One of the quickest way to enter the restaurant business with a low startup cost is by setting up a food truck.
Running a food truck business is a low-cost alternative to your usual brick and mortar restaurant. Similar to operating a traditional restaurant, the marketing, menu, and location are essential ingredients of a successful food truck business.
While it may seem and sound easier to set up a food truck business, there are certain things that a new small business owner should be aware of before proceeding to do so.
Here’s 3 things every new small business owner must know before deciding to run a food truck.
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1. Location is Key
One of the best advantages of running a food truck business is having the ability to move around, choosing the best places for foot traffic, and having the freedom of opening and closing your truck as you please.
Knowing where to park your food truck is integral to driving customers to your mobile stall. You’ll want to choose a location that is easily accessible by foot, for your customers. It’s also best to zero in on who your target audience is. For example you could parking your food truck near office buildings to target the lunch hour crowd, or partner with universities or colleges to park within the compound to target students.
Before deciding where to park your food truck, as a small business owner it’s important to also take note if you’ll require a license or permit. The last thing you’d want is to be faced with a hefty penalty for not having the required documents to operate.
2. A Mouth-Watering Menu to Seal the Deal
Today’s food trucks have evolved from selling just fast food. A common sight in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, food trucks are renowned for offering gourmet-styled meals and a variety of cuisine at a fraction of the price of brick and mortar restaurants.
One of the most successful food truck businesses in the Southeast Asian region is Little Fat Duck. Having started in 2014 selling a variety of pasta dishes at only RM5, this food truck business has now advanced into eight mall outlets in Malaysia, plus offering franchise opportunities.
3. Social Media is Must Be Your Best Friend
One of the easiest ways to market your food truck business with minimum effort is through social media. Setting up a Facebook, Twitter and Instagram account is absolutely free, and is a great way for you to provide daily updates such as your food truck’s location to potential customers.
Social media is a brilliant tool for not only outreach, but also helping your food truck business build a branding and following. It’s only natural that a mobile restaurant would require mobile technology.
Actionable Takeaway:
Want to start a food truck business, but not sure where to source for a truck? Here are some companies that specialise in selling and renovating food trucks to your preference.
Malaysia: Papavan – https://www.papavan.com.my/foodtruck-mobilecafe
Thailand: Carryboykiosk – http://www.carryboykiosk.com/food-trucks/Philippines: Bontella Food Truck Builders – https://www.facebook.com/bontellafoodtruckbuilders/
Indonesia: Foodtruck.web – http://foodtruck.web.id/
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