6 Tips to Winterize Your Food Truck

Winter can be a difficult season for food trucks. Customer habits change and fewer people are willing to wait outside for food, contributing to a loss of revenue during the season. As a result, many food trucks shut down until spring. Despite the cold weather and decrease in interest, there are still ways to keep your food truck successful after the temperature drops. As more businesses adopt a mobile food business model, we’ve developed six winter food truck strategies to make the most of the colder months.


Click below to skip to the food truck tip that most interests you:

6 Food Truck Tips to Prepare for Winter

There are several things you can do to prepare your food truck for winter. If done correctly, you'll be able to stay active, maintain a steady stream of customers, and form new business connections. By adhering to the list below, you'll be able to ensure your business stays profitable during the winter.

1. Winterize Your Truck

Icy conditions and low temperatures can pose a significant challenge to food truck owners. For that reason, it’s important to have a plan if inclement weather occurs. Adhere to the tips below to keep your truck, employees, and guests safe.

  • Purchase snow tires: One essential thing that every winter truck needs is a set of snow tires. Since food trucks are heavy and prone to sliding in winter weather, snow tires provide additional traction.
  • Invest in winter supplies: Consider purchasing winter supplies, such as shovels and ice scrapers, to combat winter weather. These are particularly helpful if your food truck gets plowed in or your windows freeze over. For comfort, you can even install heaters inside your truck.
  • Treat sidewalks: It’s important to make sure the sidewalks and pathways to your truck are safe. Consider buying rock salt to keep these areas clear of ice and prevent customers from slipping.

2. Offer Expanded Services

If you live in an area where winter weather prohibits your food truck from functioning normally, there are still several ways that you can make money. By offering the services below, you can increase profits and even expand your brand during the winter.

Catered food table from Food Truck Business
  • Food truck catering: Through catering, you’ll have the opportunity to maximize winter income and explore new business opportunities. Examples of events that your food truck could service include weddings, parties, and special holiday events. Some event spaces may even allow you to bring your food truck inside!
  • Food truck delivery: Adding a delivery service to your food truck is an easy way to navigate winter weather complications. You can choose to designate a staff member for deliveries or partner with a third-party delivery service to fulfill online orders. This makes your food more accessible, builds awareness of your business, and eliminates the need for customers to wait outside your truck on cold days.

3. Sign Up for Local Events

While the winter doesn't offer as many event opportunities as the spring and summer, there are still plenty of ways to stay engaged in the community. With careful planning and communication, you can keep your food truck in the public eye year-round. Some common examples of winter event opportunities are included below:

  • Food truck festivals: A winter food truck festival is a great way for customers to find diverse flavors in the gloomier months and provide you with a profit.
  • Local gatherings: Events like winter carnivals, tree lightings, and Christmas villages can be valuable business opportunities as they generally draw in hungry and thirsty crowds that are looking for something to eat on-site.
  • Town or city events: Find out if neighboring towns and cities host monthly events like First Fridays or Fourth Fridays. In many cases, these events bring in large groups of people despite the cold temperatures.
Back to Top

4. Partner with Local Businesses

Partnering with local businesses and organizations allows you to make connections and explore new business opportunities. Not only does this keep you in business, but it can also result in long-term arrangements. In the section below, we've included some common examples of food truck partnerships:

Four people standing near and ordering at red food truck in winter
  • Bars: Consider parking your food truck at a bar that doesn’t offer food to feed hungry customers.
  • Office buildings: Local businesses that operate out of large office buildings can hire your truck to provide employees with a catered lunch. In some cases, they may even choose to host your food truck in their parking lot for the day.
  • Local sports teams: Whether they be professional or amateur, sports organizations in your area may be interested in featuring a food truck at their events. This gives you access to a large customer base and can help to build brand loyalty.

5. Offer Seasonal Deals

The slow winter season is an excellent time to try out new dishes. When you're designing new recipes, try offering menu items that are seasonally appropriate and festive. Take advantage of the tips below to transform your food truck’s menu and merchandise.

  • Holiday menu: Curate a special menu to serve guests over the winter holidays. This can include seasonal drinks, holiday classics, and exclusive winter foods.
  • Meal specials: Consider offering special deals or discounts on your menu to drive sales. This can range from something as simple as half-priced drinks to something on a larger scale, such as holiday meal bundles.
  • Winter merchandise: Beyond food, you can create branded merchandise to sell from your truck. Branded clothing such as hats, scarves, and gloves allow guests to stay warm while supporting a local business. You can also offer stickers, keychains, and a variety of other products to your guests.

6. Find a Regular Location

On days when the winter weather isn't as harsh, some people choose to go out for lunch or walk around the town. To prepare for that, your food truck should find a spot with consistent foot traffic. Adhere to the tips below to find a successful location for your food truck this winter:

Food Trucks Parked on Brick Road
  • Keep it central: People are less likely to travel long distances for food in the winter, making it imperative that you choose a central location.
  • Stay accessible: If customers have difficulty reaching your food truck, you can lose out on a significant amount of revenue. Make sure to choose an accessible location that is easy to find.
  • Keep regulations in mind: Before finalizing your plans, contact local authorities to ensure you are allowed to operate there. Some municipalities may require specific permits and licenses to operate in certain areas.

Once you've found your spot for the day, be sure to post on your food truck's social media accounts to keep loyal customers updated. If maintaining a regular spot in winter weather proves too challenging, try heading to a city or state with warmer weather. You'll need to arrange housing for you and your truck for the season and acquire the appropriate food truck licenses and permits for that state, so be sure to run a cost-benefit analysis before hitting the road.

Back to Top

Choosing Which Winter Truck Tips to Implement

Before you begin to implement the tips above, it’s important to take a step back and analyze your truck and your local area:

What Are Your Strengths?

Take a moment to consider what makes your truck stand out. Whether you bake the best cupcakes in town or have exceptional customer service, your strengths are the key to devising a successful winter strategy.

How Are Other Food Trucks in Your Area Preparing?

One of the best things about the food truck industry is the strong sense of community among owners. Communicate with fellow food truck businesses to find out what they plan on doing in the winter months. This helps to generate additional ideas and inspirations for what path your business should take.

Talk to Your Guests

Since your guests are the ones waiting in line for your food, find out what you could offer that would make braving the freezing temperatures worth the wait. This can be done simply by having a conversation with your regulars or by sending out a survey via email. You can even offer paper surveys on-site and provide incentives to fill them out.

Back to Top

Winter is the most difficult season for food trucks, but this doesn't mean that your food truck needs to shut down for the season. By changing your menu, working with local businesses, and searching for events and catering opportunities, you can keep your business open! So, instead of hibernating during those chilly winter months, take heed of these six tips to boost your food truck profits year-round.

Posted in: Food Trucks & Concessions|Management & Operation|By Richard Traylor
The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. Please refer to our Content Policy for more details.

Related Resources

  • Leasing a Food Truck

    Whether you’re just getting started in the food truck business or looking to expand your current operation, leasing a food truck is an excellent way to achieve your goals. Leasing opens up a variety of options and opportunities to grow your business and develop a successful business model. Below, we’ll explain what it means to lease a food truck, the different types of leasing options available to you, and how to negotiate your own food truck lease. Click any of the tips below to read the section that interests you: What Is a Food Truck Lease? Food Truck Leasing Companies Types of Food Truck Leases How to Lease a Food Truck What Is a Food Truck Lease? A food truck lease is an agreement that allows you to rent a food truck for a specific time period at a fixed monthly rate. The duration of the lease and how much you pay are dependent on several different factors, however most leases last two to three years. Leasing a food truck allows you to start a food truck business without assuming the financial risk associated with buying your own. Additionally, many leases allow you to build towards owning the food truck yourself. Advantages of Leasing a Food Truck Leasing a food truck instead of purchasing one can lead to multiple advantages that aid you through the process of establishing your business. Not only does a lease offer added flexibility when starting your business, but it also provides you with a clear timeframe as to how long you will be paying. Some of the most helpful advantages of starting a food truck lease include: Decreased cost: In general, it can cost between $100,000 and $200,000 to buy your own food truck and equipment. In some cases, that figure can be even higher. By comparison, leasing a food truck often costs somewhere between $2,000 and $3,000 per month. More accessibility: For those who don’t have the benefit of being able to buy a truck in full, leasing a food truck allows you to secure one without paying a high amount upfront. Though many leases still require some kind of down payment, this option is much more manageable than buying a truck out of pocket. Customization: Some food truck leasing companies will work with you to customize your truck. This allows you to ensure the truck matches the theme of your business as well as the services you provide. Disadvantages of Leasing a Food Truck Despite all the advantages they bring, there are aspects of leasing a food truck that can prove difficult to manage in certain situations. While the advantages typically outweigh the disadvantages, it is important to review them to develop a full understanding of what it means to lease a food truck. Below, we’ll investigate some of the most common disadvantages of leasing a food truck: Truck returns: If you choose to sign a shorter lease or forgo lease to own options, you may find yourself rushing to find a new food truck as the end of your lease agreement nears. This can be particularly stressful if you've already chosen not to renew. For this reason, you must plan far ahead in the process of leasing your truck to ensure your business doesn't have to temporarily cease operations. Lack of ownership: Just like renting or leasing property, lack of ownership presents certain limitations. For example, you may not be able to change the layout or add on to your truck without permission of the leasing company. Furthermore, certain terrains or enviornments may be off-limits to your truck to avoid damage. Before you sign any documents, be sure that both parties are on the same page as to how you can use your truck. Food Truck Leasing Companies In recent years, many companies have been founded to help prospective food truck businesses achieve their goals. Companies like Roaming Hunger, Mobi Munch, and Prestige Food Trucks each offer different solutions and plans to help get your food truck up and running. Some companies will even help schedule business opportunities such as catering events and aid you in starting a website for your truck. Partnering with one of these companies can open the doorway to many opportunities for your business. Types of Food Truck Leases There are typically two main types of food truck leases, known as traditional and lease to own options. Each option can offer a variety of benefits depending on the context of your business, making it vital that you understand the key differences between them. Below, we’ll investigate both options: Traditional Food Truck Leases In a traditional lease, you pay a set amount of money each month for the duration of the lease. Once your contract is up, you can either renew the leasing agreement or choose to go in another direction. One benefit of a traditional lease is that if you realize your truck doesn't fit your long-term needs, there is an easy way out at the end of the contract. Additionally, these types of leases can often be shorter than their counterpart, giving you the flexibility to do what is best for your business. Lease to Own Food Trucks Also known as rent to own food trucks, lease to own food trucks allow you to put your monthly payments towards a goal of ultimately owning a truck. Lease to own food trucks often require a higher down payment, however, they can be advantageous for those aspiring to own a truck. These types of leases often give you options to customize the truck, while some even allow you to work hand in hand with designers. For those who aspire to own a truck but can't afford it in the short term, a lease to own option can be the perfect compromise. How to Lease a Food Truck If you’re new to the leasing process or have never started a business, chances are you’re unfamiliar with what it takes to lease a food truck. To successfully secure a lease and get your food truck business started, adhere to the following steps: 1. Create a Food Truck Business Plan Your first step in securing a food truck lease should be to create a business plan. This allows you to show leasing companies that you have a roadmap to guide you through the process of starting your business. To write a successful business plan, it is essential to include information on your concept, market, and structure. To learn more about this topic, check out our article on how to write a restaurant business plan. 2. Prepare Financial Information As you create your business plan, remember to include detailed information regarding your financial background. Whether you’re applying for a loan, lease, or rental agreement, chances are you’ll have to show proof that you are responsible with your money and will be able to make payments on time. Some of the most commonly asked questions include: What is your credit score? How much financial capital do you currently have access to? How much money can you put down? Have you had previous financial troubles or bankruptcies? 3. Negotiate and Finalize Your Lease With your business plan and financial information organized, it’s time to negotiate your lease. There are multiple options available to you, making it important that you choose the lease that best fits your specific needs. Negotiations can be a back-and-forth process and can often involve multiple parties including yourself, the leasing company, and any lawyers hired to read over the lease. Be sure to ask questions about the lease to make sure you fully understand what you're about to sign. 4. Insure Your Food Truck In most cases, the person or company leasing their property to you will require some kind of insurance. In some instances, the lease can even be terminated if you fail to provide proof of insurance. Insurance protects both the leaser and the lessee if the truck is damaged. Each company will have different preferences as to the minimum requirements of the insurance, meaning that you should take extra care to read through your leasing agreement. Back to Top Despite seeming like a complicated process, leasing a food truck can be an advantageous experience which helps to establish and grow your food truck business. By building an understanding of what it means to lease a food truck, the advantages and disadvantages associated with it, and how to lease your own, you can ensure that the leasing process goes smoothly and set your food truck business up for success.

  • How Food Trucks Can Save on Fuel Cost

    The idea of starting a food truck is a potentially lucrative one, but many people are deterred by the fuel costs. Food trucks and their equipment use a lot of gas, making fuel a key expense of the business. Thankfully, even when gas prices are high, there are ways you can lower your spending on gas and maximize the efficiency of the fuel you purchase for your food truck. Below we’ll cover everything you can do to save on your food truck's fuel cost. How to Save Money on Gas Even when gas prices are high, there are several tips and tricks you can employ to save money on fuel. Just by being smart and taking advantage of trends, you can reduce the amount of money you spend on fueling up your food truck. Here are some of the most common methods of saving money on food truck fuel: 1. Compare Prices Before buying gas, you should always compare gas prices from several locations in your immediate area. There are several third-party applications like GasBuddy that compare gas prices for you, making this an easy task. Do some research before you make your purchase, and you should be able to find some amazing deals on gas. 2. Loyalty Programs Many gas stations have some sort of loyalty program you can take advantage of. One of the most common types of gas station loyalty programs is the punch card, giving you free or discounted fuel after a certain number of purchases. This is a great option to save money on gas if you’re limited in the gas stations in the area, or if you find that one specific location frequently has the best deals. 3. Rewards Card There are several great cards that provide special rewards when used to purchase gas. These rewards include a cashback percentage and discounted prices. Just be sure your rewards card is saving you money, as some gas stations charge an extra fee for paying with cards. Some cards also have annual fees or interest charges that might offset any savings you gain on gas prices. 4. Avoid Premium If your food truck doesn’t require premium gas, then you can save a lot of money switching over to regular fuel. Using premium fuel has a lot of benefits, including better engine performance. However, premium fuel isn't necessary unless stated and costs more than regular fuel. The extra costs add up quickly, especially if you’re refilling your vehicle often. 5. Pay with Cash Many gas stations offer a discount when paying with cash to avoid paying processing fees on card purchases. For this reason, if you’re not utilizing a gas rewards card, you’ll be better off paying for your gas in cash. 5. Fill Up Early Gas prices fluctuate daily, but there are some price trends you can take advantage of. On average, gas is the cheapest on Mondays. For this reason, to maximize the amount of money you save on gas, fill up early in the week. How to Save Gas Another method of spending less on gas is reducing the amount of fuel you use throughout the day. Rather than trying to lower the price of gas, these tips aim to reduce the number of times you have to refuel. When combining these tips with ways to save money on gas, you can reduce the amount of money you spend on refueling your food truck by a large margin. To get the most out of your food truck’s gas mileage, here are some methods to conserve fuel throughout the day: 1. Avoid Speeding Although it may be tempting to speed up your pace to get to locations faster, speeding lowers your fuel efficiency. Fast speeds will burn more fuel on average, causing you to have to fuel up more often. Additionally, rapidly accelerating lowers your vehicle's fuel efficiency. If you want to limit the number of times you have to visit the gas station, be weary of your speeds and their effect on fuel efficiency. 2. Take Efficient Routes Before you begin driving your food truck for the day, you should plan out the routes you plan to drive along. Many times operators waste gas by aimlessly driving around or by taking inefficient routes that add several minutes to your driving. Plan the most efficient routes that require the least amount of driving, allowing you to conserve more gas. 3. Check Tire Pressure Many people don’t routinely check their tire pressure, but low pressure reduces your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. The more underinflated your tires are, the less efficient your fuel economy will be. Ensure you’re routinely checking your tires, as you don’t want to have to fill up more just because you don’t maintain them. 4. Avoid Idling You might not think that your food truck uses a lot of gas while idling, but the costs add up over time. Over the course of the year, you can lose gallons of fuel to idling, forcing you to refuel more and spend more money on gas. If you find yourself stuck in traffic or in a similar situation, it's best to turn your engine off and conserve fuel. 5. Maintain Your Vehicle If you want to limit the number of times you need to refill, you should ensure that your vehicle is properly maintained. Engine problems are one of the biggest detriments to gas mileage, so it’s important that it's always running smoothly. Maintaining your engine will make your vehicle run smoother and last longer, allowing you to get maximum value out of it. 6. Simplify Your Menu Many food truck operators have complex menus that require many different pieces of equipment to prepare. Simplifying your menu so that it can be prepared on one or two pieces of equipment allows you to lessen the amount of equipment you need to power with your generator. Less food truck equipment means less energy used, allowing you to save on gas. 7. Limit Air Conditioner Use Air conditioning is a huge blessing during the hot summer months, but utilizing it in your food truck lowers the vehicle's fuel efficiency. The less you use your air conditioning, the more fuel you’ll save. While this doesn’t mean you need to suffer all summer with no AC, you should be more conservative with how often you utilize it. Gas vs Diesel One of the biggest things that determine how much you spend on gas is whether you have a gas food truck or a diesel food truck. Diesel food trucks are often more expensive upfront, but, they are more fuel efficient and have higher durability than their counterpart. Over time a diesel engine may end up saving you money with its fuel efficiency. On the other hand, gas engines have much less of a noticeable odor and run quieter, both things that are very important when serving customers from a food truck. Also, even though gas engines are less durable, repairing a gas engine will cost less on average than repairing a diesel engine. In the end, both types of food trucks have their pros and cons, so weigh out the advantages and disadvantages of gas vs diesel before buying a food truck. Electric Food Trucks An alternative to gas and diesel food trucks is electric food trucks, allowing you to completely bypass the need to refuel your food truck. Generally, it is much cheaper to charge an electric food truck than it is to refuel a gas food truck. Electric food trucks are also environmentally friendly and don't emit any odors like gas and diesel food truck do, so you don't have to worry about anything affecting your customers' experience. Although electric food trucks save you money on gas, they are more expensive to purchase upfront. Over time the switch may be worth it, but initially, electric food trucks will cost you more money. Charging stations are also harder to find than gas stations, especially in more rural areas, limiting your options when you do need to charge up. Food Truck Generators Another major source of fuel consumption for food truck operators is the food truck generators that are required to run equipment when the food truck is parked. Ensuring that you're getting the most out of the fuel you put into your food truck generators is just as important as improving the fuel economy of the food truck itself. With that in mind, here are some tips to ensure your food truck generator is running as efficiently as possible: Conservative Use Using your generator conservatively is a great way to burn less fuel. Your generator should only be used when it's necessary to power equipment and should remain dormant when equipment is not being used. You may also want to look into adding an alternative energy source to lessen the load on your generator. For example, you could install solar panels on the roof of your food truck to capture sunlight and convert it into energy that powers the smaller pieces of equipment in your food truck. Avoid Overloading If you're overworking or overloading your generator, it will increase its fuel consumption by a large margin. Before you purchase your generator, you should analyze what the energy requirements for your food truck are going to be. You'll want to purchase a generator that has a capacity similar to these energy requirements, as overloading and underloading your food truck generator are two of the biggest culprits of wasting fuel. Regular Maintenance Just like with your food truck, performing regular maintenance on your generator can reduce its fuel consumption. When a generator is damaged or in need of repairs, it can cause the generator to use more power and fuel. Not only does regular maintenance increase your generator's fuel efficiency, but it also ensures you run into no complications with powering your food truck equipment Saving on fuel costs is a key part of lowering your operating expenses as a food truck owner. By shopping smart and conserving fuel, you can not only spend less on gas but also reduce the number of times you have to refuel. Over time these fuel savings will add up, allowing you to reinvest the savings into improving even more aspects of your food truck.

  • Food Truck Marketing

    Unlike brick-and-mortar restaurants, repeat customers are a rare commodity for food trucks. Therefore, having a solid marketing strategy in place to attract and engage customers is crucial to the success of your food truck. By combining this strategy with a well-developed business plan, you can effectively connect with your target audience and drive success for your food truck venture. Check out our comprehensive food truck marketing plan, which includes branding, social media marketing, and location strategy. Click on any food truck marking tactic to jump ahead and learn more: Branding Website Development Social Media Marketing Menu Use a Food Truck App Location Strategy Catering Partnerships Merchandising Food Truck Marketing Plan A strong marketing presence helps the public recognize and identify with your business. Developing a well-thought-out marketing strategy ensures that your message effectively reaches and resonates with your target audience. Below we list the essential elements of successful food truck marketing: 1. Branding As the food truck industry becomes increasingly saturated, your branding sets you apart from every other food truck. Create a distinct brand to help ensure your food truck's longevity. A strong food truck brand consists of the following elements: Logo: Choose a simple, easy-to-interpret logo. Font: While using a creative font can be an effective way to support the overall mood of your business, make sure important information is legible. Graphics: Most food truck operators decorate their trucks with eye-catching graphics that entice customers to buy their products. These decorations advertise your business as you drive through town. Copy: Names of menu items and the cohesion of your menu selection are part of your brand. Written words also matter in social media posts or articles about your business for print and online publications. 2. Website Development Every dining establishment needs to develop a website, but your food truck's website has unique needs. Since the food truck target market is only a few decades old, the primary way your customers will discover and interact with your business is online. Use your website to do the following: Showcase Your Location Schedule: Because your business has no fixed location, use your website to help customers easily find your food truck. Menu: If potential customers are intrigued by your site's images and copy, they'll want to check out your menu to try it for themselves. Typical Hours and Locations: While your hours and locations may vary, including customary places you operate lets your fans assess whether you can become a lunch spot staple or if it will require a weekend trip to sample your offerings. Mission Statement: Since individuals eat at food trucks to support local entrepreneurs and connect with a community, writing a powerful mission statement and including it on your website is a great way to boost your marketing efforts. Images of Your Food: Beautifully lit and tantalizing food photography images will convert people from website visitors to paying customers. 3. Social Media Marketing This digital age ushered in the reign of social media marketing for creating buzz and promoting businesses. In the food truck sector, social media is not just a way to connect with customers. It is an essential tool for growing your food truck business. Showcase new and favorite menu items, special deals, locations, and swag on social media to continue building a customer base. Food Truck Social Media Marketing Best Practices Marketing on social media is tricky due to the various unspoken rules dictating the success of a campaign. Use these social media marketing best practices to ensure your food truck stays relevant on social media platforms. Reviews: People will review your food truck and pose questions about your operation on your social media pages. Correctly managing comments and reviews is equally important as the reviews themselves. Two-Way Communication: Ask for customer feedback by creating polls on what locations and menu items they like. These posts help generate a steady stream of content and provide invaluable insight into how to run your business. Photos: Dabble in food photography by posting images of your daily/weekly specials, new menu items, and best-selling dishes with clever, actionable captions that match your food truck's branding. Giveaways: Create engagement by offering free items to winners who follow your account, tag friends in your giveaway post's comments, and share the giveaway on their personal social media pages. You can also partner with other social media pages for more exposure. Let Customers Market for You: Reposting and sharing the photos where customers tag your business is an easy way to get attractive images without generating all the content yourself. Make sure to get their consent to repost their photo and tag them to give them credit. Top Social Media Platforms for Food Trucks We broke down the top social media platforms for food trucks and how to use them. Yelp: Take control of your food truck's Yelp page, encourage customer reviews, include your own high-quality photos, and provide information on price range. Facebook: Use your Facebook page to share information, engage with customers, create events, and respond to customer questions. Twitter: Keep customers updated on your location and inventory, and share your brand's identity and values through clever tweets. Instagram: Utilize Instagram stories to build rapport with customers, share and repost customer photos, collaborate with influencers, and create reels for increased visibility. For an in-depth resource, we also offer a comprehensive Instagram marketing guide. TikTok: Share TikTok videos of your staff, meal preparation, catering events, and your food truck setup to showcase your brand and engage with followers. Back to Top 4. Menu Your food truck menu is a powerful marketing tool that attracts customers, showcases your culinary offerings, and differentiates your brand from competitors. A well-designed and thoughtfully curated menu entices potential customers, builds brand recognition, and ultimately drives sales. Unique dishes and fun twists on classic meals make your food truck menu stand out in a crowd, so harness your creativity as you build your menu. Top Selling Food Truck Foods The most popular food truck foods are handheld items offering a creative twist on classic favorites. Most food truck consumers want takeout and delivery-style meals that they can enjoy without hassle. Examples include Mexican-Asian fusion, vegan reinventions, and organic or gourmet versions of childhood staples. To stand out, incorporate local ingredients, cultural heritage, or a fresh spin on popular items. Here are a few of the top-selling food truck foods: BBQ Cupcakes Sliders Tacos Gyros Lobster Rolls Grilled Cheese Popsicles Falafel Pizza Burritos Bao 5. Use a Food Truck App Tech developers have created several applications to assist the over 25,000 food truck businesses operating in the US. Marketing your food truck through a food truck app guarantees that you're directing your message toward potential customers actively seeking a food truck and individuals invested in your local food truck scene. Here are a few of the best food truck apps for marketing your business. Roaming Hunger: As the leading food truck app in North America, Europe, and China, food truck owners use this app to broadcast their location and menu to potential customers. You can create an account, share info with locals, and find catering and event opportunities. Customize your page with special offers to attract hungry patrons. WTF (Where's The Foodtruck) Vendor App: WTF is a helpful app for food truck vendors in major US cities that shares your location, enables in-app orders, promotes your truck, links to social media and website, and connects you to catering and events. Find Your Local Food Truck App: Most major cities have food truck apps specifically designed to catch the attention of their regional clientele. Since building lasting relationships within your local community is a top priority, check into the local food truck apps that will help you become a pillar within your local food truck market. 6. Location Strategy Whether dealing with real estate or food trucks, location is everything. To choose locations, identify and target the interests of your local customer base. Network with local booking agents and find out what entertainment is coming through town, then strategically park your truck when and where you'll get the most exposure. Can Your Food Truck Park Anywhere? No, you cannot park your food truck anywhere you want. Each city offers different guidelines and restrictions. We have an in-depth guide to the best cities for operating a food truck, but every city makes some accommodations for the food truck industry. As long as you uphold your community's guidelines and restrictions, you can achieve some decent business through strategic placement. Food Truck Location Ideas Bring your food truck to different parts of town to reach as many new customers as possible and learn what demographics are most interested in your products. Once you know where you're best received, you can join community events where people will love your food. Below are great locations to park your food truck: Food Truck Park Near a Medical Campus Local Farmer's Markets Near a College Campus Featured Vendor at a Local Event Commercial Areas with Few Food Choices Near Popular Public Parks 7. Catering Taking part in the food truck catering sector is like jumpstarting your brand, allowing you to earn a steady income and reach new prospective clients and fans. Events give guests who may never have heard of you an opportunity to try your food, and they’ll likely remember you the next time they see you around town. For instance, food truck-catered weddings are increasingly popular for couples who want to offer a unique experience, cut the cost of an expensive sit-down meal, and encourage mingling. Food Truck Catering Clientele Below are a few different types of clientele you can serve with your food truck: Weddings Corporate Events Retirement Parties Conferences Retreats College Campus Events Graduation Parties 8. Partnerships Team up with local businesses, organizations, and other food trucks to grow your audience. While other food trucks are technically your competition, you all have unique things to offer. The support of other food truck owners can go a long way toward securing your success in the business. Conversely, local businesses and organizations are often happy to establish partnerships with food trucks to keep their customers sated and lingering at their business for hours without returning to their own commercial kitchen operation. Food Truck Partnership Ideas Below are ideas of partnerships you can make to grow your food truck: Food Truck Rallies Breweries Outdoor Movie Theaters Book Stores Sweet and Savory Food Truck Team-Ups Farmer's Markets Open Air Shopping Centers Museums 9. Merchandising Once you have a dedicated fan base, offering merchandise with your logo encourages your customers to spread the word about your business. Choose merchandise that relates to your type of business. For example, if you operate a BBQ truck, you could sell cast iron trivets. If you have a cupcake truck, branded oven mitts might be appropriate. Food Truck Merchandise Ideas While these popular merchandise items may seem cliche, they are inexpensive, handy, and customers can incorporate them into their daily lives. Consider the cost vs. benefits of branded merchandise before diving in. Check out our list of common merchandise ideas you can create to market your food truck: T-Shirts Koozies Stickers Travel Mugs Keychains Lanyards Back to Top Who Is the Target Audience for Food Truck Businesses? As you craft a successful food truck marketing plan, you must understand the target audiences for food truck businesses. Middle-class millennials are the target market of the billion-dollar food truck industry. According to an IBISWorld Inc. report, 43% of food truck spending each month is made by 25- to 44-year-olds, with an additional 20% coming from those under 25. Why People Eat at Food Trucks Understanding why people enjoy eating at food trucks is essential for targeting the right customers and developing effective marketing strategies. By considering factors such as convenience, unique menus, supporting the local community, and the social experience, you can create a compelling brand story that resonates with your target audience and drives customers to your food truck. Here are a few reasons why people eat at food trucks. Convenience: Food trucks supply quick and delicious food options, particularly for those working in commercial areas with few meal choices. Support Small Businesses: Many millennials and Gen Z-ers prefer supporting a local food truck entrepreneur rather than spending their dollars at a chain. Exposure to New Cuisines and Flavor Combinations: A food truck's target audience enjoys being able to sample new cuisines and flavorings without committing to a cost-heavy sit-down restaurant entree. The Cool Factor: Millennials love participating in the modern food truck craze and sharing photos of their unique food truck meals. Community: Customers enjoy dining outdoors with other food truck patrons in parks and creating dining spaces alongside others at events. Set your mobile business up for success by creating a solid food truck marketing strategy. By having a captivating logo and a well-crafted website, along with a strategic approach to social media and high-quality food photography, you can significantly increase the visibility and impact of your food truck.

    • Shop Now

    Archives

    Webstaurant TVProduct demonstrations, how-to's, & descriptions ArticlesIn-depth information and tips for running a successful restaurant Buying GuidesTools to help you find the perfect product for your business