Catering Trucks

Food, the mere mention of this word makes me salivate. I am sure that all of us like a home cooked meal, but during parties and get-togethers there is no other alternative but to order food. That is when catering businesses come to the rescue.

Catering trucks are surely a boon for caterers, using these specially designed vehicles the staff of catering businesses are able to transport food, beverages and other things to the site of the event or party with ease.

What are the different types of catering trucks?

• There are two types of catering trucks available in the market. The first one is the Mobile Food Preparation Vehicle (MFPV). In this kind of catering truck, the food is prepared as per the customers orders. The MFPV truck usually offers various types of sandwiches and other kind of food that can be prepared easily.
• The second type of catering truck is the Industrial Catering Vehicle (ICV). This kind of truck sells only pre-packaged food.

Most of the food trucks available in the market are provided with amenities like a warming oven, refrigerator, freezer, fryer, sink, soda system, griddle and coffee urn. You can ensure that you get the best buy for a catering truck by conducting a research using the Internet.

I am sure that you would be happy to know that you can have your catering truck customized too!

What are the things I need to keep in mind when buying a catering truck?

• First of all it is of prime importance to know how much you can finance or spend, this will help you decide whether you would like to go in for a used catering truck or a new one.
• Seek help. Speak to other catering truck owners and find out about dealers in your area. Remember to check the dealer for reliability.
• Before you buy a used catering truck, have it inspected by a mechanic.
• If you are purchasing a new one, inquire about the warranty and what is covered.
• Test-drive the truck before committing. Since you will be spending a considerable amount of your time in the vehicle, make sure it is comfortable and everything in it works.
• If you are satisfied and have made up your mind, offer the dealer a price 20% lower than the advertised price. If you are purchasing a used catering truck, remember to take the cost of the repair off.

Catering Menu

The key to success in a catering business lies in knowing what sells. Here are a few tips to make your business successful:

• Familiarize yourself with what sells on the catering truck route that you have selected, to do this you could talk to the seller of the route or the person who serviced it before you. If you are buying a new route, find out about the people you will be serving.
• Find out where the local commissary (food and beverage facility) is located.
• Match your menu to the time of the day. You could include scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy in the morning menu. The afternoon and evening menus can include fried chicken and sandwiches, while meat dishes and mashed potatoes and gravy would be appropriate for later in the day. You could include pizza and vegetables too.
• Store a variety of soda and packaged snacks. Include variety drinks like fruit drinks, coffee, hot chocolate and iced tea, while in packaged snacks, chips and cookies would be a good idea.
• Experiment with the menu, if possible, have a special each day. You could try polish sausages and spaghetti. This will help you increase your customer base and have them looking forward to the specialty of the day.
• Stock at least a few brands of cigarettes.

There are assortments of other trucks available in the market that differ from the catering truck. Here are the particulars of some of them.

What is the difference between a catering truck a mini truck?

The mini truck has a variety of uses. It can serve as a transport vehicle, off road vehicle for rescue teams and compact vehicle maintenance vehicle for schools, parks, zoos and golf courses. This vehicle is smaller than the catering truck and light in weight too.

What is the difference between a catering truck and a fire truck?

As the name suggests, the fire truck is large and used by the fire department to put out fires. There are three kinds of fire trucks that are different in size. The fire truck is fitted with an engine or pump that dispenses water or foam. Unlike the catering truck, the fire truck does not have other amenities.