18/03/2024
As the Season is starting...
As a food truck owner, I would like to share some insight to event organizers:
1. The average food truck cost $40-60K to purchase, along with insurance, taxes, supplies and branding. Let alone the tow vehicle.
2. When you ask for food trucks to come to an event, please keep in mind; the average of only 20% of your attendees will purchases something. 1000 attendees=200 people buying. To break even at an event food trucks need to sell at least 40-50 of their average products.
3. If your event is 8 hours and you only expect 1000 people, please don't ask for 7 food trucks. Yes, variety is great, but everyone looses money that way. Maybe have 1 snack truck, 1 dessert and one full food. Most of us know how many items we can send through the window in an hour, ask us.
4. Try not to duplicate food trucks, you don't need 4 snow cones or 3 BBQ trucks. It's OK to tell people no, we already have that type of food. We would rather know that, then show up and there are 4 people selling the same menu.
5. Your event may only be 4 hours, but we have at least an hour prep prior and after, just to get the trailer ready to haul. Plus food purchasing and food prep. Our time is money.
6. Truck's and trailers need room to park. Your spot is 10x20? How about allowing us room to back in, ask what side the serving windows are on, what side our doors are on. We CAN NOT park tongue to tongue in a trailer! For safety sake, we have to be able to open our egress doors! If we have generators, we need a place to put those also. Communication is key!
7. Many municipalities have a business licenses, Health Department licenses, etc. that we have to purchase in addition to your vendor fees, plus taxes we must pay based on municipality rules. Please keep that in mind, most of us only work in certain areas due to that.
8. Fuel is getting expensive again, same with tires, oil etc. We can't roll for an employee appreciation event that does not have a guaranteed minimum. And when we ask for that, don't get upset. This is our business, we need to make money.
9. We run out of things, our work space is tight and we only have so much storage room. Show some grace.
10. When you are asking for food trucks please list: Date, Time, Attendees, How many years event had been happening, Address of event, Contact person, Fees, Power availability, number of food truck spaces.
We share this info with you so we can help each other, that's what it's all about right?
Thank you and have a great day!
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