If you’re thinking of starting a food concession trailer business, you probably have a menu in mind. But it takes more than a few great recipes to get your business from idea to ignition. If you’re ready to start a food concession trailer business, here are a few things to consider:

1. Are you flexible? The food concession trailer business is not for those that want to keep bankers’ hours. It can be a 15+ hour per day job if you’re stationed at a sporting event or a festival. And while your dream might be to play mobile chef, you will also need to be ready to change tires and serve as a roadside mechanic as well as run your business like a dedicated CEO/CFO.
2. Are you social? For a food concession trailer to be successful, you’ll need to position your business in a visible, high-traffic location full of hungry people as often as possible. [...]

Thinking about running your own food trailer? It can be a great investment and a fun business, but like any industry it’s important to do your research before jumping into the frying pan…or soup bowl, or coffee cup…whatever your culinary dream might be. The experts at Custom Trailer Pros have put together a list of 7 key factors needed before taking the next steps. Are you ready for your next adventure? Read on!

1. Fast Work-Flow. Serve your food quickly! Our most successful customers understand that maximizing their profits means being able to serve a lot of food in a short amount of time. Whether you are working a large festival or an office complex’s lunch break, your customers will not wait for a slow-moving line. Prep your food ahead of time if possible, create a smooth work-flow within your food truck and establish systems that help generate fast, consistent service every time.
2. Curiosity. The [...]

Food trailers have come a long way from the early days of selling premade plastic-wrapped sandwiches and lukewarm coffee to factory workers needing something cheap and quick on their lunch breaks. Today, these culinary kitchens on wheels offer every type of edible offering you can dream up—from fresh seafood and ethnic fare to gourmet burgers and desserts.

The experts at Custom Trailer Pros can tell from the trailers we’re helping to put on the road that these munchie mobiles show no sign of swerving into the slow lane. According to Technomic, a research firm specializing in the food-service industry, sales for the food trailer segment—with most trailers being owner-operated—are growing at three times the rate of traditional casual dining options.

The rise of food trailers got a big boost during the recession, when people laid off from their corporate jobs decided to put their entrepreneurial skills to the (taste) test. The pace hasn’t slowed down [...]

When it comes to operating a successful food trailer, it’s important to keep your marketing efforts as fresh as your latest menu. The experts at Customer Trailer Pros have got you covered, breaking down the best ways to build your customer base while keeping your current customers coming back for more! Read on for our top 5 biggest impact-makers for 2019.

1. Review your branding strategy. Gather any printables, mailers, and physical marketing materials that you are currently using to market your food trailer. Is there a constant theme throughout the different pieces? Are you happy with your current message or do you need to change it up? Keep a unified front by ensuring that your company logo, font, colors and images are consistent throughout all forms of printed media. Next, with your printed materials in front of you, pull up your company website, social media pages, and any e-books or downloads you have available [...]

You’ve planned the menu, perfected the recipes and are ready to start designing the blueprints for your dream mobile kitchen. A kitchen is one of the trickiest design challenges in any home, and it doesn’t get any easier when crammed into a 16-to-22-foot trailer. However, by spending a little extra time thinking about the use of your space, taking a hard look at your revenue goals, and—gulp!—doing a few simple math equations, you can be confident that you’ve got the storage space you need for a kitchen that works as hard as you do.

In the food industry terms, the amount of storage space inside your trailer is referred to as capacity. The good news is that food trailers typically have more capacity than food trucks—giving you a head start when it comes to maximizing your options. Generators for a food truck are almost always built inside what could be usable kitchen space—what a waste! [...]

So you’ve decided it’s time to invest in a mobile food trailer for your business. Whether you already own a brick-and-mortar restaurant, or you’re just starting out a new concept, one thing is likely for sure – you can’t wait to hit the pavement and take your mobile food concept to the streets to share your delicious eats with people. Before you can get started there are some important things to take into consideration when purchasing your trailer.

When you’re just starting out you could find yourself facing a common debate, new vs. old. It’s important to know exactly what your new business needs to operate efficiently and maximize profits. With years of industry experience we have compiled a list of the top pros and cons of choosing between new and used when on the market for your custom food trailer.  

Here are six things to know when considering a used food trailer.