Food trucks are booming across the United States! According to a U-M and Northwestern University collaborative study, “there are more than 4,000 food trucks operating in U.S. cities that have a population of greater than 100,000 people”. Big cities are catching onto this popular food trend, and with so much competition it’s important to stay ahead of the curve. Check out our list of 5 tips to successfully grow your food truck business:
- Try catering
Great weather is not always on our side and with a food truck business, why suffer profits during rainy or stormy days? Starting a catering side to your business can open a new window of sales opportunities. Look into local businesses and build relationships by offering catered food for luncheons, events or corporate gatherings. Catering management is simple and easy with item and order tracking as well as the ability to create customer profiles.
- Devote time to social media
Social media is a must have for food truck businesses, especially Facebook, Yelp and Twitter. Social media is a powerful and easy to use tool for businesses to connect with customers. Share menus, photos and business information on Facebook while detailing the location of your food truck in real-time on Twitter. Get active on Yelp by reading and responding to customer reviews for better insight on how to improve your business and excellent service. The best part about social media is that you gain access to followers (people who truly love your business) and an instant way of communicating with them through mobile phones or any device connected to the Internet.
- Change up your menu
Seasons change, why not your menu? Start changing your menu according to customer demands. Food trucks tend to perform well during sunnier days and the summer season, but when winter comes along, it might be a good idea to start offering warmer options with even a seasonal twist. Perhaps peppermint hot chocolate during the Holidays or pumpkin flavored items around Thanksgiving. Changing your menu according to seasons can provide more variety for your customers as well as creative recipes.
- Pay attention to the metrics
How much sales have you made in the last month? What level is your inventory at currently? How much are your labor and operational costs? If you don’t know the exact answer to these, it is important to start leveraging metrics to save costs and improve sales. Inventory management is just a start. Knowing how much inventory you have in real-time helps determine the right time to stock at the right levels, saving you both time and money. Sale reports are key to know what items sells best and when. With this knowledge, you can successfully build out a strategic plan to increase profit margins. Intelligent reporting is easy to access with an iPad Point of Sale and can provide all the metrics you need in real-time to grow your food truck business.
- Offer mobile ordering
People don’t want to stand in line outside while they’re waiting for their food. Make the ordering process a step easier for customers by providing mobile ordering. As a food truck business, mobility is key. Why offer mobile ordering you ask? Not only does your business provide faster service, but customers gain the convenience of ordering from anywhere as long as they have a handheld device and Internet connectivity. Mobile orders can even be paid by credit card or PayPal on the handheld device.
Your Point of Sale (POS) is the heart of your business and all of the tips listed above can be easily setup and managed through Revel’s Food Truck POS. Revel’s Food Truck POS is designed specifically for food truck business owners and your specific needs. Be smart when it comes to running your food truck business by building off these 5 tips today!
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