Food Truck Supply List

Once sarcastically referred to as "roach coaches" mobile food trucks have recently experienced resurgence into popularity. This resurgence is due largely to two factors: the relatively inexpensive startup and operating costs are attractive to many entrepreneurial cooks and chefs and secondly, the recent success of the "Kogi BBQ" (food trucks known for their Korean/Mexican tacos) use of social media to promote themselves has proved that these mobile restaurants can be profitable. After spending some time on my local Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services website and Country Health Department websites I've tried to gather together some general ideas to help you get started - no matter where you are.

What You Need to Get Started

Most think that the first step is getting a vehicle; however, before you get a vehicle you should check a few things first. First, check with your city and county officials to see if food trucks are permitted in your city. Some cities have ordinances that do not allow them or do not allow them in certain areas.

The next thing you will want to do is find out what your local health department requires to obtain a Foodservice permit. Generally, they will require that you have a dedicated hand washing sink, often a three compartment sink in which at least one of the compartments are large enough for you to completely submerge your largest cooking utensil. You will also need to have a water heater that can provide 140 F water at all times. However, these are just general requirements and you local health department may have more specific requirements, so make sure you check with them before you purchase a vehicle.

Your Vehicle and Equipment

Most food trucks are step vans with a large storage area behind the front two seats. If you are planning on preparing the food in the vehicle make sure you have at least a sixteen-foot storage area. If you plan on pre-making your food somewhere and then only using the vehicle to sell then you can get a smaller step van. The size of your food truck and list of equipment needed to get ready to hit the streets is really completely dependent on what your menu choices are. Equipment could range from one or two freezers to sell ice cream from to a fully functional kitchen with ovens, coolers, freezers, grills and griddles.

However, regardless of how much equipment you need you will need to think about how you are going to supply power and fuel to your appliances. A great way to accomplish this is with a portable generator that can be mounted in the storage area and LP gas canisters that can be mounted on the rear of the food truck. You will also need to make sure you have room for freshwater and graywater tanks to supply water for you sinks. And don't forget about the water heater mentioned earlier - this is a must.

Finally, remember that the most important thing about creating a profitable Food Truck business is "branding." You need to have a specific food in mind that is your specialty. The successful Food Trucks don't offer a variety of food but rather offer one type of food which they make very well. The other part of branding involves advertising. People can't buy your food if they don't know where to find you. The best way to do this is to create an "online community" by using social media to not only promote your brand but also give up to the minute updates about where your Food Truck is located. Then watch them flock.

Sources:

North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services "I want to start my own food business now what?", WWW.NCAGR.GOV

Orange County NC Health Department, "Restaurant Inspections," Orange County North Carolina