If you are interested in buying a food truck, you may be asking yourself just how important it is to take time in researching various mobile kitchen manufacturers. Although the food truck business grossed $300K a year for the average full-time owner in 2017, roughly 20 percent of new food trucks failed within their first two years of business.
There are various reasons why these mobile kitchens failed. From used trucks that needed continuous expensive repairs to lack of understanding the market, owning a food truck business proved to be difficult for entrepreneurs who never had the proper foundation from starting their business out the gate. This is why researching the best food truck builders for new mobile kitchens is paramount to a good start.
Not All Food Truck Builders Outfit their Customers to Succeed
Sometimes food truck builders like to tell their customers to go big or go home. Sometimes their customers take their advice. The problem is that when people dream big the “dream food truck” can be too big and the business owner hemorrhages money. Then there are food truck builders who take advantage of eager customers with a big business model and a small budget–they sell them a food truck that is far too small to help them reach their goals.
A reputable food truck company will first get to know their customer’s goals, understand their market, and forecast growth projections before proposing a food truck build scaled to meet their current needs, and future growth. As a food truck owner your ability to be successful hinges on your performance in those first two vital years, and you will need the right food truck to have a great start.
Ask for Their Portfolios
Every industry has players who talk the talk. The last thing you want is to partner with a food truck builder who doesn’t or can’t deliver on his plan, or that claims to have worked with big corporate clients but in reality, they have not. When custom food truck companies have healthy portfolios of big corporate clients as well as multiple small family-run food trucks, it attests to their skillset to deliver on any project for any type of client–a rare skill in any industry.
Make Sure to Get the Best Equipment
Your ability to run a successful food truck business relies not only on having the right equipment for your cuisine and staff but also on the quality and capacity. Having high-end ranges, ovens, freezers, griddles, broilers, and stoves is crucial. Some food truck manufacturers cut corners on their own costs by getting second-hand or low-quality equipment. Make sure your food truck company uses top-of-the-line kitchen equipment on every build.
Make a Short List of Food Truck Builders
Do your research taking these tips to heart and vet out the food truck builders that meet these and many more requirements. Remember, your business is in their hands, and you want to make sure those hands are experienced, honest, and perform flawless work.
