Food Truck Ideas

How To Start A Food Truck

If you want to start a food truck business, here are the steps that you can follow. If you're a little further along in your journey, skip this section and head straight to the food truck ideas.

1. Conduct thorough research of your local food truck industry and regulations
2. Develop a business plan. Be sure to include a project and marketing plan.
3. Figure out who your target demographic will be.
4. Obtain funding for your business.
5. Acquire a food truck that meets whatever local guidelines and regulations you need to follow.
6. Secure all the appropriate licenses and permits needed.
7. Buy your cooking and kitchen supplies.
8. If you have the budget, hire a chef and cashier.
9. Develop a website, and business cards, and invest in search engine optimization
10. Follow local events such as fairs, community gatherings, etc.

If you have the capital and skills, a food truck business can become a lucrative endeavor. To help you get started, here are some creative food truck ideas to help your business stand out.

1. Gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches

Adding a gourmet spin to a classic can be a great way to draw in customers. Grilled cheese is super easy and inexpensive to make and triggers lovely feelings of nostalgia for customers.

You can experiment with different cheeses, bread, meats, or you can just deep fry the cheese if you don't care about your customer's arteries.

2. Create your own empanadas

People love to customize their food. If your business not only accepts this fact but encourages it, you'll be sure to have the edge over the more rigid food truckers.

Allow customers to choose from a wide array of items to include in their empanadas. Be sure not to limit the options to just meat. Cinnamon, cream cheese, and other sweet ingredients are great for breakfast.

3. Korean BBQ tacos

4. Freshly made pasta dishes

5. Farm-to-table salads

6. Wood-fired pizza

7. Authentic Mexican street food

8. Build-your-own burritos and bowls

Psuedo-DIY burritos and bowls allow for a ton of customization. You'll essentially give your customers Chipotle in a truck but with considerably less E-coli.

9. Gourmet hot dogs and sausages

Hot dogs are simple, tasty, and pair well with nearly any topping. A gourmet approach to toppings could be truffles, brisket, and other uncommon but delicious food items.

10. Thai noodles and curries

11. Mediterranean falafel and hummus

This type of food would do well in front of gyms, health centers, and other places that fitness-centric people visit.

Falafel and hummus as both healthy and tasty. They also make a great pre-workout meal

12. Indian street food

13. Freshly squeezed juices and smoothies

14. Vegan and vegetarian cuisine

15. Hawaiian poke bowls

16. Freshly brewed coffee and tea

17. Classic American burgers and fries

18. Sushi rolls and sashimi

I don't like sushi but those that do would love to have it at their door steps or right in front of the office. In most cases, raw fish lovers have to go to a restaurant for high-quality sushi.

So, if great sushi is in your truck, you'll become to go-to place for tasty sushi without long waits or reservations.

19. Crepes and waffles

20. Fried chicken and waffles

Be sure to offer more than your standard plain fried chicken here. Incorporate BBQ, lemon pepper, and buffalo to give customers variety.

21. Artisanal grilled cheese and tomato soup

22. Fresh seafood and fish tacos

23. Korean-style fried chicken

24. Authentic Italian pasta and pizza

25. Vietnamese pho and banh mi

26. Brazilian churrasco skewers

27. Jamaican jerk chicken and rice

28. Cajun-style jambalaya and gumbo

29. Spanish paella and tapas

30. Southern-style BBQ and ribs

31. French crepes and croissants

32. Middle Eastern shawarma and kebabs

33. Chinese dumplings and bao

34. Venezuelan arepas and cachapas

35. Jamaican beef patties and coco bread

I used to eat Jamaican beef patties every day for about 2 years before classes. The patties I purchased were from a corner store so the quality wasn't great. But, I was broke at the time so the price probably made it much more palatable.

I would've loved to buy the patties fresh from a food truck along with coco bread, instead of the nearly stale ones at my local corner store.

36. Filipino adobo and lumpia

37. Ethiopian injera and stews

38. Dragon Ball Super meals

Dragon Ball is my favorite anime of all time. I remember watching Goku eat all sorts of delicious ramen, rice, and other dishes.

The food looked so great, I often tried to re-create the meals at home. If a food truck like this existed, I'd travel the length of Snake Road to get to it.

Regardless of the idea you ultimately land on for your food truck business make sure you don't spend too much time in the planning phase.

Don't get me wrong, research and planning are vital but staying in this phase too long leads to inaction. You won't discover all there is prior to starting your business, mistakes are often better teachers than research.

Once you've made the necessary preparations get out there! There are thousands of hungry people in your area waiting to taste your delicious meals. Don't keep them waiting forever.