Food truck market.

[fisicx]

It’s all about market testing. Until you found your target customer and price point you won’t know what sort of food truck to build.

At a recent beer fest they were selling pulled pork in a pitta with accompaniments. Production line selling: 1 taking the orders, 1 making the pitta and one adding the pickles and whatever. Fast and plentiful for £5.

Get the market stall set up as suggested and try different things. Go to Norwich on market day and observe.

Then decide if you want a truck, a stall, a trailer or something else.

 

[Rahela]

One thing i have noticed with "meat in bread product" catering - the bread product whilst a minor part of the offering is what customers notice first. Work out what will work with the customers you are targeting. The same meat served in a brioche bun or a wrap appeals to totally different custoemr sant at different price points.

Get it wrong and you will struggle

I don't know the Norwich area, you do (or should do), get out there, offer some free samples in differing presentations and ask people what they would be prepared to pay for it and how often. Then you can start to decide if you are in £5 in a bap territory or £9 in a wrap. That will indicate whether you should be selling a premium meat in bread product with fancy coffee etc (needs a coffee machine) or a cheap meat in bread product with fries and a can of drink (deep fat fryers and glass fronted fridges) etc.

I don't sell these products but I have been to many many outside events and have seen a man making gyros in cheap wraps for £10 a throw with queues all day and a man selling decent farm burgers in cheap rolls for £5 struggling to sell an

It’s all about market testing. Until you found your target customer and price point you won’t know what sort of food truck to build.

At a recent beer fest they were selling pulled pork in a pitta with accompaniments. Production line selling: 1 taking the orders, 1 making the pitta and one adding the pickles and whatever. Fast and plentiful for £5.

Get the market stall set up as suggested and try different things. Go to Norwich on market day and observe.

Then decide if you want a truck, a stall, a trailer or something else.

I wanna thank to everyone who commented with kindness and actually gave me advice on what to do next.
Every single one of you help me to refine my menu.
I decided that I will buy a gazebo and I will be giving free food to people in exchange for a feedback. I will create a survey and I will be handing out QR codes where I can ask what people would think of the food that I am selling.

Now, do you think that I need Local Authority if I just wanna give free food?

 

[fisicx]

I will create a survey and I will be handing out QR codes where I can ask what people would think of the food that I am selling.

Why make it complicated? Just ask them. Have a mate along to give you a hand.

Now, do you think that I need Local Authority if I just wanna give free food?

YES!

 

[Rahela]

Why make it complicated? Just ask them. Have a mate along to give you a hand.


YES!

It’s not complicated. I already made the survey and the QR codes, I have experience using AI. I think will be much better to keep a truck on the feedback as I can create a pie after and have it on my business plan.
+ this will give them the opportunity to give the feedback anonymous which will make it more real.

I will have a look on the Local Authority, thank you!

 

[IanSuth]

I wanna thank to everyone who commented with kindness and actually gave me advice on what to do next.
Every single one of you help me to refine my menu.
I decided that I will buy a gazebo and I will be giving free food to people in exchange for a feedback. I will create a survey and I will be handing out QR codes where I can ask what people would think of the food that I am selling.

Now, do you think that I need Local Authority if I just wanna give free food?

Remember to ask what they personally would pay for what they are eating (all the different combos you try)

That is almost unique to a particular location and why you need to market test where you are and where you can get a pitch - it is a function of the local disposable income, demographics and tastes

It will allow you to work out if you can actually make money where you are and whether to go quantity or quality.

Also get out into the local towns/cities and see what is selling, where and for how much - sit there and watch, see what people are buying and the customer throughput.

Personally I think that is what will save you a lot of heartache/cost further down the line. It is incredibly easy to lose a fortune failing to sell really good food in the wrong place at the wrong price point

 

[Rahela]

Remember to ask what they personally would pay for what they are eating (all the different combos you try)

That is almost unique to a particular location and why you need to market test where you are and where you can get a pitch - it is a function of the local disposable income, demographics and tastes

It will allow you to work out if you can actually make money where you are and whether to go quantity or quality.

Also get out into the local towns/cities and see what is selling, where and for how much - sit there and watch, see what people are buying and the customer throughput.

Personally I think that is what will save you a lot of heartache/cost further down the line. It is incredibly easy to lose a fortune failing to sell really good food in the wrong place at the wrong price point

This month I’ve been to 5 small festivals that sells food. Every single one of them had all the food bought from makros, meats, buns, cheeses. They were selling for 7-10 pounds per burger/sausage and they had huge queues. Everything was pre-cooked and just reheated. But events and festivals requires quantity over quality.

On the survey I will have questions on what they think of the food, what can improve, how much would they pay for the items, how well they think it s presented

 

[fisicx]

It’s not complicated. I already made the survey and the QR codes, I have experience using AI.

I can tell you right now if I've got to scan a QR code in the middle of Norwich just to tell you I didn't like your sausages it's not going to happen.

Keep it simple. Offer all the varieties and then ask them which they prefer A, B or C.

 

[Rahela]

I can tell you right now if I've got to scan a QR code in the middle of Norwich just to tell you I didn't like your sausages it's not going to happen.

Keep it simple. Offer all the varieties and then ask them which they prefer A, B or C.

I can tell you right now if I've got to scan a QR code in the middle of Norwich just to tell you I didn't like your sausages it's not going to happen.

Keep it simple. Offer all the varieties and then ask them which they prefer A, B or C.

Well, I would. Also if you market it well definitely it will work.

 

[fisicx]

Well, I would. Also if you market it well definitely it will work.

Yes but that’s just you. Now ask a family out shopping to do this. Or a pensioner, or a bunch of blokes just out the pub.

And repeat on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

But if you had a simple set of questions that you could tick off on a clipboard (or your ipad) then you would get immediate and more responses.

I’ve this many times so know what works and what doesn’t.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Don't forget you need insurance to even try out free samples, think what happens if your food kills someone with a allergy you have not considered like son/ daughter having peanut butter sandwich and leave small sample on the cutting board you don't notice when making samples

Also music will soon get complaints from nearby stalls or houses. you don't appear to have done much of your own research yet according to the early posts you are in the process of adjusting a van

I suggest you go away for a few weeks and really do some research which will include equipment costs, size required, food selection and locations and availability, and then come back with a full plan

 

[Nathanto]

Well, I would. Also if you market it well definitely it will work.

Sorry but I completely agree with @fisicx , if you are relying on people scanning a QR code you are going to be very disappointed with the lack of feedback you get.

You need a helper or two with you, armed with clipboards, who affably engage with the tasters there and then asking a small number of yes/no or multiple choice questions. If you want people to complete a full survey then you're going to need to pay them or incentivise them somehow and in my opinion that still won't work via a QR code.

Good luck with the venture.

 

[Power4urTruck]

Hi everyone,

I’m excited to share that I’m in the process of launching my own food truck business! I managed to buy a truck for a great price and I’m currently retrofitting it from scratch. My menu will feature a variety of BBQ meats, including some unique Romanian sausages, alongside classic favorites like pulled pork, English sausages, and grilled cheese.

I’ve included around 15 ingredients in my menu, but as a newcomer to the food truck industry, I’m seeking some advice. Should I focus on buying ingredients in bulk to save costs, or prioritize quality over quantity from the start?

While I don’t have previous experience in the food truck business or as a chef, I’m incredibly passionate about making this venture a success. Any insights or tips you could share would be greatly appreciated!

Looking forward to your feedback.

Hi Rahela, Congrats on the new venture and wish you all the best! I think a common mistake would be to get a generator to run your appliances as you will end up paying a lot on fuel and maintaining it (oil changes etc). By simply getting a battery kit and precharge it at home or even while driving the truck could save up to 60% on fuel costs, you could still have a smaller generator for emergencies/ backup. The initial cost of such energy system is not that high anyways especially that I assume you would be using gas to cook the food.
All the best
Ahmed

 

[Power4urTruck]

Has anyone here thought on how they’ll power their stall or truck once they’re set up? A lot of people go straight for petrol or diesel generators, but they can be expensive to buy and maintain, noisy, smelly, and not always welcome at events .There are alternatives worth considering – things like solar with battery storage, battery with alternator charging (charge while driving) or even hybrid battery/generator systems that are simple to set up and run quietly. I am trying to address this markets needs I am an engineer running Treetrench and I’ve been working on these kinds of off-grid systems for a while now. I’d love to explore how solutions like these could help reduce running costs (sometimes by as much as 50%) while making life easier for you

 

[HFE Signs]

I think the most important thing with a food van is for it to be ready to serve, people don't want to wait, they want to rock up, see a few things on display and point and have it straight away - order of priority is speed, taste and price. Good luck with it all

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Has anyone here thought on how they’ll power their stall or truck once they’re set up? A lot of people go straight for petrol or diesel generators, but they can be expensive to buy and maintain, noisy, smelly, and not always welcome at events .There are alternatives worth considering – things like solar with battery storage, battery with alternator charging (charge while driving) or even hybrid battery/generator systems that are simple to set up and run quietly. I am trying to address this markets needs I am an engineer running Treetrench and I’ve been working on these kinds of off-grid systems for a while now. I’d love to explore how solutions like these could help reduce running costs (sometimes by as much as 50%) while making life easier for you

I imagine running most things on gas like hot plates, fridge etc would be good with solar panels on roof to charge extra batteries

 

[fisicx]

Anyone running a food truck on batteries with solar charging will soon run out of juice. The amount of power needed for fridges, coffee machines, grills, heaters, bain marie and everything else is quite substantial. It’s why a lot use gas rather than electricity.

 

[Power4urTruck]

I imagine running most things on gas like hot plates, fridge etc would be good with solar panels on roof to charge extra batteries

Hi Chris, Yes exactly, use gas for cooking, electricity for the appliances. Plus those don't need much power anyways so a generator is usually an overkill!

 

[Power4urTruck]

Anyone running a food truck on batteries with solar charging will soon run out of juice. The amount of power needed for fridges, coffee machines, grills, heaters, bain marie and everything else is quite substantial. It’s why a lot use gas rather than electricity.

It depends, like when it comes to generating heat I agree use gas (includes cooking) like a coffee machine, fridge etc are way cheaper to run on a battery bank. Charging the battery bank could be easily done via alternator (while driving) or via solar or even by pre charging the battery at home. One could still keep a generator on stand by. But running it 12 hours a day to just power a coffee machine, fridge microwave and some CCTV/ Lights is a just an overkill. Its always best to work out how much energy one thinks their food truck will consume and then it will be easier to see the savings per kWh.