Breaking into the Food Truck Industry

[MidwestRick]

In today’s economy, more than ever, people are looking for alternative sources of employment for themselves. Throw a dash of American entrepreneurship into the mix, and you will find that one of the largest growing search areas on Internet sites such as Google, Yahoo Search, and Bing! is the Mobile Food Industry. Mobile Cuisine Magazine would like to help these potential vendors and the food truck industry by providing a series of articles that will help each individual in deciding if being a mobile food vendor is the right career shift for them.

In the first of our series, we will discuss the very basics and initial thoughts you should be putting time into to assist you in getting a mobile food business started.

Rest of the story here http://mobilecuisine.wordpress.com/2010/10/14/breaking-into-the-food-truck-industry/

[MineralMan]

1. There is an excellent taco truck in Saint Paul. The problem is

knowing where it is on any given day. Some days, I have a craving for tacos de cabeza, but I don't know where the truck is. Someone needs a facebook page or a tweet to let people know. Trouble is that I think the guy who runs the truck probably isn't online.

[MidwestRick]

4. That's a shame.

The next time you bump into that truck, let them know that twitter is a great marketing tool for him to use. Tweet their where abouts will make sure they can keep their loyal followers happy. It wouldn't hurt their marketing budget either if they could spend 10 minutes a day (if that) tweeting their location.

-MR

[blondeatlast]

2. Food trucks--one of the few "social" benefits of living in Arizona.

I live a mile from a recycling/organic waste (as in plants) facility. Follow the landscape trucks--Mmmmm, !sabroso!

[LibertyLover]

3. 20 or so years ago I worked in New York City, down on Wall Street

The day I was hired at the law firm I worked at, the paralegal coordinator said to me "In some firms there is a subsidized lunch program. Here we have the lunch trucks." We got some great food at decent prices from those trucks.

[MidwestRick]

5. Unfortunately in Chicago

We have very few trucks, and what we have can only serve pre-prepared food. I'd love to open my own truck, but I want to be able to actually prepare food in the truck.

-MR

[surrealAmerican]

6. Chicago makes it almost impossible to operate a food truck.

[MidwestRick]

8. I can only hope

a new mayor can get things changed in that area. Once elected, I plan to lobby them for a review of the current ordinances that prevent their operation in town.

-MR

[surrealAmerican]

9. Good luck.

A thriving street food scene would be a real asset to this city.

[MidwestRick]

10. I absolutely agree.

The beauty of licensing food trucks would cover multiple issues. First, the health department would be able to make sure it was safe to eat their food. It would bring additional tax revenue into the city, while employing hundred of people. The biggest obstacle is getting around the Local and National Restaurant Associations.

-MR

[haele]

7. Mariscos German (that's Herr-man) in San Diego went from storefront

to "lunch trucks", and is doing very well. Best Mexican Seafood (and seafood only! - no carne asada, menudo,churro)in town, inexpensive, at four or five locations - one just opened up in the usually empty corner of the local IGA parking lot during the day and is doing some pretty decent walk-up business. Try the Maryln (smoked Marlin) or Garlic Fish tacos. Oysters, all forms of shrimp, clams, octopus, mussels and the occasional catch of the day. Laz has taken to it, he can get a pretty good small, healthy meal for under $4. Couple bar stools up against the truck in front of the ice tray for the drinks for seating.
And if you order to eat there, you get a free cup of soup with an entire cooked shrimp (head and all).
However, if you're like me and allergic to shellfish, it's difficult to find something that hasn't been cooked around that which can make you very ill. :( Luckily, there's a pretty decent drive through nearby that I can eat from.
Lunch trucks are the bomb. And according to a crepe cook of my aquaintance, there's a couple other small ethnic resturants around that have been eyeing them as an alternative to renting resturant space. Apparently, all they need is an FDA-approved prep kitchen and storage area, and to keep the trucks available for an FDA inspection at any time.

Haele