How to start a food truck? Finding your why.

How to start a food truck? Finding your why.

How to start a food truck?

This question is being asked more and more as mobile food continues to gain popularity.  Owning and operating a food truck or a food trailer can be extremely profitable and rewarding, if you are willing to put in the work.  One of the first questions that you really need to find the answer to is: Why?  Why do you want to start a food truck?

Spend the time digging within yourself, picking your own brain, and make sure you give yourself some clear answers.  Your “why” is going to be your fuel when the road gets tough.  Starting a food truck is not as easy as it may look on TV or on Social Media, and you are going to need to reflect on your reasons for starting the truck or trailer often to stay focused.  Everyone’s personal reasons will vary; below we are going to outline some of the “Why’s” that we hear often.  Talking to our customers about why they want to start a food truck is a common conversation here at California Cart Builder.

*Because I want freedom!   Many customers are already a chef in someone else’s restaurant and they want freedom with the menu, freedom with their schedule, and financial freedom.  Making the move from working in someone else’s kitchen to running your own food truck can be tough, but substantially rewarding when navigated carefully.  You will have to do one of the following two things.

A) Keep your employment while you start the food truck, and work both until the food truck is generating enough revenue to cover all of the businesses overhead and support yourself and your family.  B) Save up enough money to launch your food truck and cover your operating and living costs until your food truck is yielding a return.  Option A is the one that we have found to be most common.  If you are planning on financing your food truck, the lender is going to need to see that you can afford the truck even if your truck isn’t making any money. Keeping your eye on the prize of that freedom is what will keep you going.

*Because everyone loves my food!  Some customers are so heavily fueled by the feedback they get on their food, that they can’t help but want to share it with the world.  This is a great positive “why” that can keep you motivated daily.  Just keep yourself focused on the customer’s reactions and positive feedback, and with the right team, the rest will fall into place.  Truly loving what you do, and getting to live with that passion every day is one of the most rewarding things in life.

*Because I need to expand, I’m losing money!   We hear this from our customers who have a restaurant already, and are getting a lot of catering requests that they need to decline.  We also hear this from our customers who are already successfully catering, but could cater larger events/more events if they had the food truck or trailer.

*Because I want a family business!  Some times our customer is not just one customer or a partnership, sometimes it’s a family group.  Whether that group is brothers and sisters, a group of cousins, or parents and children, these are groups of people who have a desire to grow a business together.  Usually someone in the group has the customer service aspect covered, someone else is the brains of the marketing, and of course the chefs.  They are fueled by family unity, and are driven by the opportunity to reap the rewards of business together.

Now spend some time writing out your why.  It should be long and detailed, and can be a combination of many reasons.  Imagine all of the benefits and the rewards.  How do you imagine yourself the first day in operation?  Who is there supporting you?  What type of an event is it?  Then think where you can be in 6 months, a year, 3 years, and so on.  This healthy activity not only motivates you, but helps you to map out your future.  A goal without a plan and deadline is just a dream.  Use that dream to fuel you through all of the bumps in the road that you will undoubtedly encounter as you embark on this new journey.  A journey that California Cart Builder is here to help you see through!