It’s fun, it’s easy, it’s food—many people have a dream of owning their own food truck. However, it can be a little intimidating when you start to think about the budget, time management, and the ins and outs of operating a food truck business. Thankfully, there is an easy strategy to help execute this dream—here are three steps for starting a food truck business.
Step One: Figure Out a Budget
Before you can set up shop, you need to consider the costs. While not as intense as opening a restaurant, starting a food truck business is no small feat. First, determine all the costs you’ll have and work them into a budget—from ingredients to equipment to the truck. On average, a food truck’s budget is between $20,000 and $40,000). Use these questions to develop a more tactical plan:
- What are you serving? What kind of ingredients does your menu require?
- How will you pay your employees? How many positions will be available?
- Will you provide your workers with benefits?
- Will your food truck need any special equipment and technology?
- How will you advertise and market your business?
Step Two: Get Approval Through the Board of Health
The next step in obtaining a food truck is to make sure that you meet the Board of Health’s regulations and rules. Any business dealing with food will have to meet several requirements before they can receive approval. To start, visit the Board of Health’s website to determine what regulations apply to you. For example, you may need to verify proof of ownership, supply proper food storage, and provide a history of food purchases.
Step Three: Obtain the Proper Equipment
Depending on the information you gathered during step one, you’ll need to start gathering all the necessary equipment for your truck. Start by assessing the property where your food truck will be, as this will help you determine the size of the vehicle you’ll need. Furthermore, you may want to purchase big items, such as grills, fryers, and the proper size ventilation hood, as well as smaller pieces of equipment like kitchen utensils and cleaning products. Having the right kitchen equipment and technologies will help you succeed come opening night!
Starting a food truck business is one of the most exciting adventures to embark on. With many others paving the way to successfully owning a food truck, you can use these three steps for starting a food truck business to join them.