Synopses & Reviews
How to start, grow, and succeed in the food truck business.Food trucks have become a wildly popular and important part of the hospitality industry. Consumers are flocking to these mobile food businesses in droves, inspiring national food truck competitions and even a show dedicated to the topic on The Food Network. The relatively low cost of entry as compared to starting a restaurant, combined with free and low-cost ways to market them to the masses via platforms like social media, are just two of the reasons that food truck business are drawing in budding entrepreneurs.
Author David Weber, a food truck advocate and entrepreneur himself, is here to offer his practical, step-by-step advice to achieving your mobile food mogul dreams in The Food Truck Handbook. This book cuts through all of the hype to give both hopeful entrepreneurs and already established truck owners an accurate portrayal of life on the streets. From concept to gaining a loyal following to preventative maintenance on your equipment this book covers it all.
- Includes profiles of successful food trucks, detailing their operations, profitability, and scalability.
- Establish best practices for operating your truck using one-of-a-kind templates for choosing vending locations, opening checklist, closing checklist, and more.
- Create a sound business plan complete with a reasonable budget and finding vendors you can trust; consider daily operations in detail from start to finish, and ultimately expand your business.
- Stay lean and profitable by avoiding the most common operating mistakes.
- Author David Weber is Founder and President of the NYC Food Truck Association (NYCFTA), which brings together small businesses that own and operate premium food trucks in NYC focused on innovation in hospitality, high quality food, and community development.
Synopsis
From concept creation to food prep best practices to social media marketing tips,
The Food Truck Revolution will walk both hopeful entrepreneurs and already established business owners through the process that every food truck operator must complete. Providing a behind-the-scenes look into the breadth and creativity of the food truck movement and the process for stating one of your own, author David Weber takes great care educating readers on the ins and outs, pros and cons, and ups and downs of the food truck business.
Readers will learn how to:
- Get your truck operating quickly and affordably.
- Pick a successful truck/menu theme.
- Decide between a regular location and a more roving approach.
- Avoid the five biggest pitfalls of any food business.
- Use social media to create and communicate with your trucks following.
- Understand and appeal to street eaters’ unique needs.
- Decide if you need a physical location for prep, storage, and rapid restocking.
- Track sales and tax collections while you run the business, included forms and links to spreadsheet downloads.
- Understand auxiliary costs like parking, storage, insurance, and fuel.
- Deal with government permitting and licensing.
Synopsis
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
About the Author
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.
Table of Contents
Foreword Matthew Geller xiPreface 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