6 Essential Tools Every Food Truck Owner Needs to Succeed
Serving delicious food to the community with the freedom of mobility may seem like a dream job for some folks, but at the end of the day, business is business. And this philosophy holds true in the food and beverage industry.
As fulfilling as being a food truck owner may appear at a glance, the truth is that this job requires much more than the prowess of being able to whip up a delicious meal. It also entails possessing strong business chops to ensure that you have a steady stream of happy and loyal customers.
A capable business drive is one piece of the puzzle. Besides that, it’s also essential for food truck owners to stock up on the right tools to give their business a fighting chance in this highly competitive field, all while staying within a realistic budget.
Whether you’re aspiring to be a food truck owner serving gastronomic delights or are currently looking for ways to grow your business, these six categories of tools will give you an edge in serving your community and gear your business towards success.
Let’s take a look at these tools in more depth.
1. A Portable POS System
One important tool that should be in every food truck is a point-of-sale or POS system. This portable gadget helps facilitate transactions between customers and merchants, removing the need for physical cash exchanges that not only take a while to process but also interrupt food preparation.
An EFTPOS machine is particularly useful for accepting payments when you are a mobile business, as this device can be brought anywhere and record and transmit transactions from the customer’s credit card to the merchant’s account immediately. This is due to the fact that these systems are cloud-based and can sync to the internet in real-time, provided that the device is in a place with data coverage.
A POS system does more than accept credit cards and digital payments. It can also sync with delivery apps and inventory management tools to make service operations smoother and easier to report. Above all, having a POS system exudes the aura that you’re a trustworthy and established business, helping you stand out amongst the crowd of other food truck operators.
In any case, a POS system is an easy and effective tool that every food truck owner should have on hand. This makes conducting transactions smoother and easier for a wide range of customers to pay.
2. Cold Storage Solutions
When selling cooked meals and beverages, having a cold storage is a must to prevent spoilage and health risks.
A significant number of food types consist of perishable goods that are prone to spoiling quickly when exposed to or kept at room temperature. This can lead to ingredients wasting away in your food truck, chipping away at your business’s profit ceiling.
Moreover, some food truck types rely on these cold storage solutions to display their inventory to their customers, which is commonly the case for truck operators selling smoothies or fruit juices.
In such cases, it’s essential to have a cold storage solution to keep these perishable products from spoiling. A food-truck specific example would be a compact commercial refrigerator or upright coolers to store food and beverage inventory.
Another more effective space-saving cold storage option is a prep table with built-in cooling systems. This appliance makes ingredients within reach and easy to showcase, making it a better facilitating tool for customers and food stall owners.
In any case, this appliance is a must-have for food truck owners who want to ensure that the food they serve remains clean, healthy, and consistent across all servings.
3. Compact Cooking Equipment and Appliances
Besides a suitable cooling system, a food truck business would also need the right cooking equipment to prepare its meals. There are several types of cooking equipment out there, and the right one ultimately depends on your menu and cuisine archetype.
Plan on serving burgers and sandwiches? A flat-top griddle is what you should be looking into. Does your food require deep frying? Then, a deep fryer is a must-have for your food truck. Are you a deli-style truck? Then sandwich presses are something to look into.
If you’re serving Asian cuisine with fried rice as a staple for each meal, then a rice cooker and a wok or a large induction stove are important.
It’s very much possible for you to purchase multiple types of cooking equipment to cover your entire menu. That said, do remember that space in the food truck is limited. Prioritise finding compact equipment to ensure that everything fits snugly on your kitchen floor while still having enough space to meet customer demand.
4. Food Prep Tools
Another essential aspect of food truck operations to consider is having the right tools.
You’d want to have an entire array of food preparation tools and accessories that can transform your raw ingredients into culinary delights. Some kitchen must-haves may come in the form of sharp knives, chopping boards, spatulas, portion scoops, tongs, spice bottles, and a whole lot more.
A good rule of thumb is to practice creating your menu items beforehand and take note of the tools you naturally need to complete the process from start to finish. From there, you can identify specific utensils and gadgets that can help you recreate the menu item in your kitchen workflow.
You can also experiment with other tools to see if they can help improve the consistency or efficiency in the kitchen workflow. The most durable versions of these tools are optimal to ensure that nothing breaks or gets damaged during kitchen preparation.
In any case, having at least the fundamental kitchen preparation tools on hand can ensure that you have everything it takes to meet the demands of your kitchen.
5. Health and Safety Equipment
Here’s the cold, hard truth: operating in a moving vehicle doesn’t dismiss you from the fact that you’re running a food business. And in Australia, there are strict regulatory guidelines that every food business operator should adhere to to ensure that they’re upholding customer and worker safety.
There are many risks involved in operating a kitchen, and it’s essential to have the right safety equipment to combat or mitigate these risks. For instance, every food truck should have a fire extinguisher to extinguish fires that may occur during food preparation. There should also be sanitisers and a complete first-aid kit in the vehicle to immediately address injuries like cuts and abrasions that may occur in the kitchen.
On top of that, it’s also important to put non-slip mats on the floor to prevent falls and slips. Having a segregated bin set also helps ensure that food and general waste are disposed of properly. Having these tools not only ensures that you pass inspections, but they also ensure that your team has everything they need to remain safe and productive throughout their shift.
6. Marketing Posters and Signages
Another essential must-have set of items for every food truck operator is visual branding for their business.
Unless you’re an established, hidden, hole-in-the-wall food truck with a steady stream of loyal customers, you’ll want to be able to communicate to customers what you serve and what your business is all about. Marketing signages, posters, and billboards do all the heavy lifting in that regard.
Food trucks especially benefit from having these posters since they’re inherently mobile and move around from place to place. Having these marketing signs around your truck can communicate to customers that you’re selling food and that you can solve their hunger.
Portable menus are a type of tool that can instantly hook customers and communicate everything they need to know about your business, from the available food to its respective prices. Besides that, you can also get creative with your posters and billboards to get customers to post your food truck online or see your offerings more closely.
In any case, having marketing signage can be a good way to draw in revenue for your business. When paired with consistently quality food, this can keep your business operational for years to come.
We hope we’ve given you enough insights on what to equip your food truck business. Best of luck!