If you’re looking for a twist on a typical American fare food truck we suggest The Great Aussie Bite. This unique truck carries a wide range of “traditional Australian favorites straight from the land down under.”

We tried the Boomerang Chicken Burger. It is a hand breaded fried chicken cutlet topped with crispy bacon, lettuce, mayo & sliced pineapple on a sesame seed bun. I’ve never had pineapple in a chicken sandwich but I found I really liked it. The sweetness of the pineapple goes really well with the saltiness of the bacon and the seasoning on the chicken cutlet.

We also grabbed an order of hot chips and we couldn’t pass up the Real Aussie Made Chicken Salt. It was a nice addition to the fries that made them taste even better. 

Check out The Great Aussie Bite for all of your events and bring a little Aussie flair to the party.

We had a great experience with The Great Aussie Bite and we will be visiting them again!

*During our visit all CDC Regulations were followed including social distancing, gloves, masks, and hand sanitizer.*

National Food Truck Day is always celebrated on the last Friday of June, and this year it’s back and bigger than ever. The week of June 20th (from June 20th to June 27th), get out and show some love for the hardworking entrepreneurs cooking up the nation’s tastiest, most innovative food.

The day was created to support the 30,000+ food trucks across the United States and Canada. We encourage everybody to order from their favorite local food trucks to help keep these small businesses part of our community.

At first glance, the folks at Mad Sauces seem to be about chicken wings, turkey ribs, and fries. But while that sounds tasty enough, their real niche is unsurprisingly…sauces (well it IS in the name after all).

They go way beyond just BBQ or Buffalo sauce. With a menu offering Cajun, Bourbon Apple Glaze, and Ghost Pepper Ranch sauces (just to name a few), you’re sure to find something to whet your appetite!

Check them out HERE.

Anderson’s is a favorite of Western New York, with their incredible Beef on Weck and their homemade custard.

With six locations scattered about Western New York, it was only a matter of time before Anderson’s took their act on the road! The Anderson’s food truck, or as they call it, #WeckOnWheels, is a big food truck (bus, really) that features all their favorite roast beef and frozen custard items

Check them out HERE.

Food Trucks are a Great Fit for Special Events

• They Draw Crowds

It’s hard to miss a food truck due not only to its size but also the colorful graphics and look of the food tricks. Because they are so eye-catching, food trucks will draw more curious people to your event. It’s easy to see why – whether it’s from your patrons’’ previous experience at a fair or festival or just the ‘what’s that?’ factor, food trucks draw people in, maximizing your attendance. That’s not even mentioning the aroma! Who can resist the incredible flavors coming from a great food truck? I know I can’t. All of this makes sense when you consider that people equate going to an event with food.

• They Offer Options for Different Tastes

If a food truck “newbie” thinks of food trucks as only offering burgers, dogs, and fries, they are in for a succulent awakening! Food trucks offer incredible cuisine at a fair price that will appeal to any palette., Whether you’re craving Mexican, in the mood for Indian dishes, or even seafood, there’s practically no kind of food you won’t find in a food truck of some kind. In short, picky eaters can rejoice – there’s a food truck out there for you!

• They’re Fun

Once again, because food trucks are so big and most have such colorful graphics, they add to the atmosphere of a big event. One thing people of all ages and backgrounds enjoy when going to a big event is the visual: a feast for their eyes. Food trucks provide that and more. Now let’s cover just a few examples of events great for food trucks.

1. Music Festivals & Concerts

Who doesn’t enjoy eating their favorite meal, having a quick snack, or drinking as refreshing beverage while listening to great music? Everybody! Good food and music go together like, well, peanut butter and jelly.

2. Parades

Food trucks pair equally well with parades. Whether patrons want something to snack on while waiting for the parade to reach them (parades are slow-moving after all) or eating something while watching the parade, food trucks are a great addition to the fun.

3. Ethnic Festivals

Ethic festivals of all kinds are about celebrating their backgrounds. What better way to celebrate an ethnic group then by featuring food unique to that culture? It’s a perfect fit.

4. Art Festivals

Art festivals entails a lot of walking around and looking at the works of art, crafts, and other items. This means people will be spending time at your event. Part of the experience – and value – of such events is the idea that you’ll be there for a while. Because many people are used to eating three meals a day (and snacks!) the time they spend at a slow-paced art festival will likely coincide with mealtime or simply a desire for a snack.

5. Outdoor Movie Nights

When most people think of movies, they think of snacks to eat while watching that movie. Half of the experience of watching a movie is getting a big bucket of popcorn and snacks and finding your way to your seat in a theater. Or getting the same tasty snacks at a drive-in to carry back to your car to enjoy come movie time. But at an outdoor movie night, there’s typically no established area for snacks like a movie theater’s concession stand. Or the snack building at a drive in. The answer? A food truck! You’ll be able to provide your guests with food and once the event is over, the food truck drives away, reducing your hassle.

6. Summer Festivals

Anyone going to a festival expects to be able to get food. It’s part of the experience. Not only do people enjoy any kind of special outing more with food, but there are other reasons to bring in a food truck. For instance, not everyone enjoys going on the thrill rides. And others choose not to spend money on the games and contests art a festival. Having food trucks lined up selling tasty treats is a way to give those guests something to do at the festival, too.

7. Food Festivals

Can you think of a better fit for a food festival than a food truck? I know I can’t! Having food trucks at your food festival is a great way to quickly and easily satisfy guests coming to your event. They’re already interested in food, whether it’s the making, cooking, or backgrounds of great food. Just being around all that food and talking about it is going to make people hungry!

8. Wine & Beer Festivals

When people drink, they also want to eat. Food trucks at wine and beer festivals makes complete sense and your guests will enjoy themselves more if they have the option of nibbling on a yummy treat between tastings.

9. Food Truck Festivals

Yes, food truck festivals are a thing! Do I even need to talk about why bringing food trucks to a food truck festival is a good idea.

10. Private Events

If you’re hosting a special private event and expect to have a large number of attendees, food tricks are a great way to serve your guests while reducing the headaches of having all the food prepared in an onsite kitchen. And let’s not forget the massive benefit of the varieties of food you can have ready for your guests with several food trucks. Your guests get varieties of food to suit their cravings and you reduce your headaches. Double win!

Have a Big Event Coming Up? Let’s Connect!

Are you in charge of the food for your festival, concert, or special event? Contact us today to find out how we can match you up with the perfect food trucks for your event!

“I love to cook!”

“Everyone is going to love my food!”

“I’ll make a ton of money selling my food!”

Those are just some of the reasons people give when asked why they want to start a food truck.

What about you? Why do you want to start a food truck business?

Regardless of what your reasons may be, there are lots of things to consider before starting a food truck business.

If you’re just thinking about starting your food truck business, the list of what you need to know could include hundreds of things, but this article will just touch upon some high points.

Let’s get started…

What Does It Cost to Buy a Food Truck?

The price for a food truck will vary greatly, depending on whether you are buying a brand-new truck, used, or even leasing one.

You can expect to pay anywhere from $50,000 to $250,000 once you factor in the cost of the food, equipment, customization, logo, graphics, and so on.

Many existing food truck businesses say their initial startup costs were between $70,000 and $130,000, giving you a much tighter range to consider.

This means that unless you’re a venture capitalist, you’re probably going to have to apply for financing.

How Much Money Can a Food Truck Make?

The answer to this question will vary greatly depending on where you intend to start your business.

Other factors that determine your profits include:

• Labor costs
• Food costs
• Food waste
• Weather (Fewer people are going to show up if it’s raining)

To once give you a range, current estimates claim that a popular food truck in a major metropolitan area can generate $20,000-$50,000 in gross sales each month.,

Clearly, there is money to made in food trucks.

What Other Factors Should I Consider?

When planning your food truck business, there are lots of other things to think about before jumping right in.

Here’s just a few:

1. Have your menu planned out. This will let you determine what equipment you’ll need to prepare your food each day.

Knowing what equipment, you’ll need helps determine your start-up costs.

• When mapping out your daily sales, calculate how many of each item you can realistically make.

For instance, let’s look at an example. Bear in mind I’m just using these numbers to keep the math simple to illustrate my point.

if you want to make $10,000 a day in sales and you’re selling hot dogs for $1.00 each, can you expect not only to sell that many hot dogs but also be able to cook and prepare 10,000 hot dogs in a day?

If not, you’re going to need to adjust your daily sales goals, or your cost per item, or both.

• What about parking? Where are you going to park your food truck when it’s time for business?

Let’s say you calculate you need to be opened for eight hours a day top meet your sales goals. You’ve found the ideal location, one with thousands of potential daily customers. But here’s a problem: Maybe you’re only allowed to be at that location for four hours a day. That’s going to greatly affect your numbers.

What Can I Do to Reduce My Start-Up Costs?

There are several; things you can do to reduce costs when launching your new business. Here’s just a few ideas:

1. Start with a portable gazebo. Also sometimes called a ‘food stall,’ this is a great way to get into the business without many of the startup costs associated with a food truck.

• Lease your equipment

• Buy used equipment

• Launch your business with menu items that are low cost

• Sign up for a zero percent interest credit card. This allows you to get started with your business without racking up huge interest fees.

When using this strategy, you’ll need to have realistic goals of what you’ll be earning once your business launches.

While a zero-percent interest credit card is a fast and easy way to get working capital, you’ll have to look carefully at the fine print.

Find out when the zero-percent interest window ends and what the interest will be after that date.

Also, remember that if there is an unpaid balance after the zero-percent grace period, interest charges kick in and accumulate from the starting date.

This means if you buy something on day one and your grace period ends after a year, the interest on anything unpaid from day one racks up credit going all the way back to the initial purchase date!

What Kinds of Foods Sell Best in a Food Truck?

If you’re going to make a tidy profit with your food truck, you’ll need to offer the right menu items.

To get an idea of the most popular foods for food trucks, think finger foods., Deep fried foods., Food you’d get at a fair or a festival.

Here are a few ideas to get you started.

1. Burgers – You can’t go wrong with a big ‘ol hamburger!

• Hot Dogs – Going hand in hand with burgers, a good hot dog is always a popular food truck item

• Loaded Fries – Another favorite from fairs and festivals, loaded fries can be lathered in cheese, chili sauce, and other gooey tastiness.

• Pizza – Always a popular choice, pizza sells well in food trucks, especially stone baked!

• Funnel Cakes – again, think fairs or festivals

More to Come

This list is certainly not intended to have everything in it you’ll need to profit with your food truck. But it should get you thinking in the right direction.

Since there is so many subtopics to cover with profiting with a food truck, I’ll be expanding on this topic with additional articles.

If you’re just starting to explore the idea of starting a food truck of your own, I invite you to check out our directory. You’ll see many great businesses that can serve as inspiration to your own new venture. As always, thanks for reading.

Reason #1: They Didn’t Take Health Codes Seriously

For some reason, food truck owners often feel they’re exempt from local and state laws. Just because a food truck is a mobile service doesn’t mean they don’t have to follow many of the same health codes as restaurants. Do yourself a favor. Wherever you plan on taking your food truck, be sure to stay current on all health codes for that area. Even in the same county, there is a chance that each town has its own quirks that must be followed. And if you’re traveling to different counties or different states, research all the laws. Take care of the paperwork before you ever turn the key and drive your truck to those areas.

Reason #2: Bad Choice of Partners

What looks like a fun project to do between friends often collapses when money is involved. Choosing the wrong partner can have disastrous consequences for your business. Friends often find they can’t work together in a structured format that a true food truck business requires. And many new food truck owners make the mistake of not checking out the history of a potential partner. They find out later that they’ve gotten in bed with a person with a colorful and checkered past. Before you partner up with anyone, do your due diligence and check the person or person out carefully. You can:

·         Run credit checks

·         Talk to other people they have done business with

·         Check into past business dealings if there are any

What if you’re considering starting the business with someone you know such as a family member or a friend? Be prepared to sit down and have a serious – sometimes difficult – conversation about the realistic expectations you have for this new business.

Reason #3; They Underestimate the Time Commitment

Many people starting a business of any kind go into it with the idea of it being a hobby. Their mindset is the new business is going to be something with total freedom – do whatever you want, whenever you want. The truth is, for any business to succeed, it must be treated as such.

·         Schedules must be kept

·         Cash flow must be solid to keep the business going

·         Paperwork must be kept.

·         Health codes must be followed.

·         Taxes have to be accounted for.

·         Supplies must be monitored and ordered.

·         Your truck must be maintained.

·         You need a great deal of effort put into marketing

The list goes on and on, but the point is this. It’s a business and businesses take time.

Reason #4: Underestimate the Money Needed

Some people who decide to start a food truck business don’t consider how much money is needed to both start and maintain the business. It starts with the truck itself. New food truck owners may find what looks like a great deal on a used food truck but fail to consider maintenance. A used food truck with 200,000 miles on it will probably require a great deal of maintenance to keep it going. Remember, a food truck’s average life span is 250,000 – 300,000 miles. If you buy a used food truck with high mileage, know going in that you’re living on borrowed time.

Additional expenses include:

·         Your food

·         Cooking equipment

·         Food storage equipment

·         Gas

·         Marketing

·         Taxes

Once again, the list goes on. Know going in that your new business is going to be expensive. Do your homework and find out what those expenses will be to the penny. Then plan for additional capital to get you through the initial lean months as your business builds. Having that extra cash will also help for the unexpected issues that will crop up as you launch your new business.

Reason #5: They Lack Accounting Knowledge

Accounting is its own separate monster. Accounting for a small business is vastly more involved than your own personal taxes. If you don’t have adequate accounting experience, trying to learn as you launch your new business is a recipe for disaster. For one, you’ll already have far too much on your plate to give the accounting the attention it deserves. Second, making an accounting mistake can result in severe penalties that can soak up massive amounts of your cash reserves. It’s best to hire an accountant – one who understands the ins and outs of small business taxes. Before committing to an accountant, have an in-depth conversation with him or her. Find out how long they’ve been doing work for businesses. Have they ever had a food truck, or any kind of restaurant, as a client?

Reason #6: They Didn’t Plan for Winter Months

While not all parts of the United States see snow each year, know that the food truck business can be very seasonal. Some food truck owners follow a similar path as fairs – going from state to state depending on their seasons. Others stay in one general area. Regardless, the successful ones plan for downturns in business. Many small towns in tourist areas serve as ports for the cruise ship industry. The people there make all their money during the months of the “cruising season” when a new cruise ship docks every day. The rest of the year these business owners found other things to do and sock away that well-earned seasonal money to prepare for the inevitable lean times coming. The savvy food truck owner also plans for the downturn in business during the year.

They either:

A)   have another source of income for those months or

B)   they have built their business to the point where they can ‘coast’ until it’s time to open the food truck business once again.

What’s Next?

There you have it – six common reasons why food truck businesses fail. If you avoid these critical mistakes, you’ll drastically increase your chances for long term success.If you’re looking for a place to advertise your food truck, let us help! Click HERE for more information on how we can help raise your food truck’s visibility.