My grandfather has this food truck that he wants to give me. It's got a soft serve icecream machine, a slurpee machine, a pizza oven, espresso and a flat top. The catch is that we have to pay him out over the next few years. We live in a small town that has a crazy amount of tourists during the summer time. Mostly campers, but some high rollers who like to stay in B&B's or cabins.
There's a big music festival coming to town this year and we're thinking of working it to test the waters.
Does anyone have experience running a food truck? Any major traps to be aware of?
I really have no idea how to do this, but my husband ran a similar set up for a year when he was a teenager.
Sounds like a good thing. I wish I had a food truck
Mason Bennett
That's fucking awesome
Nicholas Miller
Maybe he will let you pay in blowjobs?
Ian Reyes
Thanks, but it's just a stock image I found on Google. I'm too insular to post an original picture.
Nathan Robinson
Sort of. Mostly I just found out about it this morning and I haven't been able to get up there to take a picture of the actual truck.
I think it's a trailer that gets hitched onto a vehicle, not an all in one.
Leo Wilson
Ah, never mind then. Plus he's making you pay for it? Goddamn greedy gramps
Samuel Wood
> uncles is giving me food truck > catch is gotta pay him over next few years
he aint giving you shit, he's selling you a food truck. it could be cool depending on where youre at, make sure it has all the shit required by law first before you even think of selling anything out of it. you can make a ton of money on the espresso machine alone IF people in your area like coffee. also dont do shit like park in front of a restaurant or right across the street from a restaurant.
Juan King
Grandpa is an asshole who used to beat the shit out of us when we were kids, and forced his own daughter into bankruptcy multiple times.
It's a good opportunity but I can't help but feel like this is some sort of financial trap so he can ruin another generation of his family.
Henry Sanchez
Sounds like a headache and a money pit
Blake Campbell
>forced his own daughter into bankruptcy
your mother/aunt agency is being removed for the purpose of vilifying your grandad?
If you hate your grandad do bad then why don't you say "I wont buy your food truck thank you"
Jesus Christ, wait till you get older and have kids and your kids turn on you, little ungrateful bastard.
Anthony Gray
There are a few coffee shops in town that don't seem like they're doing well. I think their business went down the tubes when the Tim Hortons opened a couple years ago. We would be doing events through the summer selling mini-donuts and stuff, slurpee's might be our biggest seller because afaik nowhere in town makes them.
We're in BC, and I know I need like 10 different permits.
As far as location, if we're running on a day to day basis through the summer, there are a few places I can think of. I just don't know if the municipality will be amiable to the idea of us popping up on whatever beach the crowds are on.
Sebastian Reed
Could very well be a scam then.
I would avoid it if I were you.
Chase Rogers
You've got a nice set up for Rita's style Italian ice w/ soft serve. Make some neopolitan style pizza, affogatos and other espresso drinks.
As for entering the food truck market:
Make sure you know all the laws pertaining to food trucks in your area. The key is a balance of good branding, food quality, marketing, and creativity. Keeping to a schedule is important, make sure you ALWAYS post where you are going to be on social media. Partner with local bars and office buildings to sell next to them. During the off season you'll need these partnerships. Any events that occur weekly like farmers markets are good sources of steady revenue as well. Always keep an eye out for foot traffic trends in your town.
Aaron Reed
Generally speaking, as far as I am aware, coffee shops don't do well in small towns because people have their routine and they're not willing to change them. small town coffee shops can't afford to provide the type of service that gets people in the door, and if they do provide it they're going to shut down because its to expensive. That's where you come in, because it is a truck you can go directly to offices and business and sell your wares, give coffee away at first to get the costumers, then start charging.
Oliver Ward
I'm going to check it out at least. I don't have a lot of prospects for making real money.
I don't think the espresso machine will see a lot of use through the summer. It gets close to 40 degrees here.
There's a hot dog roller, and a friend of mine is a sausage maker who trained in Germany. Meat on bread may be my best avenue.
Jacob Diaz
> I don't think I'll sell coffee because its hot
You lack vision my man. Ever heard of Iced Coffee? Frappes? Maybe you just don't know or understand the opportunity you're being offered.
Angel Wright
Shit you're right. The tragic thing is that I worked at Starbucks for a year and this didn't occur to me.
Kevin Thompson
Whatever you decide to do, stick to a common theme or cuisine. Meat on bread doesn't work well with soft serve and ice slushies. I only went with the Italian food because that's the only cuisine I could think of that incorporates all of your equipment.
What kind of espresso machine is it anyway? If it's shit tier might as well ditch it and use the space for something else.
Nathaniel Turner
Not sure what kind of machine it is; an old one. He's had this thing for ages.
I think hot dogs and slurpee's and all that sound awesome together, especially if we bump up the quality from gas station tier.
Jaxson Murphy
I think you can make a pizza/slurpee place viable, if you do some sort of WACKY PIZZA TOPPING/WACKY HOT DOG TOPPING place.
I go to food trucks pretty often, and I see a lot of places that have a pretty set menu, and then either a popular appetizer or side drink in order to really make the money. Make everything weird and people might like it.
Dominic Jones
Yeah you're probably right This is necessary depending on what the food truck scene is like in OPs town. Where I live you have to stand out as a food truck. Sounds like OP doesn't have much of a food truck scene outside of tourist season and events. As long as there isn't individual hot dog and ice cream trucks blowing your product the fuck out, you should be fine.
Hudson Bennett
can we explore this idea some more?
Grayson Sullivan
Did he force his own daughty into buttruptury as well?
That would be hot.
Also tits or gtfo you dirty slag
Julian King
You'll probably want him to set up a health inspection, or whatever the food truck equivalent is called to make sure that nothing is fundamentally fucked.
The onus is on him to make sure it has a clean bill of health before selling that shit to you.
Benjamin Jenkins
I know who you are and we're not friends.
Logan Barnes
I know who you are and we're friends
David Long
I like this idea. If you want to take slurpees to the next level, try utilizing Virgin cocktails, mojitos, Pina colada, ginger drinks, those basil and lime cocktails. Using fresh herbs and interesting flavors found more in mixology would give you the upper hand. Far more adult then your 711 mountain dew. Concerning the hotdogs and sausages, take a peak at some of those upscale dog joints. Offer 2 or 3 styles to minimize condiments, Chicago style, chili dog, German with kraut and mustard. Rotate the menu to keep things fresh. Source you ingredients locally. Hook up with producers in the area. Local is the difference between a 3 dollar and a 5 dollar dog. Pizza same deal. Stick with 2 or 3 with a rotating menu. Neopolitan, BBQ chicken, arugula and goat cheese for the ladies.
Dominic Clark
Take it easy
Jack Rodriguez
LOL just living vicariously ;)
Josiah Morris
Ok just slow down chief
Justin Jackson
No, this is awesome! Exactly what I was thinking of doing.
Would a chili dog work? Or would it be too messy for people to walk around with?
I sort of want to do the same thing with the donut maker, like make a dough from scratch and not what amounts to a boxed cake mix. Also, I may get to play with a soft serve ice cream maker.
Joshua Turner
Glad you like the ideas. If you serve in those red and white checkered paper baskets, you don't have to worry about the mess. Plus, if you overload the dogs with chili, the left overs can be used as sauce for the side dish (tater tots are quirky, waffle fries, pomme frites if you wanna be fancy) Donuts are a cool idea, but with food trucks you wanna focus on a theme. Having worked a bit with Donuts, volume is your money maker and that is hard to do in a truck. But if you really want to do that, fancy Donuts, croquis, beignets, coffee and ice cream could work as a breakfast/brunch and dessert truck.
Tyler Miller
why don't you just steal the truck then?
he's old and brittle he'll never be able to chase you