appeared first on Custom Mobile Kitchens.

No really, they are.

Food truck and trailer blogs are even better.

Blogs quickly became a key part of great content strategies, with over 31 million blogs in the US alone. Preferred by most readers for their transparency and specificity, blogs quickly surpassed sponsored and generic website content for valuable information sources online.

Not to mention, the personal touch behind each post keeps people coming back- readers are drawn to the persona behind the blog, and more intimate relationships are formed.

The thing about blogs is that their recent, genuine and honest. Following blogs can keep you in the loop more effectively than searching content.

Which is why you should be following these food trailer blogs like, yesterday.

You Need To Be Following These Ten Food Trailer Blogs

We picked ten blogs that as food trailers owners, you should be following. Info right at your fingertips about the exact topics you want to know about?

Great, right?

Just how we shared what apps you should be using, we share the winning blogs!

The Best Food Trailer Blogs On The Internet

#1- Food Truck Operator

This blog is a little bit of everything, for everyone. These guys are awesome at keeping up to date with relevant news, events and announcements- but they also share success stories, design ideas and helpful business tips.

#2- Food Truck Empire

These guys post frequently, which makes them an awesome blog to follow for consistent and new information. They love to cover unique food trucks and new additions to the scene, as well as market trends and very, very helpful business tips.

The star of this blog is their knowledge of the industry, and the content they produce about it. You never miss a beat.

#3- Roaming Hunger

This blog is totally outside the box. They cover everything from experimental marketing to content about the wedding industry. It may seem strange, but they cleverly relate everything to continued success of food trucks. It offers you some insight about how to really get your food truck out there and thriving.

The best thing about Roaming Hunger is that they produce pieces of content that are literally made for social sharing, fetching high engagement and conversion rates- all for you.

#4- Food Truckr

Food Truckr is probably the most inspirational food truck and trailer blog out there. It’s geared at writing posts to excel your food trailer business, written by veterans in the field that really know what they’re doing.

As expected, they write tonnes of valuable content as well as news items for the mobile food industry.

#5- National Food Trucks

Now, we’re just going to note that these guys don’t update as frequently as the rest.

But man oh man- the quality and quantity of information available on this blog makes it an insanely valuable resource for food trailer owners looking for concrete stats and information. And if you’re looking for event and geographic information regarding your food trucks, this is the blog to visit.

#6- Good Fynd

Specifically geared towards marketing for food trucks, Good Fynd is the best blog to go to for marketing tips and tricks for your food trailer.

#7- Food Truck Empire

Kind of like Roaming Hunger, this blog is a little wacky as well- it’s more industry based, so content can really vary.

These posts are easy reads, and refreshing content too – trust us, you haven’t read anything like even half the stuff in this blog.

#8- Mobile Cuisine

This is the blog for all things mobile food. Just like our favorite blogs, there’s everything for food trailer owners here- design, marketing, events, industry news and business tips.

They also hold wicked contests every quarter, which can be really fun for their readers.

#9- Boston Food Truck

Full of industry news, marketing strategies and business tips, Boston Food Truck also offers seriously robust social media strategies for food trailer owners.

These guys are also equipped with a food truck finder and food truck reviews (so you can have a little spy on your competition!)

#10- Behind The Food Carts

This isn’t a blog for hard hitting news or business tips.

Behind The Food Carts is a photo centered, story telling blog that just gives you a really good and easy read.

Mobile kitchen entrepreneurs share their stories, and the blog pays tribute to the beautiful food out there.

The blog won Saveur Magazine’s “Best Culinary Travel Blog” in 2013 and has over 200,000 followers on Tumblr alone.

The post 10 Mobile Food Blogs You Need To Be Reading appeared first on Custom Mobile Kitchens.

COVID-19 was nothing short but a time of supreme uncertainty for almost everyone on the globe.

Even for those still working, or the heroes on the front line, economic security has been- a continues to be- a concern of everybody’s.

With entire industries coming to a complete standstill, the hospitality industry has seemed to suffer the most with 1 in 10 bars and restaurants permanently closing their doors after suffering a loss of income too big to recoup during the pandemic.

In Canada, it’s estimated that up to a third of independent restaurants won’t open back up even after the social distancing parameters have been lifted.

But the demand for meals and entertainment outside the home hasn’t died in the same way. In fact, demand has increased= even COVID-19 is a sore competitor for society’s demand for tasty food on the go.

People just reaaaaallly don’t want to be in their kitchen a whole lot.

COVID-19 Only Accelerated Food Takeout & Delivery Demand

“COVID-19 killed the food industry.”

“The worst industry to be in right now is the food and beverage industry- we can’t do anything.”

Common verbiage- but very much so incorrect.

And the stats confirm this. Skip The Dishes revenue grew an insane 11,000% during the period of COVID-19 “lockdown”. Even emerging out of periods of lock down, social distancing parameters in physical locations have still presented a consistently growing demand for take-out food.

Uber Eats was hit with so much demand, that they quickly trained up their regular ride-share staff to complete deliveries. Within one week, every participating Uber driver had delivered an order.

Yes, on top of the regular activity of Uber Eats.

Takeout demand was so high, that four infant companies emerged during COVID-19 to connect buying customers with food on the go.

The demand for food on the go has done nothing but rise in the face closed restaurants and bars. But with lockdown beginning to lift, and the hospitality industry not quite back on it’s feet, it leaves huge market for “the happy medium.”

That beautiful happy medium is quick, delicious food to go that paying customers can venture out to get. The way in which we grab our food and drinks outside the home has changed- not the need.

Seriously- during this time, a brisk walk or bike ride to grab some food and go is the mixture of convenient grub and entertainment. It’s the new “going out.”

Food Trucks & Trailers Are Coming Out Of COVID-19 Strong

Just like food delivery apps, food trucks and trailers are coming out of the pandemic quite strong.

It is absolutely fair to say that there have been restrictions set out in place that have impacted food trucks and trailers across nations. Food truck festivals have been cancelled, and highly populated areas where some food trailers frequented in very urbanized areas have been asked to relocate.

But food trucks and trailers have actually been saving graces during the pandemic, with some notable operators setting up to feed health care workers close to facilities, or across the country’s highway to feed essential truck drivers.

Food trucks and trailers, just like restricted fast food joints, hold the same ability to provide great takeout- without the overhead of a physical location.

“…that’s where we’ve kind of held an advantage. People are still out and about in the parks, the highways, you know- places like that, because they’re allowed, right? They still want that sense of normalcy where they can get food at the lake, or whatever. We’ve done pretty well….” (Jeff, food truck owner in Florida)

COVID-19 Procedures Are Seriously Attainable For Food Trailers

While we don’t want to call it an acceleration, food trucks and trailers (for the most part) experienced growth in the same way that food delivery apps did.

Sudden and unexpected, yes- but consistent, more importantly.

A big chunk of the “ease” that food trailer operators find is that COVID-19 processes- sanitization, distancing rules, capacity etc. – is either very attainable or non-applicable.

Aside from physical distancing in high traffic areas, and disruptions to potential event schedules, food trailers have it as easy as our favorite fast food joints who are drive-thru only.

But guys. Remember, there was a hole in the market before COVID-19; the need for fresh, organic, on-trend and delicious food on the go.

Once again folks, that demand has not changed.

Food Trucks & Trailers Replace Eating Options That Physical Locations Offered

Given that food trucks were consistently hitting the demand for food options outside the standard Big Mac before COVID-19, it only makes sense that this originating demand- coupled with physical locations closing- has increased.

Typically, physical restaurants are the ones to truly hop on food trends. And we’re talking dietary, preference, curiosity…physical resturants and bars still take the cake for ultimate capitalization on these trends.

Money, manpower and resources will get you far.

But listen- food trucks and trailers were already disrupting the fast food industry and are unequivocally continuing to do so.

Where & What Your Food Truck Is Makes All The Difference

Just hold on though. Just because there is a growing demand doesn’t mean that just any option will do.

It might seem like smart business sense to be aware of what your business is and what you’re providing, but we do notice a common trend of people getting lazy when they want to make a quick buck from a hot industry.

“I mean, we’ve seen some trucks shut down because they’re slapping up subpar products and doing like, no marketing. We see it, that’s why we stay on top of what we’re doing to make sure we’re hitting exactly what people are looking for…. Just because we’re in a pandemic and people are craving takeout- oh for sure, no, they are, doesn’t mean you’re automatically gonna get those sales, right?” (Jeff, food truck owner in Calgary.)

It’s true though. People are out and about, for sure, but the competitive space remains the same. There might be more demand, but this doesn’t equal subpar choices from paying customers.

Grow within the shift of how people get food outside their own kitchen- because the shift is there. The shift has happened, and from the looks of it, the shift may signify long term changes to the mobile food industry.

Grow with it, and keep your practices the same at very best. Adjust your marketing and product offerings to reflect the absence of physical restaurants. Look at your physical presence to make sure you’re hitting where the demand is.

Because again guys- the demand has changed, not decreased. Not even close.

The post The Future Of Food Trucks After COVID-19 appeared first on Custom Mobile Kitchens.

When we think of the mobile food industry, our minds generally jump straight to food trucks. With over 25,000 operating food trucks in the US alone, the food truck industry is nothing short of booming.

But the trend isn’t new.

Food trucks have been around foreeeever; (seriously, since as early as the mid 1700’s) – but people rarely know that the history of food trailers actually has a much longer time span.

The two are totally similar, but the more prominent nimbleness of food trailers actually made for a better option during periods of long travel and less urbanization.

With that being said, the history of food trailers is actually really, really cool- and paves the way for a solid understanding of how food trailers have evolved to meet different stages of demand.

The First Food Trailers Started in NYC

1691. Yep- 1691 marked the first year that food trailers made an appearance on the streets of New York. Granted, they looked a whole lot different back then- somewhat mirroring push carts- and definitely no fancy trimmings and deep fryers.

Fun fact: Back in these days, NYC was actually called “New Amsterdam.”

The models were inherently basic, but they did the job of feeding the “working class” of these times. Very few had any means of actually cooking food on the spot; rather, they sold fruits, clams, oysters and other ethnic fares that were prepared at a home base and brought to the streets.

Chuck Wagons Stepped Up the Mobile Food Game

Chuck wagons are the perfect example of the early evolution of the food trailer Invented by Charles Goodnight, chuck wagons were designed to feed the cattlemen and wagon trains travelling within the Old West.

The much larger capacity of these chuck wagons, compared to food trailers/push carts available back then, allowed for both food prep and service in one go.

In the space of the “chuck box” was a fitted cooking space, which folded up and down to be used as a surface to cook and prepare food on. The same area of the wagon was also fit with shelving and drawers for storage of food and utensils.

Since they were being used to feed cattlemen during long cattle drives, these chuckwagons also sported water barrels attached to the wagon bed. They were really designed to support it’s purpose of being a completely mobile kitchen. The demand was completely derived from the need for food on the go during these crucial trips.

Still, the sophistication of these chuck wagons was as to be expected during the early 1800’s, so the menu whipped up from these kitchens remained simple- salted meats, bean dishes, potatoes, biscuits, coffee etc.

Moving On To The Freight Wagon

The year of 1872 marked the first full diner built on the back of a freight wagon. The first notable freight diner grew in Boston in 1873 was built by Walter Scott, who first designed the diner to meet the need for food on the go for journalists working late.

In fact, Scott began his mobile food business in a much more humble way years prior, serving sandwiches and baked goods out of his basket (on foot) in Rhode Island for many years.

After upgrading to a pushcart, he started “Night Lunch Wagons”- serving sandwiches, pies and coffee at all hours of the night. Originally planning to feed late night journalists, Scott found quickly that night shift workers, health care professionals etc. all benefited from food on the go.

Restaurants typically closed at 8, leaving dozens of customers visiting Night Lunch Wagons on a daily basis for fast grub.

Roach Coaches?

We know- the name is a little off putting.

Roach coaches are mini restaurants hoisted onto a truck chassis. Typical models have sides that open for easy access, and full kitchens within the space.

Started in the 1960’s, roach coaches were typically found on construction sites (the target market of the first roach coach operator), but were found pretty much everywhere within the next decade.

Roach coaches are pretty much the perfect blend between a food truck and food trailer, and really paved the way for some wicked modifications entrepreneurs could make to get into the mobile food industry.

The Ice Cream Truck Actually Began The Food Truck Movement

Ice cream has been around forever, but never became mobile until milk became pasteurized in the late 1890’s. Before this, ice cream was unfairly linked to scarlet fever, diphtheria and bovine tuberculosis.

By 1904, the hysteria of ice cream had lifted and several trends were born- including the famous ice cream cone. Technological advances during the same period saw fast paced advances in refrigeration options and the birth of portable electric coolers.

Couple this with the beginning of Prohibition of the 1920’s (where people sought decadent treats to replace banned spirits) and you can only imagine the soaring growth of ice cream trucks.

Fun fact: The first ice cream truck was started by Harry Burt of Ohio, who also first discovered chocolate covered ice cream bars. Thank you, Mr. Burt!

Now, it’s important to note that ice cream trucks were the starting point for “food out of a truck.” Following the invention of the ice cream truck, creative individuals saw mega potential- the first taco truck hit the streets of East LA in 1974, the first burger truck made it’s way outside colleges in the early 1980’s….. you get the point.

The post The History of Food Trailers appeared first on Custom Mobile Kitchens.

Starting your own food truck business is an exciting time for entrepreneurs looking to get on the road
with a profitable (and fun!) business.

As with any business venture, planning and execution is everything- and whether it’s your first time
getting behind the wheel or you are a seasoned vet, there are plenty of mistakes that can be made.

Hindsight can just be….one of those things, but there’s some pretty common mistakes we see food
trailer hopefuls fall to.

Not Creating a Business Plan

You can come up with the best ideas in the world, but without proper planning- they end up lost in
space.

Creating a business plan is a standard common practice for business start ups, but is often overlooked when starting up with a food truck or trailer.

But why?

Justin, CMK sales rep shares: I think people may be under the impression that because food trailers seem relatively small and simple, and because there’s such high demand for them, that it’s easy to pull off, you know?…….. Build a menu, show up and let the food talk. But there’s more to it than that.

You need to treat your food trailer business the same as you would a brick and mortar joint. Business
plans help you determine a clear and measurable plan of action for everything from permits and licenses
to social media strategies.
(Don’t worry, we’ve built a guide to creating a business plan specific to your next food trailer.)

Lacking Social Media

We all know the power of social media, but many businesses are too slow to get their name out there.

There’s very few businesses that don’t really benefit from social media, and trust us- food trucks and trailers are not one of them.

Your target market is hyped on convenience, innovation and visual stimulation. Social media fits right in there, bringing awareness to your brand on a platform that almost everybody uses.

Engaging in a sound social media strategy will have your business spreading like wildfire, and you likely don’t need paid ads to do it. Exciting content, well done photos, contests etc. will grow your business organically.

Brand awareness aside, social media is a perfect way to communicate with your customers. It lets them know where you are, what you’re doing- and that you’re still here.

Your Food Trailer Doesn’t Fit Your Needs

You should really have a concrete vision before you select your food trailer.

Your vision dictates what you need out of your trailer, and without having a solid idea of how you need your food truck to support you, you’ll likely select the wrong one.

Food trailers aren’t all the same, and they don’t have the same capabilities.

Which is totally cool.

Different businesses have different needs, and in the case of food trailers, it will be the design and appliances inside.

It can get especially challenging when buying used food trailers, since you have very little say in the customization of them. The debate between buying a new trailer or opting for used is prominent in the industry. The flexibility of building a new trailer could save you a lot of time and money by designing it
for your needs from the get-go.

When selecting a trailer- whether its new or used- make sure you actively consult your vision and
business requirements.

Too Complex of a Menu

You can do some awesome things with food trailers, and get some crazy menus out there.

But you still have to understand the limitations of a food trailer.

Size being an important one, but also he functionalities- at the end of the day, a food trailer is not a brick and mortar location, and likely cant support sous-vide eggs.

(If you don’t know what they are, read up and rush out for them- like now.)

You can create fresh, exciting and plentiful menus- don’t get us wrong, but trying to get too fancy and too extensive will overload your food trailer (and staff).

Plus, fancy fancy food isn’t what your target market is looking for at that point in time. They sure aren’t looking for a hot dog in a stale bun, but fresh quick food on-the-go?

Yep!

Neglecting The Outside of Your Trailer

People are drawn to visual elements.

You could have the best burger on the block, but if the outside of your food trailer doesn’t appeal to customers-

Well, you won’t have a line up.

The design and branding of both the inside and outside of your food trailer is crucial.

It communicates to visitors what you’re all about, and the quality of your food. It encourages visitors to share and promote the beautiful design of your food trailer. It keeps people enticed.

First impression is key- and as much as we hate to admit it, looks are everyone’s first go-to.

Plus, have some fun with it! Designing the outside of your food can be fun and exciting.

The post Common Mistakes When Starting a Food Trailer appeared first on Custom Mobile Kitchens.

If the title of this blog looks familiar, it is.

Last week, we wrote about five awesome apps that help connect food trailers and trucks to customers via Twitter and live maps.

We got great feedback on the post, with some readers sharing that apps weren’t really their thing. Which is fair- apps can sometimes be a little confusing, or more time consuming for the kitchen owners out there that don’t have a whole lot of it.

And apps aren’t the only technological development that have helped connect mobile kitchens to food trucks and trailers in their area.

Pages of websites are dedicated to bringing customers to food trucks, and many of them facilitate booking trucks in communities and hiring for catering services.

So if apps really aren’t your thing, these websites should be on your radar as a food truck owner. As part of your online marketing strategy (which you can build with our business plan guide), integration into third party websites can bring you a lot of money.

These Websites Help Connect Customers to Catering Bookings

Off The Grid

One of the most extensively developed sites out there for food trucks, Off The Grid connects customers to food trailers in a tonne of ways.

They facilitate private and corporate booking catering services provided by food trucks of their choice. Website visitors can browse a catalogue of over 320 vendors in their given area and choose their next catering provider. They can browse menus, photos, reviews, pricing etc. at a click of a button and make their selection. They’re the one-stop shop point of contact, making it real easy to book.

Their initiative- “Bring The Grid To Work” – aims to help workplaces hire food trucks for employee food programs. Food trucks are flexible, mobile services that are a perfect in-office solution. As they quote:

We’re redefining scalable culinary experiences at work through the innovative use of mobile food infrastructure.

Learn more about becoming a creator with Off The Grid, and the application process to get in the catalogue.

Food Trucks Go

Food Trucks 2 Go is a simple, straightforward directory of food trucks and trailers that are available for private & corporate bookings.

These guys have a crazy big list of vendors, and you can get quite literally any cuisuine on the planet. With 2000+ food trucks and trailers to choose from, visitors can select the perfect food truck for their event.

With a directory that big, you could probably expect to see food trailers as cool as these beauties. We would hope so.

YYC Food Trucks

Calgary loves their food trucks. Canada was a little late onto the scene as far as mobile kitchens go, but the larger cities in the country are moving fast to adopt them.

Calgary is a pretty “foodie” city, so it’s no surprise that Calgarians wanted an online connection to their food truck seen.

YYC Food Trucks acts a useful combo of a food truck event calendar, directory and catering booking service all in one. Connecting to the city of Calgary and surrounding area, the website is somewhat of a local celebrity with partners such as Virgin Radio and East Village.

Narrow it down to the cuisine or area of your choice, and you’ll be connected to a robust list of vendors for your choosing.

The YYC Food Trucks branding truly has landed them a name in the mobile food industry, so hopeful entrepreneurs in Calgary- this would be well worth looking at.

Street Food App

No, no- it’s a website, don’t worry!

Street Food App brings Canadian & US food trucks and trailers under one roof. With listings all across both countries, Street Food App is a platform for bookings anywhere.

A newbie to the scene, their directory is growing everyday as they continue to add to their rotation of over 58 food trucks.

The ease of having a website and app means management of your listing in any style.

Street Food Vancouver

Looking for a food truck or trailer for your next catering event in Vancouver? Street Food Vancouver is the perfect solution, as a networking directory of some of Vancouvers best food truck vendors.

So for food truck owners wanting to take advantage of the busy, and hungry market of Vancouver, consider this site in your online marketing strategy.

With a simple online quote available, and minimal participation required on the booking party, Street Food Vancouver couldn’t have made it any easier to book a food truck in YVR.

Thumb Tack

Thumb Tack is a wicked website for the mobile food industry. It caters to more than just food trucks- like private caterers or select take out providers- but users can narrow the search down to food trucks.

Thumb Tack acts mimics the process of Booking.Com or Expedia, but incorporating a talent pool into the mix like Fiverr- giving the website visitor complete control in their booking from contact to payment.

Unlike the other websites listed here, Thumb Tack takes a very hands off approach and acts merely as an introduction between the two parties. Think of Thumb Tack as an online, automated talent agent.

The post “Book a Food Truck”: 5 Websites to find trucks appeared first on Custom Mobile Kitchens.

The mobile food industry had a massive, and rapid takeoff- by being the best answer since the invention of the drive-thru to our demand for food on the go.

Food trucks in particular made a big splash on the scene, since they are able to go to literally everywhere that hungry mouths may be. And with food trucks being independently owned people quickly started seeking out their favorite trucks in every city.

And just like that, food trucks and trailers became a norm for urban and rural areas alike.
Brick and mortar locations still had one advantage though. People know where they are, and if they don’t, they can find out.

This isn’t the case for food trucks. They lacked a physical presence online, which made finding them was more a chance of luck than anything. As these food truck owners share, visibility was one of the biggest initial obstacles they overcame at any stage of the game.

That is until people caught on and screamed from the rooftops- “Connect us with food trucks, NOW!”

Not quite literally, but in the last few years over 200 apps have been developed to connect snack-ish customers with food trucks and trailers in their area.

Whether you’re a newbie to the scene, or have had your oven alight for a while, these are 5 apps and websites that you might want to check out if you love lineups out your kitchen window.

These Apps Connect Customers to Food Trucks Instantly

Apps not really your thing? Check out these simple websites instead.

• Food Truck Fiesta

For less than a buck a month, these app users can instantly view and communicate with food trucks in the LA area. This Iphone & Android app is originally based on a blog, and posts updates about new food trucks and truck events.

The only drawback? It uses Twitter as a communication platform between food trucks and customers, which means the app user can only locate a food truck by using their Twitter feeds and a live map.

But since most app users are between the age of 18-34, there is a good chance Twitter is already a norm in their daily smartphone use.

• Eat St.

Eat St. is an app developed by the Food Network, aimed at highlighting more gourmet meals on wheels around their area. Like Food Truck Fiesta, Eat St. relies on a live map Twitter feed. The free app works mostly with stationary food carts, but is in development of being able to successfully host those on the go as well.

Eat St. offers a competitive advantage though- the app lets food trucks owners update their own locations, menus and hours etc. improving the accuracy of these listings.

App users can submit their favorite food trucks as well and add them to the map- though hopefully they’d let you know, so you can constantly be updating your feed and drawing people in.

• Roaming Hunger

This free iPhone app mimics most food truck apps, operating on a live map and food truck owners Twitter feeds. The scope of Roaming Hunger is large, so unlike city specific apps, users can locate food trucks in almost every major city across the US.

Roaming Hunger boasts something pretty wicked though. You can not only search for food trucks near you, but you can narrow it down by cuisine, most liked, recently tweeted, new, vegetarian etc.

• Road Stoves GPS

Road Stoves GPS is an LA based food truck app, which does some extra cool things for users.

Free to download for your IPhone & Android, the app not only connects customers to a food trucks location, but also facilitates selling food trucks and booking catering events.

The app uses actual GPS locations to track food trucks, which means customers can pin point exactly where these mobile kitchens are.

The downside though, is that many food trucks aren’t GPS enabled, which makes the map on Road Stoves still pretty far and in between.

No worries though- the forward thinking team of the app are working on solutions to beef that map up for you.

• TruxMax Lite Food Truck Map

Probably the most user friendly app on the list, TruxMax Lite Food Truck Map is an easy, quick way to find food trucks in 21 cities across the US.

Again, it uses Twitter feeds to track and plot the locations of food trucks in the area. A nifty thing about this app though, is that it saves you from having to scroll through a trucks listing to see hours. Listings are lit in green or blue, indicating open or soon-to-be.

Got a food truck or trailer that you want to add to their listings? The free app doesn’t let you directly, but you can request through their website.

Food Truck Apps Really Drive Customers To You

These kinds of apps help facilitate customers finding mobile kitchens as quickly, and as easily as they do physical restaurants.

In a digitally driven world, integrating your food trailer into the online space isn’t anything short of crucial. Your online presence should be an integral part of your business plan.

Need some help with your food trailers business plan? See our business plan outline, with tips and recommendations.

Amongst other online and offline marketing, your presence on apps and third party websites will 100% drive customers to your window.

Get seen, be seen!

1. Website article
2. Create a business plan for food trucks
3. Marketing for food trucks

The post Find Food Trucks Near Me: 5 Apps appeared first on Custom Mobile Kitchens.

So- you’ve found your dream food trailer, and decked it out just the way you want it.

You’ve designed your menu, full of delicious spicy tacos and fresh guacamole. (Okay- that was lunch, and it’s still on our mind, but you know what we mean.)

You’ve even selected a round of locations, set your business hours and got a head start on your licensing and permits.

What on earth are you waiting for, right?

What’s missing in the above mix is a solid, well executed business plan that could quite literally mean the difference between sinking or swimming within your first few months of business.

An often-overlooked step, a business plan helps you determine things like:

• Projected income, profit & fixed costs
• A good estimate of start up costs and how much you may need to invest or finance
• Your online and offline marketing strategy
• Your target market, your target customer and the percentage of the market you are likely to reach
• A competitive analysis, both internal and external
• Your competitive landscape
• Potential business related obstacles that may surface, and methods to combat
• Potential business opportunities, how to plan for them and how to potentially take advantage of them
• Strategic potential partnerships, customer relationship management and hiring processes

Your business plan is a blueprint for your food trailer. Without a concrete vision and strategic planning behind your food trailer, you may struggle to get it successfully rolling.

Building a Building Plan Specific to a Food Trailer

Business plans are generally comprised of the same components, but each plan has to be tailored to both the market and industry you are thinking about entering.

Creating a business plan for food trailers and the mobile food industry requires specific considerations.

And yes, of course- we have you covered.

Components of an Awesome Business Plan for the Mobile Food Industry

Executive Summary

Okay, okay- executive summaries are pretty cookie cutter. Granted, not that fun to write either but it must be done.

Keep it short, but sweet. Sum up what the reader is about to digest in much more detail and set the tone so that readers are open and willing to listen.

Business Description

In sufficient detail, outline the purpose and value proposition of your business.

The aim of this section of the business plan is to quickly and effectively communicate to both your internal team and future investors what your business embodies.

A sound business description will cover the 5 W’s- (flashback to school days, anyone?). Who are you, and what is the name of your food trailer? What is your menu offering and product offering? Any services at all? What are your goals for your business? Where are you going to be? Where will you be going? Why is this business worth getting off the ground?

Consider the following when writing your business description:

• What’s the name of your food trailer business?
• What is your mission and value statement?
• Who is your target customer?
• What is your offering? Are you operating as a completely mobile kitchen, or are you planning on remaining more stationary in a strategic spot?
• Are you focusing on lunch time crowds, or are you using the food trailer as a catering option for executive gatherings?
• What is your cuisine? What kind of menu are you offering?
• Will you be attending events, or stick to urban areas?
• When are you planning on opening your food trailer to the public?
• What are your competitive advantages?
• What is your business structure- how do you plan to operate your food trailer? Will you be looking for a full team of staff, or run your trailer solo?

Industry Analysis

Time to get a little more analytical and numbers based.

Consider both past and current data about the mobile food industry, with a little emphasis on your own specific market. Investors will want to know your industry’s size, historical growth, projected outlook and number of notable competitors.

It’s your chance to talk about the world you are about to enter into, and demonstrate your understanding of such. Place emphasis on past, current and future trends of the mobile food industry that are relative to your business.

These 12 mobile food trends show just how quickly the mobile food industry is shifting.

For example, while food trucks dominated the mobile food market for a number of years, the number of food trailers and carts out on the streets has increased 300+% over the last four years.

Your industry analysis should explore the external factors that have a profound affect on your food trailer. Typically, most seasoned food trailer and truck owners find that government licenses and regulations are a big obstacle in initial and ongoing operations.

Highlight technology developments that will help your business thrive down the line. The number of apps and websites developed in the name of helping food trailers succeed has exploded, and will continue to with the growth of the technology sector.

Check out these five websites and five apps that drive business for food trailers and trucks like no other.

Look at the mobile food industry through four scopes- political, economic, social-demographic and technical- and paint a picture for investors to understand what you are entering into.

Explore the key financial measures of the mobile food industry; industry wide sales, sales volumes and sales channels. For example, food trailers and trucks brought in 1.5 billion last year across the US, with projected growth trend of 12.4%. There are 4130 food trailers in the US alone, with each trailer generating around $200,000 in gross revenue.

Those are the kind of numbers and figures that should be intertwined through your industry analysis.

Competitive Analysis

Yes, somewhat self explanatory- but crucial.

Explore the mobile food industry’s main players, and your competitors. Who are your local competitors? If you’re a travelling act, who currently dominates the areas you’d like to focus on?

Highlight your competitors strengths and weaknesses. For example, vegetarian and vegan food trailers and trucks are absolutely slaying the market place.

More seasoned veterans have great supply chain networks, resulting in pricing that may be unattainable to a new kid on the block.

Perhaps competitors in your area operate on restricted hours, or don’t have a liquor license.

What is the competitive outlook for the industry? Explore barriers to entry, the number of food trucks expected to enter the market next year- ( hint: annual growth is 7.4% for food trailers.)

Market Analysis

This is your chance to explore and describe the very market that is going to be lining up outside your food truck.

The demographics of your target market are crucial to understand, to market your food truck and make serious profit. What do your customers like, what are their needs- where are they from, what do they have in common? Will they provide you enough of an opportunity?

A food trailer serving health conscious vegan food will certainly appeal to a different demographic than a food trailer pumping out cheesy pizza and fresh pulled pork sliders. The way you market to them and operate your business totally depends on who they are- a succinct understanding of your business and menu will be able to dial in on your target demographic.

Management & Hiring

What does your team look like?

Many first time food trailer owners opt to run solo for the first few months of operation, or until profit has turned.

For some, this may not be possible and you may plan to train an entire team from day one.

Be sure to cover how your plans for hiring affect the operations of your food trailer and how much it will cost you on a monthly basis to employ. Highlight the skills and knowledge of your existing team, and what will you be looking for in future team members to ensure perfect execution of your vision.

A food trailer offering coffee & donuts will certainly require different cooking and customer service skills than a full fledged seafood mobile kitchen. Your hiring needs will differ, so make sure these are clear.

Operations Plan

Quite simply, craft a succinct plan of exactly how your food trailer is going to work. Focus on daily business activities and strategies to support them.

Calculate your break even point, your profit margins, your supply chain, your manufacturers etc- everything that will be a part of operating your food truck, cover here.

Investors want to see concrete and sound plans for the operations of the business they are throwing money at. Investors will want to see a concrete understanding of where you’re getting your food from, the prices and how it will end up as a money making venture.

It can be a very data driven section, so using charts, graphs and tables is a great way to show processes and calculations without drowning the reader in thousands of words.

Food Trailer Marketing Plan

Marketing within the mobile food industry is quite different from marketing other industries, so forming a specific and measurable marketing plan for your food trailer is imperative.

You are quite literally demonstrating how you are going to make money- how you are going to have customers lined up outside your food trailer.

A full marketing strategy embodies many components. Consider the 4 P’s- product, price, promotion and place.

Product:

• Brand name
• Related products and services- are you offering just one menu, liquor etc.?
• Functionality
• How will your food be served and packaged?
• Food Quality
• Menu offering

Promotion:

• Advertising
• Marketing Budgets
• Promotional Strategy
• PR & Sales
• Event calendar & attendance

Price:

• Pricing strategies
• Flexibility on pricing
• Retail Price vs. wholesale pricing vs. seasonal pricing
• Price competitiveness
• Cost of supplies vs. retail cost

Place:

• Supply chain(s)
• Distribution channel(s)
• Distribution center(s)
• Logistics
• Ordering and ordering processes
• Transportation
• Warehousing needs or manufacturing needs

Financial Plan

Down to the nitty gritty; the numbers.

Your financial plan speaks to the current and future financial projections of your food trailer.

Starting from the amount of capital you need to raise, how the money will be used and how much money will need to be interjected into the food trailer over time.

For example, you may only start by offering pasta dishes out of your food trailer on the streets of New York (lower initial capital) but you may plan to expand to offer pizza in the near future- the cost of a pizza oven would need investment at that time.

Provide income statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements and projected sales/revenue. Use strong evidence and expert opinions to accurately assume future growth or the internal components of your business.

Remain transparent throughout your financial plan.

The post Creating a Business Plan for Your Food Trailer appeared first on Custom Mobile Kitchens.

Whether you’re considering entering the mobile food industry, or you’ve recently made your first food trailer purchase- congrats! You’re looking at a multi-million-dollar industry that has provided millions of entrepreneurs a profitable, long term career.

As with any venture, your marketing plan is essential – (as is your business plan, which we have covered right here for you.)

At the end of the day, food trailers and trucks require the same marketing as a brick and mortar joint. We see a very common misconception here all the time; business owners assume that as long as they roll up to a busy place with a decent food truck, the money will roll in.

People are always hungry, right? True- but it doesn’t guarantee you sales. You need a concrete business plan and a creative, well thought out marketing plan to really get your food trailer thriving.

What a Marketing Plan Will Do For Your Food Trailer Business

Just like your business plan, a marketing plan provides you with a succinct overview of how you’re going to place your business in the market and how.

For food trailers and trucks, a marketing plan helps to:

• Create measurable goals
• Motivate your business team
• Create a timeline of marketing activities
• Calculate ROI, break even points and other important numerical analysis
• Form a succinct, defined SWOT analysis
• Determine your advertising methods
• Solidify your branding, messaging, tone etc.
• Align marketing strategies with business goals
• Accurately define your market, segmentation, target customer and demographics
• Prioritize time and priorities
• Assists you in spending money wisely, especially with advertising

Yeah- it’s pretty important that you create a marketing plan.

As we work with aspiring food trailer owners on a daily basis, we wanted to share some marketing tips from the pro’s.

5 Tips For Marketing a Killer Food Trailer Business

Build a Strong Social Media Base for Your Food Trailer

In today’s society, it may seem like a no brainer to actively engage in social media for any business. The reality is, however, social media engagement doesn’t work for every business.

For food trucks and trailers, social media is an absolute must.
Social media is one of the easiest ways to both build a following and communicate with that following.

That involves everything- your location, menu updates, events you’re attending, contests, giveaways etc. It’s the perfect moving ground for sharp & visually based content and forming a solid path of communication with your followers.

Utilize Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linked In and even Pintrest. Use the strengths of each platform to accelerate your business and brand within the mobile food world.

Another reason social media is so important? The mobile food industry is one built entirely off people on the go. And what do people do on the go?

They browse their smart phones.

They’re looking for new, fresh content. They want to know what’s going on behind the scenes. They want to see your menu and your team come to life, and they want to be driven to find you. They want to engage with brands, even from a distance. They want to share cool and exciting posts from their favorite brands and influencers.

The power of social media and networking is huge. A clear and defined social media strategy is one we consider pretty essential in your business mix.

Engage Your Food Trailer with Food Influencers

Influencers have a really powerful affect. They play a huge role in the purchasing decisions of their followers and heightening brand awareness.

People trust influencers- they trust their word and their reviews of businesses. Influencers end up being a confirmation that a business is worth checking out, or something is worth getting involved in.

Pro tip? Start small. Look at local influencers that have 4,000-9,000 followers in your area. You may not think this holds merit, but it really does. These influencers may not have millions of followers, but they d have a trusted and loyal following directly in your market segment.

This can prove actually more beneficial than reaching for a widespread influencer, were targeted ROI won’t be possible- and your message may be lost in the crowd.

Connect With Websites & Apps Created For Food Trailers

The disconnect between the online world and the mobile food industry was discovered pretty quickly.

Hungry patrons wanted to know which food trucks were in their area, or which were attending events they had planned. They wanted to see menu’s, pictures & stories behind food trailers near-by.

With that, hundreds of websites and apps were built to connect users to food trailers and trucks at the touch of a button.

Integration into these websites and apps is crucial. It increases your exposure, it increases your branding, it increases communication with new and existing customers.

No pun intended, but it puts you on the map. Quite literally.

Just like brick & mortar restaurants develop great relationships with apps like Yelp and Open Table, you should be looking to foster the same kind of relations with apps and websites made for your food trailer.

We hear about the best and the worst of these.

Want to skip the research, and connect with the top 5 apps and websites for food trailers? You’re welcome.

Your Food Trailer Needs Consistent Menu Redesigns

One of the worst things a food trailer owner can do is keep the same menu for months at a time.

The mobile food industry is busy, and consumers will easily forget about you if you bring nothing new to the table.

(We are a on a roll with puns today. Not intentional, we swear.)

Not only do menu redesigns help boost revenue, but they are a fantastic tool of communication with people to remind the of your brand and coax them into trying your new creations.

Don’t be alarmed. A menu redesign doesn’t necessarily entail redoing your whole menu. Rather, try incorporating seasonal ingredients into your dishes. Have a daily feature. Run a campaign of locally sourced ingredients, and make this clear in your marketing.

A brilliant idea we have recently heard? Highlight dishes inspired by your loyal customers. Let them design their experience.

Use Your Food Trailer to Display Your Online Handles

If people found you by chance, they’ll want to know how to connect with you.

They don’t want to put in the effort to find you, but they still want to find you.

(We know, we know.)

So, make your social media and online handles clear. Clearly display them on your food truck. Make sure they’re on your business cards. Got space on your takeout containers? Throw them on there.

The post Marketing for Food Trucks 101: 5 Tips appeared first on Custom Mobile Kitchens.