Interested in starting a food truck? You’re about to discover what it’s really like to build a mobile food business from scratch. 

If you’re starting out on your own food truck journey and wondering if this is the right path for you then this is the episode for you. In today’s audio lesson we share the good and the bad of operating a food truck business, the estimated cost to get started, and some of the top performing menu ideas in mobile food.

If you’ve got a food truck dream, you’ve probably put considerable thought into what it will be like to operate. You can imagine greeting guests, serving meals at events, making people smile, cooking the food you love. Being personally fulfilled while making money and being your own boss is the vision. And we have good news. This really is what owning and operating a food truck can be like.

Malcolm Bedell of Ancho Honey.

But it’s not all sunshine and roses in the food truck industry either. Like any other business there are bills that need to be paid, traveling to events can prove tiring, mechanical breakdowns and an endless amount of prep work and cleanup that must be completed. It’s important you understand these real business challenges before releasing the safety harness and diving into this venture full-time. Click play below to find out if this business is right for you and download our presentation to follow along.

Like so many things in life, you shouldn’t start a food truck business if you don’t have the right personality. For example, if you prefer working alone this industry may not be a good fit. You’ll be regularly talking to customers, suppliers, and event promoters in this business. Don’t like working weekends? Friday nights and weekends are the most profitable days for many of these businesses.

What You’ll Learn

  • What it’s really like to operate a food truck. The good and bad.
  • All the costs involved in starting a food truck business.
  • Characteristics of successful food truck businesses. Plus, high-profit menu ideas.
  • How food trucks actually make their money.
  • The next steps you need to take if you would like to get involved in this $1 billion per year industry.

Download Now: Sign up for the Food Truck Business Kit that Includes Cost Analysis Spreadsheet and Business Plan Template

The Food Truck Case Study

You’ve stumbled upon a real-time case study on starting a food truck featuring entrepreneur Malcolm Bedell of Ancho Honey food truck / restaurant based out of Tenants Harbor, Maine. In this series we follow along with Bedell as he goes through the process of writing a business plan, seeking funding, developing a menu, getting a food truck manufactured and finally hitting the streets of Tenant’s Harbor to sell his sandwiches.

burger photo

Hey ma! Look what I made on my truck!

Bookmark and share this page with others as it will serve as a table of contents for future updates on the progress of Bedell’s business.

The crazy thing about this case study is that it’s a work in progress. Bedell’s experience could result in fame, fortune, and he could become an incredible inspiration for other budding culinary entrepreneurs. On the flip side, the business could fail and serve as a warning to other dreamers.

Learn More

Order up!

How to Start a Food Truck Business in 6(ish) Steps – Get an overview of the basic steps to start this business. This is a great place to begin.

The Complete Breakdown of Food Truck Operation Costs – Find out how much it will realistically cost to start a food truck business.

Food Truck License and Permits – Use this checklist to determine everything you’ll need to legally open a food truck business.

How to Write a Food Truck Business Plan – Get to know a little bit about the background of Salvagno and learn the process he’s used to write a business plan. A copy and template of his business plan are included within the post.

Creating a Menu and Sourcing Product – Learn how to create a unique menu and source product for a food truck business.

How to Finance a Food Truck – Learn how to scrape together the cash required to purchase a food truck. Hint: Most food truck owners use a variety of funding sources.

Navigating City Regulations and Health Code Requirements – Find out how to find out about the local laws of a city and why an LLC was the right business entity to form. There are also tips for identifying the laws in your city as well.

How to Choose a Food Truck Builder – Our hero buys a custom truck for $35,000. See what the process of working with a manufacturer was like along with some of the difficulties he experienced while getting the truck.

Stuff that Goes Wrong When You Start a Mobile Food Business – Much has happened since the last time I spoke with Anthony Salvagno. The truck arrived from his builder, which became a much more interesting story than it should have been. We also go in-depth into all the different hurdles encountered while starting a business so far.

The First Summer on a Food Truck – See what the first season operating a food truck is really like.

Order our full guide on what it’s really like operating a food truck in your first year.

365 days on a food truck

Want to start your own food business?

Hey! 👋I’m Brett Lindenberg, the founder of Food Truck Empire.

We interview successful founders and share the stories behind their food trucks, restaurants, food and beverage brands. By sharing these stories, I want to help others get started.

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