Category: Food Trailers

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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Categories: Food Trailers

Food Truck For Sale”: 8 Things to Consider Before Buying

If the thought of owning a food trailer has now turned into a reality, you’ll likely be pretty ecstatic to

make your most important purchase yet: the trailer.
It’s not a decision to be made hastily though; this initial investment could be the downfall of your entire
business plan, if the right things aren’t considered before buying.
Similar to buying a vehicles, there are mechanical factors to look out for- but there are specific things to
look out for when buying mobile kitchens.
Whether you are buying new or used, consider the following before handing over the cash:

Ask These 10 Questions Before Buying a Food Trailer

  1. Does it satisfy all the federal and municipal requirements and bylaws for food trailers?

    2. You’d be surprised at how much the rules change from location to location.

    (These first time food truck owners sure were.)

    A trailer may satisfy all legal and municipal bylaws in one city but completely fail in another nearby. Permits, licences, food safety, staffing regulations and dozens more all differ based on where you end up. Prior to purchasing a food truck, you should have a defined location where you will be serving- or a path of multiple locations if that’s your game plan.

    And pay really good attention to the bylaws and requirements in each area. Ensure that the food trailer satisfies each, or you could be left with a trailer that you’re not even allowed to use.

  2. Does it come with warranties?

    3. Geared mostly towards new food trailers, warranties are a beyond valuable thing to have- granted you know what they are. Used, but newer trailers, could also have existing warranties worth checking out.

    Repairs on food trailers can get costly if paying out of pocket, so if possible- look for trailers with some good warranties attached.

  3. Can it be rewrapped?

    4. You don’t get a whole lot of space to show your brand off, and the visual look of a food truck can make
    or break a sale for you.

    If a food truck doesn’t look good from the outside- like clean, fresh – I won’t eat
    there. Just looks like the food would be how it is on the outside, you know?     – self admitted food truck addict

    Some older trailers, oddly shaped trailers or those with heavy rust may not be able to be rewrapped- so you either make sure you love the design, or move on.

  4. Will it accommodate your menu?

    5. The ability to accommodate your menu is a factor you should consider in many decisions regarding your food trailer. Just like the decision to build your own food trailer or not, you have to consider whether the core of the trailer is built to support your menu or whether it can be adapted to do so.

    If you’re planning to sell a lot of pre packaged food, you’d need to look for a trailer that houses a lot of storage or the ability to integrate additional storage in.

    If your menu is intricate and detailed, your trailer would need to support a long prep line and
    organization options.

    You get the idea.

  5. Will it hook up to mobile technology?

    6. Gone are the days of cash, and while some mobile kitchens get away with cash only, a lot of urban cities and towns will demand debit and Wi-Fi options.

    Customer service and inventory is greatly improved with a POS system, but you need to make sure that your trailer can support it.

  6. Where did the trailer come from?

    7. Whether you’re buying used or new, buying food trailers from places like Ebay, Craigslist or
    Kijiji is never highly recommended.

    There can be great trailers for sale in the mix, but with these platforms you really have no guarantee of what you’re getting. Sellers on these platforms can easily mislead buyers about the condition, any hidden problems, it’s history and warranties.

    Choosing a reputable dealer- who often sell both new and used food trailers- pays off in the end, as you know exactly what you’re buying and from who.

  7. What size and shape should the food trailer be?

    8. You can do a thousand things with mobile kitchens, as these entrepreneurs show. With so many options as what you can do with a food trailer, you need to define the size and shape of the food trailer you need to suit your needs.

    These beauties aren’t just standard size boxes anymore- there are some crazy variations of these mobile kitchens out there!

  8. Has it been involved in any accidents?

    9. Things happen, but you’ll want to know about any accidents the food trailer has been involved in.

    You might not see the damage, but it certainly could be in there. And, as with everything in life, the outside appearance doesn’t always tell the full story – the damage could be worse than what it appears to be.

    If the trailer has been in an accident, it doesn’t mean you should nix the idea- but you’ll want to check where it was repaired and grab a copy of the accident report to read over.

    Sometimes mechanical problems come to the light somewhere down the road, and this you want to
    avoid.

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Categories: DIY, Food Trailers

Building Your Food Trailer Yourself: Can It Be Done?

Thinking of entering the mobile food industry with a kick-ass food trailer?

Great idea. A food trailers convenience, elevated functionalities and low price point, make them an ideal investment for aspiring culinary entrepreneurs to cook up some profit.

Building your own food trailer?

Not such a great idea.

Even for DIY professionals, building a food trailer- specifically the kitchen- isn’t really recommended. You might not be building a brick and mortar kitchen, but there are many factors you have to consider when it comes to food trailers and their operations. Yes, it can be done- but for a long term investment, outsourcing is likely your best bet.

Even the savviest builders can end up with a malfunctioning food trailer; yes, mobile kitchens operate the same as brick and mortar kitchens. However, the nature of where they are housed and how the components need to operate together differ greatly.

At the end of the day, safety triumphs cutting corners to save some dollars. In our experience in the food trailer industry, safety hazards are harder to avoid in such a small space, and knowledge of how to correctly build a food trailer kitchen is imperative.

Before you grab the tool box and browse online for an empty trailer, give consideration to a few things below before doing so:

Five Things to Consider Before Building Your Food Truck Yourself

1. Will It Actually Save You Money?

Building your own food trailer might save you money in labour costs, but have you factored in the price of buying the tools, supplies and appliances that you’ll need?

Buying them piece by piece yourself may actually be up to 30% more expensive than using a reputable dealer. Companies who focus on building food trailers and trucks have those awesome industry discounts, as well as discounts for ordering in bulk.

The money you save from labor may not make it back into your pocket once you are done sourcing and purchasing every individual item you’ll need.
Do You Know Everything You Need to Get?

There’s the obvious components- grills, deep dryers shelving units, fridges etc. While those are pretty standard, there are components of a well functioning food trailer that even DIY superstars forget.

Do you have the correct ventilation systems? Does your fire system align with the heat driven appliances in your kitchen? Have you looked into compression systems or overhead fans?

Once again, the placement and wiring of each component in a mobile kitchen may be similar to a brick and mortar kitchen, but you can’t forget that these kitchens are on wheels. The back of a trailer, in both set up and size, presents different challenges and requirements than building your home’s kitchen.

You also need to make sure that the functionalities of your mobile kitchen align with the menu and vision you have designed for your future business. You have limited space, and strategic design and placement ensures that your kitchen is set up to churn out the food and beverages you’ve chosen.

This can be hard to determine though. You really do have to be extremely saavy with the space you are given, and poor design and appliance placement can take up your entire kitchen without servicing your brand and menu at all.

2. The Requirements, Regulation and Building Codes of Food Trailers & Trucks

Admittedly, the regulations surrounding food trailers and trucks can be pretty overwhelming. Permits and licenses aside, your mobile kitchen has to be built to a pretty strict code to ensure that it’s safe for both you and the communities you’re serving.

And of course, like every regulated venture out there, the requirements for your food truck will differ from region to region; the hours you spend researching how to build your kitchen up to code might be entirely wasted once you travel to another region.

Experienced companies within the field are fluent in food trailer regulations, and design kitchens that will meet most, if not all requirements for every region. Food trailer builders understand:

  • Emissions guidelines
  • Proximity restrictions
  • Parking permits
  • Staffing regulations
  • Fire prevention system requirements
  • Health and sanitization station requirements
  • Food storage regulations
  • Sanitation requirements
  • Water supply requirements
  • Sewage and solid waste disposal
  • Toxic & harmful material reduction systems
  • Ventilation requirements
  • Lighting requirements

And that’s really only some of the rules you’ll have to research and abide by.

3. Do You Have a Set Budget?

With cost being the number one driver of building your food trailer yourself, you’d likely assume that you’ll come in miles behind buying through a reputable builder.

However, your budget can actually get away from you quite quickly if even one little thing goes off the rail.
Unexpected costs are, well, expected. But doing it yourself- you might end spending a whole lot more on mistakes than you originally planned to.
Even with a good idea of construction and the best intentions, you could easily surpass your budget by coming into unexpected mistakes, costs or missing items. Using a knowledgeable company to build your trailer saves you the unknown- we do this daily, and we know which speedbumps are coming and when.

4. How Much Customization Are You Looking For?

If you’re going into this whole heartedly (which you should be), your food trailer should look and operate exactly how you envisioned it. Not only should the internal guts of the trailer be 100% on point, but the outside should reflect you and your business.

That can be really hard to do by yourself.

Not to mention- costly. Singular custom wrapping of vehicles is inherently more expensive than doing so on a bulk discount, not to mention, your options will likely be way more limited.

Building a kitchen that is entirely customized to your needs may seem easy to plan, but again- limited space and a set budget can easily be derailed when the time comes. Hiccups happen more often than not when you branch outside a standard set up, and experience is usually the only thing that can help mitigate these hiccups.

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