Let’s face it, food trucks are cool. They have been on the rise for some time now as the trendy mobile food option that people just can’t get enough of. Summer can often be the busy time for most food trucks. People crave the outdoors and being at events like outdoor concerts, graduation parties, Fourth of July bashes, and more make food trucks an excellent food option. It’s easy to understand why. One, they are generally a cheaper option than traditional catering. Two, you can put down operations just about anywhere (at least anywhere a vehicle could park that is regulatory for size.) Three, you just can’t beat how cool and retro they look.

If you are looking to make the most out of the upcoming summer season, check out the following tips to make your next food truck event a success.

1. Prepare for The Weather

No matter where you are, the weather can sometimes be unexpected. For example, it could be raining on one side of the highway in Florida, while it’s completely sunny on the other. As a food truck, you are in a sense covered, but you will want to think about your guests. Consider bringing umbrellas or covers at least for the ordering area. That way, guests can retreat to other seating provided by the venue, but they are still covered when they approach your truck for a rainstorm or even heavy sun.

2. Figure Out Where You Will Park

There are many different factors you will want to consider as to where you park your food truck. First, consider the type of event your food truck will be parked at. Will it be parked at a concert? Or a graduation party? Then you will want to consider how many people will be at the event. If there will be large crowds or additional food trucks, you will want to consider an area to park that gives you a decent amount of space.

3. What Will Be Your Menu?

The best food trucks are known as the best because they provide gourmet food at a low cost. That may seem like something hard to accomplish, but it’s all about getting creative and being resourceful. Additionally, the word gourmet has different meanings for different demographics and the theme of the event. If you’re catering a high school graduation party, you will want to have different menu options than catering for an outdoor carnival or music event. Create a menu that works for the summer season and fits your demographic to a tee is key to pulling off a successful food truck event.

4. Marketing

No matter the event, you will want to highlight the fact there will be a food truck or multiple food trucks. You can add details about your food truck to the event invitation and add it to the different social media channels the event will showcased on. Social media is crucial for food trucks because the communication is so easy for a traveling business and it builds the consumers trust. Many food trucks have a certain platform that works best for them, but the goal should be to spread your message through as many different avenues as possible.

5. Keep it Clean

A successful event means that your food truck will be busy. The secret behind facilitating food truck orders quickly is keeping a clean kitchen. Most food trucks are in a much smaller space than what traditional caterers have, so food mess can add up quickly. Consider using disposable food containers that can be recycled. Food trucks are generally known for this concept, and they can be a real-life saver when it comes to space.

6. Be Open to Other Vendors

The great thing about food trucks, is they are known to provide a variety of different options. If the event is a mix of both formal and non-formal activities, your food truck catering may need to be combined with a formal catering company. In this scenario, we usually the food truck provides appetizers and the traditional caterers provide the sit-down meal. This concept is becoming more and more popular for weddings.

7. Don’t Cause a Traffic Jam

Since food trucks are usually a walk up and order situation, it can be very easy for large crowds to form around your food truck. If your food truck is catering a large event, you may want to consider hiring servers and having many tables and chairs to surround the truck. That way, you can have both walk up ordering and sit-down ordering. Additionally, you will want to have your menu blown up or easily attainable for guests. When guests don’t know what they want by the time they reach the front of the line, it can cause major delays for people behind them.

Close Out with A Bang

Summer is the busy season for food trucks. If you pull off a successful event with your food truck, then makes sure it follows you into your next event. Remember that word of mouth is huge within the catering industry. Close out all your food trucks with a bang so you make the summer season a success.