Food trucks have become an increasingly popular choices for catering companies and food businesses, especially as rental rates in business properties have become so high. There are many benefits to running your business from the side of a converted van and it’s easy to see why people are choosing this as an option.
If you are one of the people who have decided to take this route, and you have already purchased the perfect truck for your business, you might now be thinking about the things you need to kit it out with to ensure you can run your business smoothly from it.
We’ve put together a few essential must have items that we think every food truck needs:
Cooking Equipment
It goes without saying that every good catering company needs cooking equipment – it’s the tools of their trade after all. What type of food and drink you serve from your food truck will determine what equipment you need. So for example if you serve coffee you will need some kind of coffee maker and accessories such as those available from Anthonysespresso.com. If you serve hot food you might need a hot griddle, or a warming plate etc. and the right pans to go with it. You will also likely need to have a fridge to keep things cool, like milk, cheese etc.
When planning the interior of your food truck you need to consider not just the cost of the items, but also where everything will go and how it will fit into the limited space you have. Think about the different zones you will use, so for example the serving area, the food prep area, the cooking area the waste and washing up area, as well as an area for supplies and of course a space for you to display some of your items too. There’s a lot to think about and you want to get it right, so the planning process is one that you should spend a lot of time on.
Food And Drink Supplies
Presumably you already know the type of food you want to serve from your food truck and so you’ll already be clued up about the ingredients you need to make your culinary masterpieces. But have you given any thought to the other products you could sell from there too, like drinks or specialist Freedom Jars, to make sure you cater for as wide an audience as possible.
Obviously, you want the main focus to be on your own food products, but there’s nothing wrong in stocking other food products too, to give your customers a choice. You could even get in touch with the food companies and see if you could collaborate together in some way, so that they could stock your food products in return.
Running Water and Electricity
If you require running water and electricity for your food truck, which lets face it you most likely will, you are going to need to think of the ways you can achieve this. The most obvious way to get electricity is through the use of a generator, which you will either need to buy yourself or depending on where you pitch your food truck there may be one available to use there, so do your research.
In terms of water supply, most food trucks have a water tank that you can fill up from the tap, and you can generate hot water through a hot water tank. Just be mindful that during the winter there is a risk of the pipes freezing and so you will need frost protection to ensure your business doesn’t come to a stand still.
Cleaning Supplies
And finally, you will definitely need lots of cleaning supplies to make sure your food truck complies with strict food hygiene regulations. You will also need to think about where you can get rid of your waste, the local council may be able to assist with this.
These are the basics you need to get your food truck kitted out for its first use. You can of course decorate it and add extras as you go along, but for now this should keep you going.
