Índice

Bibliografía

Foreword Matthew Geller xi Preface xiii Acknowledgments xvii Introduction 1 Plan: Preparing for Success 7 Is the Trucker s Life for Me? 9 Foundations for Success 18 Playing by the Rules 25 Picking a Concept 31 Assembling a Winning Team 49 The Business Plan 51 Raising Money 63 Start: Making It Happen 67 Administrative Necessities 69 Finalizing the Menu 78 Lay Out Your Kitchen 82 Procuring a Truck 87 Picking a Commissary 99 Branding Fundamentals 103 Hiring 109 Picking Vending Locations 112 The Opening Schedule 117 Succeed: Doing One Truck Right 121 Responsible Vending 123 Vending Locations 126 Managing the Team 132 Put It on Paper 135 Watching the Numbers 137 Refi ning the Menu 142 Social Media 145 Connecting with Customers 150 Seasonality 153 Maintenance 155 Grow: Moving beyond the Truck 157 Growth Opportunities 164 Contract Packing 171 Building the Right Infrastructure 174 Technology 176 Exiting the Food Truck Industry 179 Afterword 183 Appendix A Templates and Worksheets 185 Appendix B Food Truck Regulations, by City 205 Appendix C Social Media Guides 229 Appendix D Interviews with Food Truck Entrepreneurs 233 Notes 263 About the Author 265 Index 267

How to start, grow, and succeed in the food truck business. Food trucks have become a wildly popular and important part of the hospitality industry. Consumers are flocking to these mobile food businesses in droves, inspiring national food truck competitions and even a show dedicated to the topic on The Food Network. The relatively low cost of entry as compared to starting a restaurant,combined with free and low-cost ways to market them to the masses via platforms like social media, are just two of the reasons that food truck business aredrawing in budding entrepreneurs. Author David Weber, a food truck advocate and entrepreneur himself, is here to offer his practical, step-by-step advice to achieving your mobile food mogul dreams in The Food Truck Handbook. This book cuts through all of the hype to give both hopeful entrepreneurs and already established truck owners an accurate portrayal of life on the streets. From concept to gaining a loyal following to preventative maintenance on your equipment this book covers it all. Includes profiles of successful food trucks, detailing their operations, profitability, and scalability. Establish best practices for operating your truck using one-of-a-kind templates for choosing vending locations, opening checklist, closing checklist, and more. Create a sound business plan complete with a reasonable budget and finding vendors you can trust;consider daily operations in detail from start to finish, and ultimately expand your business. Stay lean and profitable by avoiding the most common operating mistakes. Author David Weber is Founder and President of the NYC Food Truck Association (NYCFTA), which brings together small businesses that own and operate premium food trucks in NYC focused on innovation in hospitality, high quality food, and community development.