Festivals are coming up and it is the peak season for those in the food truck business. You can make money as a food vendor at fairs and festivals, whether you’re a restaurant owner looking to expand your customer base or a culinary enthusiast who appreciates being outside and offering your favourite foods. Food festivals are a great way to expand your business to the next level and get some more customers to your restaurant.
If you’re new to the food truck industry, you’ve certainly heard how beneficial special events can be to your bottom line. However, you’re not sure which ones are best for your food truck. You’ll be glad to know you’re not alone. With the growth of the food truck sector in recent years, there are food trucks for just about every sort of cuisine, however, not all varieties will be a suitable fit for every occasion. It all comes down to selecting the perfect fit for the meal you’re selling.
If you want to enhance sales at festivals, you will need to come up with unique ways to attract customers to your mobile kitchen. You can achieve this by providing a welcoming and happy environment, playing current music, or putting on a fun performance to give additional entertainment.
Here is how your food truck can make the best of food festivals in 2021.
Things A Food Truck Business Must Take Care Of In A Food Festival
This article covers all the things you need to make sure of for your food truck before you go to a food festival.
1. Finding The Correct Spot
Finding the correct location is the most critical part of participating in a food festival. You don’t want to be where the crowd does not pay attention or where the event itself isn’t drawing a lot of people. Think about how your truck’s brand and cuisine will complement the festival’s theme and target demographic. For example, if you just provide hamburgers and gyros, a vegan festival may not be for you. Decide how many events you want to cover each month before you start looking for actual events.
The optimal quantity can vary from month to month, based on factors such as how busy your regular street schedule keeps you and when the most lucrative events take place. It’s also crucial to ensure that the effort and money you put into an event will pay off – after all, you are operating a company.
Make a list of how many days or weekends you want to fill each month with activities. Keep in mind that some events are only for one evening, while others are three or four days long; you’ll need to keep this in mind when applying to events, as you shouldn’t apply to a long event if you won’t be able to stick to the schedule.
2. Permits And Licenses
Once you have selected the place you want to go with your food truck, the next thing that you should care about is the permits and the licenses. You will need a vendor’s license or a food handler’s permit to serve food and beverages at fairs and festivals. Restaurants that take part in minor events can also get a temporary permit for 24 to 48 hours.
If you are starting a food truck business and want to go to multiple festivals and fairs regularly, you will need to register your truck with your local health department, as well as secure a temporary vendor’s permit for each event you attend. Research local licenses and license requirements across states if you want to travel to different festivals and serve food.
3. Gathering The Prerequisites
Make sure to prepare beforehand to make the best of the festival. Make a list of the inventory, and equipment required. Plan the menu you will be serving. For special occasions, some food trucks switch up their menus, while others keep the same menu. Both options do work well but new is always better. You will not disappoint any of your existing customers who want their favourite meal if you stick to your typical complete menu—but you will need more varied ingredients on hand, and cooking times may take a bit longer.
On the other hand, limiting the menu simplifies things in the kitchen—but regulars may quit if they can’t obtain their favourites, and you won’t be able to show off all of your culinary creativity to new customers.
You can also pre-fold to-go boxes and pack to-go bags with freebies and coupons after washing and chopping vegetables. Take care to seal and keep them in air-tight containers at the right temperatures. On the day of the event, you and your staff will most likely be on the go and racing about getting everything done as soon as possible. Getting some of these basic activities completed ahead of time can save you time on the big day and streamline the overall procedure.
4. Social Media
If people are not familiar with your brand or the delectable meal you serve, how else are you going to get them to stop by while your food truck is parked beside other trucks? A bold vehicle wrap with brilliant colours and amusing artwork may truly make you stand out. Start thinking about how to promote your food truck.
As you will be surrounded by other trucks attempting to attract consumers once the festival starts, even a modest bit of proactive marketing weeks before the event may go a long way.
You must draw people’s attention to your food truck so that they can spot it in a throng. Provide discounts for that special day to get people to come to see you or give referral codes if they post about you on their social media. The most apparent strategy to get your name in front of potential festival foodies is through social media.
Exploring The Type Of Festivals Your Food Truck Can Go To
Food festivals are not the only festivals that can help you enhance your sales. Let us discover the different types of festivals you can explore.
1. Music Festivals
Music and delicious food and beverages go together like clockwork, and it’s no wonder that food trucks are a popular sight at music festivals. Music festival organizers take care to put up a range of vendors to serve all the hungry and thirsty music enthusiasts, from standard festival cuisines like burgers, pizza, pretzels, and beer to more gourmet items and specialized desserts.
Consider the demographics of the guests first when deciding which music festivals to apply to, to ensure that the menu you serve is a suitable fit. A drive-in movie spot is also the perfect way to reach as many people at the same time and also promote your food truck more and more. Consider stationing your food truck at open movie nights because people love to snack when they are watching movies.
2. Food Festivals
It is not unusual for food trucks to get together for a food truck festival due to their popularity. This is a method of attracting new customers and promoting your restaurants. People enjoy the variety provided by a lineup of various food trucks since each customer can receive exactly what they want to eat rather than having to choose from a single menu item. Just make sure there are not too many food trucks of the same sort parked next to one other.
3. Summer Festivals
There is no better time than summer for food trucks to hit it off with consumers. You can park your food truck near the beach or a concert and expand your customer base.
There are plenty of outdoor activities to attend throughout the summer since people enjoy the sun while being entertained or shopping. There are always several alternatives to select from, from large city-run summer concert festivals to smaller block gatherings.
Serving at events is an excellent next step for any food truck that is trying to expand its business. Events provide a world of chances at every stage of the road, from small food truck festivals where you can get your brand on the map to large metropolitan events where you can establish important connections.
