6 tips for opening a food truck

There are many things you need to think about. For example, which legal form you want to use to operate your food truck. There are various options, e.g. as a sole proprietorship. However, you can also choose a GbR as your company form.

You will need the following for the foundation:

• Police clearance certificate
• Tax clearance certificate
• Membership of the professional association for the food and hospitality industry

In order to sell your food on the street without any worries, there are a few permits and licenses that you should take care of beforehand. You need to know whether you only want to stay at one location with your food truck or whether you want to tour throughout Germany. If so, you will need a travel trade license, which you can obtain from the public order office. You will also need the usual permits that are required for all start-ups in the food and catering industry:

• Proof of catering training, which you can obtain through a course at the IHK
• Health certificate and hygiene instruction (from the health authority)
• Dispensing license, if alcoholic beverages are also to play a role in your vehicle.
• Food hygiene training and training in accordance with § 43 of the Infection Protection Act (IfSG)
• Commercial insurance

However, there are other permits you will need for a food truck that you do not necessarily need in the catering industry:

• You must submit an application for outdoor catering
• Depending on where you want to stand with your truck, you may also need a permit to stand in public places, which you can apply for from the road construction authority.
• Permit under the Immission Control Act, which is also issued by the public order office
• And depending on the federal state, you may need a contract with a catering rental kitchen to prepare your food.

From all the bureaucracy, you move on to developing a business model. Here you think about how you want to set the whole thing up. A good business model is the be-all and end-all of a successful food truck.

Ultimately, many factors come into play that will be decisive for you. Location of your food truck: The conditions surrounding you and your food truck should influence various decisions you make. Is there a lot of competition nearby or not? Are there walk-in customers, or do people have to come by or stop by car? Is there seating next door? Are people more likely to come for a quick snack or for a longer break (more of a city stroll or in a work-intensive environment?) Are there restaurants nearby or no other food options for miles around? What time of day might people in the area be hungry (e.g. if there are clubs/pubs nearby, the night might be a suitable time).

These are all questions that can influence your offer. If there are already five food trucks offering burgers in the city, you could perhaps score points with a different culinary specialty. Depending on whether you have a fixed location or would like to move freely with your food truck, possible locations for you could be flea markets, concerts, music festivals, food truck festivals or seasonal festivals such as summer festivals or winter markets. You could also ask at school events or charity events and offer the food there. Or perhaps even at events such as big birthdays, weddings, etc., so that you can take over catering with your food truck.

One advantage of the food truck is that there are no geographical limits. In summer, for example, you can also set up in a busy park. Of course, you must always agree the locations with the public order office/building authority. The stand fees can also vary greatly and you have to weigh up whether the costs per location are worthwhile for you.

It is worth carrying out a market analysis for the location. This will give you an overview of which types of food trucks already exist, which do not yet exist and where they are located.

Once you have found a suitable location, it's time to start designing your food truck. It can't hurt to design your food truck creatively. This will make you stand out from the crowd. Overall, your design concept should be coherent and coordinated. This allows customers to see what's waiting for them from afar and attracts potential customers.

As you only have limited space, it makes sense to design the outside of the truck in a colorful way. You need the interior for cooking and must arrange this area as practically and well organized as possible. Overall, all doors are open to you when it comes to design, you should just make sure that you have a common thread in the concept and that it matches your dishes. A creative and concise name can also stick in people's minds and perhaps motivate them to visit again.

Remember that customers can follow almost every move you make and see exactly how you prepare the food. It can be nicer here if you put food etc. that is actually wrapped in plastic into stainless steel tins so that it looks nicer for the guests. Make sure that your cooking area always looks clean, sometimes less is more when it comes to interior design. A few herbs can sometimes decorate better than a lot of colorful frippery.

When it comes to dishes, less is sometimes more. As you only have limited space and time to prepare your orders, preparation is all the more important. It's also helpful to prepare dishes well in advance to avoid a long queue forming at your food truck. Simple dishes cooked properly can be so good and so easy. Or you can establish foreign specialties.

Try them out with friends beforehand. If you are unsure whether your dishes will be successful: There are also pop-up restaurants or fully equipped food trucks that you can rent for a short time. You can try them out.

In addition to the cost of the food (purchase price), you should consider how and where you can store it, how it can be refrigerated in the truck and what cooking equipment you will need.

To keep an overview of your finances, a business and financial plan is an advantage. This will also help you to calculate prices so that you can sell at a profit. First of all, you should clarify the crucial things that are related to your location. Do you have access to water and electricity? If not, you will need to equip your vehicle accordingly. Equipment includes fixed costs that you will incur every month/more often and one-off procurement costs.

One-off procurement costs include first and foremost the food truck itself. Also the kitchen equipment. A sensible investment is a cash register system with cashless payment. Nowadays it is becoming increasingly common for people not to carry cash, so you are doing yourself a favor by offering customers the option of cashless payment. Multiple costs include food, location rent, marketing budget and accounting costs. But also utensils such as cutlery and crockery. To do the environment a favor here, try to switch to environmentally friendly materials.

One option is the #IAMPLASTICFREE products. Straws are suitable for your food truck, as well as food service packaging and paper cutlery if someone wants to take something to go. These products are made from sustainable raw materials and are biodegradable! This proves that food trucks don't always have to be a burden on the environment.

You could, for example, use social media to draw attention to the fact that customers should bring their own containers to serve them your delicacies. This will save you packaging waste and also money.

Advertising via social media is becoming increasingly important these days. Therefore, you should rely on well-established social media accounts. If you have a fixed location, it would be useful if people can find your food truck via Google Maps, as this is being used more and more frequently. Especially at the beginning, you can also invite your customers to advertise for you, e.g. by posting their food on Instagram and the like and linking to you. It's best to write your account name clearly on the trolley so that people can find you quickly.

Advertising in general is super important for you, especially at the beginning. If you are located near a busy road, it could help to draw attention to yourself with a sign (food truck "XY" 200 meters to the right).

As you can see, there are many things to look out for with a food truck. Nevertheless, the purchase is worthwhile and the operation can give you great pleasure.

You may also be interested in: "Financing a restaurant: helpful tips for opening a new restaurant".

Photos: Unsplash