Renting out premises for a café or restaurant in the current economic climate is a relatively risky endeavour, which is why premium mobile food stalls are all the rage. Some malls and shopping parks now even have space for these vans as they’ve increased in popularity. It’s a fun and interesting business to have, and if you’re of an entrepreneurial mind set, then you’ll want to have all the help you can get.
With that in mind, here are four points that you might not yet have thought about:
1. Weather
Yes, bet you haven’t thought about the weather have you? In order to maximise your opportunities to sell food, you need to be able to operate in virtually all weathers. This means making sure your stand meets all food safety requirements and is operable even in rain and wind.
Make sure you’ve got things like sturdy covers for all of the food, and you’ll need some kind of awning that extends outwards to keep people dry when they’re at the stand. Choosing the right vehicle will help here. Your uniform needs to keep you warm too, if you’re likely to be stood for long periods in the cold.
2. Food Safety Training
You probably think you know all of the key points around food safety, but there may well be some that you don’t. It’s always worth getting some extra training, particularly if you’re going to be hiring employees to work with you. Nothing can ruin a reputation like giving your customers food poisoning, so you’ll want to make sure that everything is in perfect order.
Training can help you find out what best practices are, and may well make things easier for you; it’s important to have both practical and theoretical education.
3. Competition
So you think you’ve thought of the next big thing in mobile food? Think again. There’s every chance that your idea is already taken, and having a look on the internet is no guarantee. You need to get yourself out to events where there are going to be many food stalls and check out the competition.
It’s also quite hard to work out exactly what kinds of food are being sold at events without going to them – you want to stand out as much as possible, as well as serving top quality food.
4. Promotion
Last but not least, just like any other businesses, you need to promote your food stall. Great food doesn’t always attracting customers; promotional efforts do. So, be sure you are actively promoting your stall.
The good news is, you don’t have to spend a fortune in getting people to be aware of your stall. There are some ways that doesn’t cost much, but bring considerable impact to your business.
Be sure that you get involved in local communities to get the words out about your food stalls: Participating in a bazaar, getting involved in a local charity, supporting the local foodie community,… those things can add up to your promotional efforts.
Takeaway
Food stalls can be very lucrative, if you sell to the right local market. As a reminder, make sure you don’t neglect your due diligence: Research the local market, determine the menu that is most suitable to the local market, and work on your marketing effort.