The Food Truck Handbook: Start, Grow, and Succeed in the Mobile Food Business

The food truck craze has arrived. Don′t miss out!

Foodies the world over have awakened to the mouthwatering potential of the food truck, inspiring national food truck competitions and even a show on the Food Network. The relatively low cost of entry, combined with free and low–cost ways to market them through social media, make the food truck business an ideal entry point for budding entrepreneurs.

The Food Truck Handbook offers step–by–step advice on achieving your mobile food mogul dreams. From concept development to gaining a loyal following to preventative maintenance on your equipment, this book covers everything you need to know about starting and running a successful food truck business, including:

Profiles of successful food trucks, detailing their operations, profitability, and scalability

How to write a sound business plan, set a reasonable budget, and raise the money to get started

Best practices and tools to help you pick a truck, choose a location, find trustworthy vendors, and get your truck open on time

How to stay lean and profitable by avoiding the most common operating mistakes??

How to grow from one truck to multiple trucks, restaurants, wholesale, or a food truck franchise

Preface xiii

Acknowledgments xvii

Introduction 1

Plan: Preparing for Success 7

Is the Trucker’s Life for Me? 9

Foundations for Success 18

Playing by the Rules 25

Picking a Concept 31

Assembling a Winning Team 49

The Business Plan 51

Raising Money 63

Start: Making It Happen 67

Administrative Necessities 69

Finalizing the Menu 78

Lay Out Your Kitchen 82

Procuring a Truck 87

Picking a Commissary 99

Branding Fundamentals 103

Hiring 109

Picking Vending Locations 112

The Opening Schedule 117

Succeed: Doing One Truck Right 121

Responsible Vending 123

Vending Locations 126

Managing the Team 132

Put It on Paper 135

Watching the Numbers 137

Refi ning the Menu 142

Social Media 145

Connecting with Customers 150

Seasonality 153

Maintenance 155

Grow: Moving beyond the Truck 157

Growth Opportunities 164

Contract Packing 171

Building the Right Infrastructure 174

Technology 176

Exiting the Food Truck Industry 179

Afterword 183

Appendix A Templates and Worksheets 185

Appendix B Food Truck Regulations, by City 205

Appendix C Social Media Guides 229

Appendix D Interviews with Food Truck Entrepreneurs 233

Notes 263

About the Author 265

Index 267

David Weber is a food truck advocate and entrepreneur. He is founder and President of the NYC Food Truck Association (NYCFTA), which brings together small businesses that own and operate premium food trucks in New York City. David is also a cofounder of Rickshaw Dumplings, a growing fast casual chain that operates multiple food trucks. Prior to his experience in hospitality, David was a technology and business consultant. He holds an MBA from New York University′s Stern School of Business and a BA in English literature from Yale University.