If gardeners have a green thumb, what color thumb do chefs have? Well, regardless, if you consider yourself nothing short of a culinary wizard, it might be time to also look into entrepreneurship. Concession stands and food trucks are a hot commodity right now. Mobile kitchens, unlike restaurants, can be moved to whatever popular location exists at the time and have low overhead costs. You don’t have to wait for the crowd to come to you – you can go to the crowds. In fact, many food truck and kitchen trailer owners alike are still operating even with COVID-19 closing brick-and-mortar restaurants. As long as social distancing (and possibly PPE) is practiced/used by your customers, all is well.
Food trucks, party trailers, concession stands, and mobile units built as a kitchen trailer do, however, require unique construction and design. It’s not your everyday trailer. Your food truck must meet safety and health codes while presenting a practical, stylish culinary option for customers. This is, more than likely, going to require the assistance of a professional upfitter.
Customizing A Kitchen Trailer
With engineering and a custom design, an ordinary trailer can meet the needs of food truck business owners. To turn a trailer into a sustainable business as a food truck, there are several key elements that must be installed. Some of these are as follows:
- Water storage
- Food storage that is will sealed
- Freezers and refrigerators
- Food preparation surfaces
- Ovens, grills, stoves, etc.
- … And much more!
Kitchen Trailer Exterior Design
Though the appropriate interior of a kitchen trailer is essential, the exterior should not be left to chance. Food trucks need branding just like any other business. The appearance of the exterior of your food truck should communicate your values and your brand, at the very least. Not feeling particularly artistic with anything other than food? Have an artist or graphic design company give you a hand. Consider the information you need to communicate to your customers such as the following:
- Your logo
- Your company colors
- Pictures of food (illustrated or actual photos)
- Hours of operation
- Menu
- Phone number and/or website – or both
- Today’s specials
- … And more
Got Trailers and Trucks?
If you’re already enjoying a great amount of success as a food truck owner, you may consider operating a fleet. Another trailer, or two, or three, etc., could expand your services, business, and profit. The more trucks you have, the more people you can cater to, the more events you can attend, the more widely spread you can make your brand known.
Your trucks and trailers should all have the same look, information, logo, etc. on the outside. Use your initial truck or trailer for the design where the rest of your fleet is concerned – even if that’s only one more truck or trailer. Then again, this is also a great time to think about improvements. You can always update your existing truck or trailer if the new design ends up working out better.
Mickey Genuine Parts Has Trailers
If you are a budding entrepreneur, or even if you’re an existing food truck owner that wants to save money, don’t hesitate to check out our used trailer inventory on a regular basis. Check frequently because the inventory changes.
When you need service, we are here for you as well with numerous Mickey certified service centers located throughout the United States. We can help with upfitting, preventative maintenance (PM), and are a great source for ordering parts if someone else already does your work. Contact Mickey today to find out how we can be of service to you.