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pizza truckMark Williams has been part owner of a t-shirt printing company called ClothesPen since 1996. But it was a business trip to Pflugerville, Texas, for a convention that would pull Williams unexpectedly into the mobile food business.

On the return drive home, Williams and his two business partners/friends (Chad O’Connor and Alex Johnson) stopped at a BBQ and cupcake truck in Austin for dinner. After the meal they started to reflect on the good ol’ days back in high school when life was simpler and all you had to do was work at a pizza joint to get by. Not long after the friends were planning their next business: a gourmet pizza truck.

In this interview with Williams, you’ll learn what it takes to start this type of truck along with information about the required equipment and what an average day operating a pizza truck is really like.

Quotes

You never truly know how many (pizza’s) you’re going to sell any event. – Mark Williams on estimating sales volume.

You have to sacrifice a lot.  There’s times when you just don’t get any sleep. There’s times when you don’t get to have that weekend with the wife and kids. And it’s because the business is doing well. – Mark Williams on what it takes to operate a successful food truck. 

What’s different? What’s unique? What stands out about your food? Basically that’s what you’re selling. – Mark William’s on developing a unique menu and concept in your area. 

What You’ll Learn

  • How William’s friends and business partners banded together to retrofit their vehicle.
  • How the Dough Boys found their truck on Craigslist and drove to Oklahoma to get it
  • Why The Dough Boys opted against a Godzilla style vehicle.
  • The day-to-day operations of a mobile pizza business.
  • Why the first year is a learning year for operating a truck. It’s tough to tell the type of events that will be profitable and those that won’t, but identifying the winners gets easier over time.
  • The challenges of staying up to code based on varied regulations across multiple cities
  • The importance of being in a good mood and having a positive attitude in this business.
  • Why catering events, food truck parks, and festivals can be some of the best places to identify when getting started.
  • The things you need to operate a pizza truck: people, dough, mixer, pizza oven, refrigerator, and 3 compartment sink to wash dishes and your hands.
  • Why you should figure out the regulations in your
  • The importance of doing research to identify your costs.

Mentioned in the Show

Dough Boys Pizza Truck – The official website of the Dough Boys with the most extensive merchandise section I’ve ever seen for a food truck.

Facebook – Connect with our guest Mark Williams, view more photos of the truck and check out the pizza on the Facebook page.

ClothesPen.com – This is William’s t-shirt business that was referenced during the show. Check them out if you need custom screen-print shirts.

Ultimate Food Truck Case Study – Get a more in-depth look at what it takes to launch a food truck business.

iTunes – Check us out and give us a listen.

Got feedback? Leave us a voicemail at 206.309.4660 and you could be featured on an upcoming episode of the program.

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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