Ever since food trucks started becoming popular, we have seen a lot of changes in the restaurant industry. These truck operators have shown the resilience to ride out bad economic times and are opening their own brick-and-mortar restaurants. Ultra food lansing il is the upcoming food truck in the city of lansing. The relationship between restaurant operators and food truck operators has changed dramatically over the years.
They’ve brought something new to the table…literally! They offer customers different cuisines than what they would find at your typical restaurant with either standard or gourmet dishes and low prices. This post is meant for people who are currently looking into entering this industry or already operating a successful truck.
How Food Trucks Is Going To Change Your Business Strategies :
1. A new menu
The most obvious change a restaurant operator will notice is the need to add some of their competitor’s items to the menu. This is especially true if they are categorized as “fast casual” establishments, like Panera Bread and Jason’s Deli. Both of these restaurants have been known to have food trucks close by during lunch time.
These food truck operators are searching for a different cuisine and offering a competitive price, which makes it hard for the restaurant to turn them away. If you have customer loyalty or are trying to bring in new customers, it’s best that you offer something new and different on your menu. This can help bring in some new customers that may not be interested in your other items on your current menu.
2. Online presence
If you want to get noticed on the street, then you’ll definitely need to install a website and post something online. If you don’t have a presence online then it’s almost like not existing. The importance of your online presence can be seen in how many people come to your food truck when you are not there.
When I was researching locations that have food trucks I noticed that a majority of them will use their website as an advertisement for their truck at least once a week or once per month. They have a link on their website that specifically links to their food truck. This helps increase traffic to the truck and also promotes more business for you.
3. Social media presence
A lot of food trucks these days are using social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to promote their business. These social media platforms can be used effectively to create new customers and get more publicity at your food truck event, which again can increase traffic at the event and sales at your restaurant. You can post pictures of the meals you make or take some funny pictures of co-workers eating by yourself in front of your food truck during lunch time when others don’t realize it.
4. Giveaway contests
A great idea is to give away free food, t-shirts, and other items as a part of your promotions every once in a while. This will not only get customers to come to your food truck but also increase your presence online and it’s free advertising. Another thing you can do is buy some items at local wholesale stores, such as Target or Walmart and give them away for free or great deals at each month’s food truck meetup event. You can also buy items such as wine glasses, pens or drink koozies from any business supplies store and give them away for free at each monthly meetup.
5. Touring
Sponsoring other events in your city can be a great way to promote your food truck without spending much money. You can host food truck duel events, where you and another food truck go head to head on the same day at different locations. The best way to get known is to promote the date of your event on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms. This is a great way for you and your competitor both to gain as many customers as you possibly can at the same time. You can also host food truck meetups with other businesses or organizations that are nearby each other.
6. New trucks
If you want to bring in new customers, then it’s important to invest in your business. For food truck owners like myself that don’t have enough capital to start up a food truck, the best thing to do is start with a partner who has the capital and experience of running one before you. This can minimize some of the risks you are potentially taking on by buying your own truck and allowing you more time to understand all sides of the business from buying ingredients, hiring staff, marketing etc. You don’t need a spacious kitchen or commercial kitchen if you are working out of someone’s home or garage and cooking in bulk every day.
