Mobile food truck business – 5 tips to attract customers

Food trucks have become increasingly popular over the years, as the traditional ice-cream or sandwich stall you would have normally seen at fairs, has transformed into a cuisine on wheels. Cheaper and more convenient than investing into a restaurant, yet allowing you to transform your passion for cooking into a business, a mobile food truck allows you to freely navigate the city while providing several people with high-quality food of all types. No matter if you are simply promoting your restaurant, or just getting started into the food business, if your food is tasty and healthy, you will become popular in no time.

• Let the world know about you and your products – Good publicity is always tightly linked with your profit, and, therefore, with the number of customers you have. But good advertising might be a bit on the costly side, and you might not be able to invest in it, especially if you’re just starting your business.

  So, what better way to let people know about you than from other people. A happy client will surely speak of your business highly if he or she was satisfied with your products and service. Thus, if you’re just starting out, consider giving free samples and see how they are received. You can even collaborate with other businesses in order to promote your recipes, so don’t shy away from trying different approaches.

• The right place and the right moment – In order to be able to get that customer number up, you have to make sure you’re in the right place at the right time. Since your food truck is highly mobile, take advantage of it and move around while researching the market. Where is the best place to set up your business? Where do most people spend their time and in which period of the day? What is your target audience?

  Luckily, it’s easy to move around regardless if you have an actual truck that you move from one spot to another in one go or a trailer/caravan that you attach to the vehicle with a trailer dolly, so switching locations is the least of your worries. So, set yourself up for success by moving locations as needed and do research when it comes to what areas you should cover and in what periods or times of the day.

  Schools and stations, regardless of them being bus stations or train stations, are places which usually have a large concentration of people at any given time, morning, lunch or dinner. Thus, it makes it a great spot for you to place your truck and let others try your food. Additionally, make sure you are alone in the area, as you won’t be able to raise your profit if another competitor shows up.

• The right appliances – Gadgets are an important part of your business, and since your food truck is prone to high temperatures, especially in summer, it is best to think about a portable AC unit. Summer days tend to have a high-temperature level, and spending time in a closed, small truck-kitchen might become quite insupportable for your staff. Thus you might find yourself in need of temporarily closing your business because of the unbearable working conditions. By doing so not only will you lose your clients, but new ones might be turned away.

  So, to avoid such a non-profit scenario, a portable AC unit is exactly what you need. Not only will your employees be able to work properly, as the temperature won’t become too hot, but your business will stay open, as well, thus your customers will be happy.

• Stay connected – The modern world revolves around the internet, smartphones and quick communication methods. Take advantage of it and promote your business online. Make a website with your products and services, as well as the working hours and your location to let your loyal customers know where to find you whenever they need.

  If you want to take it to the next level, you can even organize a city tour, updating your location according to the day or hour, thus allowing your customers to find you easily. Not only will you attract more people to you, but you will be able to share your food with more since some of them might not have yet tasted your dishes. Additionally, consider coming up with a delivery service, as many customers who love your dishes will want to be able to savor them from the comfort of their home or office.

• Try something new – While it is always best to make quality food recipe you can, especially if your customers are attracted to it, from time to time you can try to add new recipes to your dishes and test them out. Bringing something new might attract even more customers, as everyone has different tastes. Start with adding the new flavor as a bonus item to other, already established, dishes and see how it goes from there.

  Additionally, don’t forget about promotions. From time to time it is best to offer your customers ‘special services’, like buy 1 and receive 1 free, or other special discounts. If you don’t want to do it randomly, you can take advantage of legal holidays and plan them, or add them according to the seasons.

All in all, it is important to study the market, to research your clients and their preferences and find a great business location. Additionally, making yourself known with the help of the internet is a must, in order to be able to reach as many potential customers as possible.