Food trucks are the talk of the town for everyone recently. There are many reasons behind this crazy rage for food trucks. Mobility is probably the biggest one of them. What's great about these trucks is that they give owners access to multiple locations at an initial capital that is lower than that needed in opening a standalone restaurant.
In this article, we will share a step-by-step guide to starting your own food truck and cash in on all the advantages of food trucks when compared to standalone restaurants. But before we get into the technicalities of setting up a food truck, it's very important to decide on a business plan for your truck.
It is understandable if all this seems a bit daunting at first. We are here to guide your steps in the right direction. Now let's talk about the various steps in the process of opening a food truck in India.
Choosing a commercial vehicle.
Getting the relevant licenses and permits.
Finding a workforce for your business.
Deciding the total investment required to kickstart your food truck business.
Market your truck.
Now that we have listed down some of the basic steps for your better understanding let's dive a bit deeper into what each point implies.
1. Choosing a commercial vehicle
The first and foremost step in launching your food truck is deciding which kind of food truck you will use. You would need a vehicle that is at least 18 feet long. You can check out various brands like TATA, Mahindra & Mahindra, and Ashok Leyland. The initial investment in buying a new truck might seem a lot more than an average 450 square feet shop for QSR whose rent is somewhere around 40k. But be assured, in the long run, this cost runs negligible since it is a one-time investment.
2. Licences and permits
There are no clear-cut laws pertaining/ related to owning or starting a food truck in India. Nevertheless, it is essential to procure the following sets of licenses for your food truck in India. These permits will allow you to freely carry your restaurants business legally in this territory. These documents are:
Fire safety certificate.
Shop and establishment licence.
NOC from the municipal corporation.
NOC from RTO.
FSSAI mobile vendor’s licence.
Kitchen insurance.
The cost of getting these permits is somewhere around 50k.
3. Hiring workforce
When it comes to hiring manpower for your truck. You need at least 2 chefs and one helper who can help overall operations inside the food truck. As far as the salary of these staff members is considered you will have to find out the payscale of their industry and pay them accordingly.
4. Calculate investment
Though it varies on your vehicle cost as well as other factors. The average cost of starting a food truck in India falls somewhere around 10lakhs.
5. Market your truck
The sure-fire way to get an audience for your food truck lies ineffective marketing.
For your offline marketing tactics, you can distribute menu pamphlets to create an initial buzz. You can also invest in billboards and banners in nearby catchment areas. The next and probably more important type of marketing is online marketing. Having a credible social media presence is a must. This helps keep your followers up to date about the location of the food truck as well as creates a brand connected with your audience. Another effective way of marketing your restaurant is to keep track of events and community gatherings in your locality and utilize these opportunities to expand your restaurant business.
That was some of the basics of starting a food truck business. Effective execution of all the above steps will generate more profits for your food truck. We can help you set up the most profitable food truck for you and take care of all your functional needs. For more information, book a session with us now!