Are you looking for a quick bite to eat? Maybe you want a tasty lunch, a little snack, or you want to try a new cuisine you’ve never had before, whatever it is you’re looking for, chances are you’ll find it in one of the Jacksonville food trucks that have become so popular around the city. While going out to a restaurant has certainly been a long-standing tradition with many people, stopping at a food truck can be a fun and tasty new experience you’ll want to do over and over again.

Many food truck operators like to gather in specific areas ensuring that you’ll be able to choose from food trucks with a variety of offerings, you simply purchase the food from the truck that has what you like. When there are several food trucks all congregated together in one location, it’s easy for everyone to choose their favorite food. You might want a burger while a friend might be thinking tacos or Greek food, whatever it is, there’s probably a food truck that serves it.

Most people have their first experience of eating from a food truck when they go to an outdoor concert, art fair, or other community event or festival. These are popular destinations for some of the area’s top food trucks and it gives event goers a great opportunity to try some of the local fare. Some events specialize in a certain type of food, such as a seafood festival, but oftentimes, you’ll find a diverse selection of food offerings, ensuring that everyone will find something that they’ll find delicious.

One of the benefits of eating from a food truck is that you’ll usually be able to find food items that you’ve never had before. Try a new ethnic cuisine or expand your food preferences by trying the latest vegan or gluten free options. Additionally, because food trucks offer delicious food that’s served quickly with no fuss, they make a great option for workers who are looking for a fast lunch before heading back to their jobs. In fact, some businesses have food trucks regularly show up outside of their business so that employees can go out and grab a quick lunch.

It’s not unusual to find one or two food trucks that become your favorites. Because of the casual nature of these eating venues, it’s often possible to book them to come in for a special event, such as a wedding, sport tournament, family reunion, or even a class reunion. If there’s a place where hungry people are gathered, a food truck can be a great solution.

Hiring one or more food trucks for a wedding, corporate event, party or fund raiser will solve the catering issue for any soiree.

These services are pretty straightforward – the truck drives up to your event, opens the windows and starts serving food. When it’s all over, the truck goes out the same way of came in.

Hiring food trucks in Florida isn’t difficult as there are many service providers to choose from. The truck operator takes care of everything for you as per your agreement. In most cases, you won’t even need to step into the kitchen when dealing with food truck companies. Just decide what meals you want served at your event and determine whether to charge your guests for meals or not.

Things to Consider when Hiring Food Trucks

Note that one truck can serve up to 120 people per hour. The number of trucks to hire and the best serving window will depend on factors such as the number of people attending your event, the number of people that are likely to eat and your budget.

There are many different types of foods that can be served by one truck. You can entertain guests with foods such sushi, pizza, Asian, Sandwiches, Indian, soul food and burgers among others. It is important that you have your guests in mind when deciding the types of meals you want served at your event. For instance, serving pizza at a child’s birthday party may be a better idea than serving Asian or Indian food.

The truck operator you choose should have at least one year of experience serving residents in your region. Such operators are knowledgeable of how the industry works and are likely to serve you better.

It is equally important that you choose a truck operator with at least two food trucks. This way, if there is need for more food trucks, then you won’t have to get into contracts with multiple companies.

Your food truck operator should also have backup plans in case the truck breaks down. This ensures your event continues to run smooth.

Licensing and permits are important when it comes to hiring food trucks. You want a company that is licensed to operate in Florida and one that carries proper insurance coverage. This is especially important when your event isn’t private. The last thing you want is a visit from the code compliance officer when you are least prepared.

Take enough time to research on the available options and only go for the food service that caters to your needs the best.

If you lead a busy corporate life, finding time for lunch is not always easy. And if you have the time, probably there is not a single restaurant around your area that serves meals you can enjoy. What you do not know is that the answer could lie in mobile lunch trucks that move around your city.

Perhaps you spotted a mobile food truck in your area but it was never there the second time you went. No worries, there are ways to locate a lunch truck near you. Some even don’t need you to move from your office desk.

1. Ask a friend

If you just moved to your new office, asking around for contacts to a mobile food vendor can help. Maybe your colleague in the next cubicle has a flyer from the Mexican cuisine lunch truck. All you have to do is save the number and make a call whenever you need to order. Some mobile lunch trucks will even be willing to send a delivery guy to your doorstep.

2. Social media

Almost every business in the 21st century has a running social media account. From your social pages, you can type in the keyword ‘lunch truck or food trucks’ and see what results you get. You will be surprised at the number of convenient pages (of mobile lunch vendors) that you get in your area.

3. Food truck websites

Lunch trucks are now a booming business and most food vendors will have websites of their own. All it takes is going online and searching for food trucks in your specific areas. From the list provided, find out what previous customers are saying about that vendor’s services.

Alternatively, there are review websites with useful information on the catering services available in your area. You are likely to get a list of available food trucks in Florida and the ratings they receive from previous customers. You will also get vendor contacts or direct links leading to their respective sites.

4. Mobile apps

There are apps that will help you locate vendors in your city. Some of these apps will give you full reviews of food truck vendors in your area as well as their location on apps. You can also read the profile of the food truck chefs and get to know their personalities.

Final Thoughts

The next time you find a lunch truck that serves delicacies you like, do not forget to take a number. It will save you the hustle of having to look for another food vendor whose services you are yet to be familiar with.

One of the main aspects when starting a food truck is choosing the right truck. Buying a food truck can be an arduous and stressful task. There are many variables that must be taken into account such as the menu, space and expected demand, among others.

First of all, you have to review the types of trucks available on the market because there are many options. These types of trucks have enough space to work without stumbling or crouching all the time. You can prepare the food inside the truck and move it yourself without needing another vehicle. You can find them from $4,000 dollars. In fact, you can get cheaper but it is not recommended because cheap is expensive.

There is an alternative if your budget is more limited or even if you want a different concept. Trailers have the advantage that they are very flexible. Also, take into account that you must have a vehicle to transport them. Another advantage is that they have enough space to assemble the kitchen and serve your guests without any problem. The prices start from $3,000 dollars.

The last alternative if your budget is limited are the food carts. Normally the limitation of these carts is space. On the other hand, it can be a good option if you want to use it as a first step before jumping into the breakfast food trucks to validate your concept. You can find carts from $ 450 dollars.

Another very popular vehicle is the typical VW combi. Those combis that became famous for transporting millions of hippies around the world. The choice of this vehicle also depends very much on your concept and your idea of differentiation. Prices start from $ 1,500 dollars.

Buying a used truck will always be cheaper than a new one, in addition, you can find some already conditioned for food truck and that makes things much easier since conditioning takes more time and knowledge.

On the other hand, buying a used truck is a risk since it could break down before you start making profits. The maintenance will be a cost that you will have to take into account from the beginning, something that does not happen with a new one since this will present problems many kilometers later. In short, it is merely a matter of budget. If you decide to buy a used one, be sure to take a mechanic to check everything so you do not have unpleasant surprises later. Remember, cheap is expensive.

It is very important since this depends on the type of equipment, especially the kitchen. Think of each process that will take prepare your dishes. It is better to anticipate than to suffer in the future.

Take into account a projected number of potential customers who will probably buy from you. This is important because the more diners you have, the more ingredients and materials you need and this translates into more space.