Author: CMK

Categories: Food Trailers

The History of Food Trailers (Yeah, Thank Food Trucks!)

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.

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Categories: Entrepreneur

Common Mistakes When Starting a Food Trailer (& How to Avoid Them)

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.

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Categories: Food Trailers

“Book a Food Truck”: 5 Websites That Connect Food Trailers to Customers

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

  1. Off The Grid

    2. 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.

  2. Food Trucks Go

    3. 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.

  3. YYC Food Trucks

    4. 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.

  4. Street Food App

    5. 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.

  5. Street Food Vancouver

    6. 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.

  6. Thumb Tack

    7. 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.

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Categories: Food Trailers

Find Food Trucks Near Me: 5 Apps That Connect Food Trailers with Customers

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
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