How To Get Food Trucks To Come To Your Event In Easy Steps?

How to get food trucks to come to your event? First, learn the cost to rent a food truck for an event and set your budget, decide how many food trucks you’ll need for your event, pick your food truck menu for the event, ensure you meet food truck regulations, and station the food truck (or trucks) in the right place.

There are numerous benefits to using a food truck for events. Long-lasting business gatherings, conferences, and presentations are common. Sometimes they take the entire day or even several days. Frequently, guests and partners from other cities and nations are invited to the event.

How To Get Food Trucks To Come To Your Event?

Learn The Cost To Rent A Food Truck For An Event

The price per guest for food truck catering ranges from $10 to $35. Catering for 100 people will therefore cost between $1,000 and $3,500. (Typically, there is a minimum fee, which can be anywhere between $800 and $1,300.) 

This is a broad range, so let’s examine more closely what determines whether the price is at the high or low end of that range.

Pricing Structure

The three main fee schedules for hiring a food truck for an event are catering, attendee pay, and business guarantee.   

• Catering is the most common structure for private events. The caterer in this arrangement is the food truck, which offers a predetermined menu to a predetermined crowd. 
• Attendee-pay is common at large events that will host several trucks. Just like at any other food truck location, attendees simply order and pay for their own meals. At this kind of event, food trucks strive to sell 40 to 60 items per hour. Sometimes the food truck gives the event organizer a fixed sum (often around 10% of projected sales) or a percentage of the money it makes at the event.
• Under an attendee-pay pricing structure, food trucks may ask for a business guarantee—a minimum amount of business the organizer will guarantee. Any discrepancy between the amount of actual business and the guarantee is the organizer’s responsibility.

Location

Food trucks are common in crowded metro areas where it seems like everything is more expensive. Due to the higher costs of labor, ingredients, and permits, food trucks must charge more in these locations in order to maintain their profit margins. The most expensive food truck cities are LA and NYC.

In contrast, in less populated areas, the headquarters of your ideal food truck might be quite far away. To get food truck operators to travel outside of their normal customer base, be prepared to pay more.

Small to medium-sized towns and cities with food truck options are in the sweet spot for low-cost locations.

Meal And Food Types

A dessert truck will be less expensive than one that serves lunch or dinner entrees, sides, and beverages. With its intricate logistics and full dinner, a food truck catering an event like an evening wedding reception will likely be the most expensive option. (Remember that the top end of food truck catering, at about $35 per person, is still probably less expensive than the typical cost of $70 per person for traditional wedding catering.)

Some trucks, specializing in dessert and coffee, arrive following a catered reception or other late-night events. (Anyone for Belgian waffles?) This option is economical but still has a significant impact. 

Cheap food truck fare typically includes tacos, hot dogs, and barbecue. Pricey ingredients like lobster or trendy food trucks that serve fusion or organic creations may be more expensive.

Decide On Food Trucks You’ll Need For Your Event

One food truck for every 200–300 guests is a reasonable starting point estimate. 

If eating is one of the main draws of the event, as it would be at a picnic to show appreciation for your employees during lunch, you will need a number of trucks. Additionally, if everyone is going to eat at the same time, as might occur during a wedding reception, you will need to reserve multiple trucks. 

If there are several other attractions at the event and there isn’t a set time when everyone eats, you can think about having one food truck per 400 attendees or so. Guests will go to the food truck when the lines are shorter.

Inform the food truck owners of your expected attendance numbers and the number of customers they can handle in an hour. A week before the event, give the truck owners an estimated number of attendees so they can take that into account when ordering and preparing.

Choose Your Food Truck Menu For The Event

A dizzying variety of mouthwatering options are available at food trucks: hot dogs and fries; chicken and waffles; Breakfast bowls with dal and eggs, street tacos, pizza, Korean-Mexican fusion, Indian cuisine, and BBQ (one of the most well-liked food truck varieties). There are many more items on the list. 

Naturally, go over the possibilities with your clients. They might be very specific about the kind of food they desire and may even have a few favorite trucks in mind. Or perhaps they require a lengthy list of ideas. 

The majority of food trucks naturally have simplified menus. However, it’s a good idea to limit your options even more for catered events. Attendees at events won’t go hungry while waiting in line thanks to quicker service and fewer options. Inquire of other food truck operators to find out which of their most well-liked items, and you’ll have the foundation of your menu.  

The suggested menu should also be examined in light of any dietary restrictions: does your guest list include people who need a vegetarian or vegan option? Better safe than sorry if you are unsure. The owner of a food truck ought to know what is preferred by people who avoid using animals. 

Here are a few examples of how food truck offerings might differ depending on the type of event: 

Industry networking event – Consider hiring several food trucks with a variety of cuisines, such as street tacos, Indian food, and burgers, for an event at a national professional conference. While waiting in line, the options your guests select make excellent conversation starters. There will also be vegetarian options in the Indian cuisine.

Wedding – At the conclusion of your wedding, have a food truck outside that specializes in desserts. churros, donuts, ice cream, and crepes. Whatever the treat, guests will create one more sweet memory before the night is over. 

Young people’s group, etc. athletic league, club, school) – Kids arrive hungry to any event, whether it’s a fundraiser or a season’s end celebration. The food that can be prepared quickly, like burritos, empanadas, and wood-fired individual pizzas, is your best bet.   

Search The Best Food Trucks For Your Event

Use Yelp, Roaming Hunger, FoodTrucksIn, or a city-specific website or app to explore all the options in your area once you’ve decided on a cuisine. To learn how businesses manage the high volume, quick turnaround required for an event, spend some time looking through reviews from catering customers. 

Food trucks are in high demand, so be sure to submit and reserve your dates early. Even better, Roaming Hunger will gather information about your occasion and spending limit, locate suitable food trucks nearby, and take care of the booking on your behalf. 

Numerous food trucks also have websites where customers can inquire about availability and make online reservations. If a client has a specific food truck in mind for an event, this can help you decide on a date and sign the contract before they are scheduled somewhere else. 

To have a ready-to-use list of recommendations for your clients, use your event planning software to save the contact details and rates of trucks that are well-liked, dependable, and provide exceptional service. 

Make Sure You Meet Food Truck Regulations

Food trucks for your event may be limited by municipal regulations. For instance, in some places, food trucks aren’t allowed to operate too close to conventional restaurants. Additionally, there might be limitations regarding operating in a commercial as opposed to a non-commercial zone, noise ordinances to take into account (a problem because some food trucks use loud generators), and unique permit requirements to operate food trucks on the street or in a public park. 

Ask for advice by going to the town or city manager’s office. They will let you know if there are any unique requirements for food trucks. Be sure to account for the possibility that the permit office is located in a different building in larger cities. Ask how long the permit approval procedure usually takes and get your research going early because this can be a lengthy process. You don’t want to run into any problems that force your food trucks to leave the event on the day of it. 

Station The Food Truck (or Trucks) In The Right Place

Your outdoor event space’s layout matters after you’ve chosen the kind (or types) of) food trucks you’ll have. The following are top suggestions for organizing a welcoming and relaxing food truck event: 

1. Food trucks are typically either positioned around the event’s perimeter or gathered in a location where guests can easily see their options at gatherings with a large number of them. 
2. If there is just one truck, place it close enough to the action so that guests won’t have to stop having fun, but don’t forget to leave room for the line. 
3. Plan a site visit to ensure the area is flat because most food trucks cannot operate there.
4. Some food trucks have extra breakout options, like a cart for fitting into tighter spaces. 
5. Even if the food is served in cardboard trays, attendees will still want a place to sit down and eat, so think about offering tables. People can sit together at picnic or folding tables, while high tops promote frequent movement.
6. So that guests don’t have to bother the food truck cooks with their requests for more, place a station for cutlery and napkins halfway between the tables. 
7. The truck drivers will supply at least one trash can, but you should supply more and make sure they are emptied when they are almost full. You don’t want a lovely outdoor event to be marred by a garbage bin overflow.  

What Is The Price Of Hiring A Food Truck For A Special Occasion?

If you hire a food truck for the occasion, you can likely save up to $20–$25 per guest. For instance, renting a food truck would likely cost you around $3,360–$4,200 if you hosted 168 guests at your awards ceremony (the average number at the moment), as opposed to roughly $11,400 for traditional food catering. That’s quite the savings, don’t you think?

Tips For Successful Managing Of A Food Truck

Since you’re curious about how to invite a food truck to your event, take a look at these advice for effective food truck management:

• It is crucial to provide food for the attendees if the coffee breaks are insufficient and the conference must be postponed until after dinner. If necessary, hire a catering service or schedule a lunch at a nearby casual restaurant.
• When a restaurant delivers food to you in a convenient location for the conference, this is known as catering. Wouldn’t hiring a food truck, which is a mobile restaurant, be more convenient? Aside from having fun, you can take pleasure in pleasant service, lovely design, and delicious, fresh food.
• If they don’t have to sit around hungry all day at your event, your attendees will undoubtedly have a better impression of you. It will probably be a traditional meal if you choose to eat dinner out. A buffet table will be more appropriate if catering is provided at the event.
• During lunch, stay away from alcohol. If you literally relax your attendees too much, they will probably lose interest in the conference’s goals. The best option is light food that can be consumed quickly, like fresh vegetables cut into slices rather than salads, a variety of meats, non-carbonated beverages, some vegetarian dishes, fruits, and desserts.
• Use materials of the highest quality and stay away from paper or plastic plates.
• Keep the timing of each meal in mind. Avoid turning the conference into a feast. Request advance delivery from your catering service.
• Make sure that each food truck you invite has its own parking area, and reserve a space that is roughly three parking spaces wide for a long line, etc. It is best to assign parking spaces in advance for any trucks you plan to have at your event.

Conclusion

The post talked about how to get food trucks to come to your event.

Whatever the circumstances, food truck catering for events is a fantastic idea. Coffee breaks should be used to break up events that are even a few hours long. Naturally, attendees shouldn’t have to pay for their own coffee. You shouldn’t rely on a coffee machine even if one is close by. Large thermoses with tea or coffee makers and small tables at a buffet with cookies, sweets, and cheeses look inviting and relaxing. Because of this, every event manager—especially those who invite business guests—should think about renting food trucks for events.