Six questions you must ask before booking a food truck for an event

Corporate meetings to employee appreciation events to music festivals, events are now opting for food truck services. Some are run by food truck operators and some by established restaurants. Food trucks have been gaining a lot of popularity as a concept in India, among entrepreneurs and consumers in general. Despite their popularity, they don’t really break the bank. In fact, it is now a $2 billion industry. Hiring a food truck has its own set of dos & don’ts. Ask yourself these 5 questions which will ease your decision-making process:

1. What is the cost to rent a food truck?

An average food truck can cost anywhere between INR 8 – 10 lakhs in India. On the upper end of the spectrum, a fully equipped food truck can even cost up to INR 20 lakhs. If you rent a food truck, it will ideally cost you somewhere around INR 3 – 4 lakhs minimum. While booking the food truck, the pricing structure influences the overall cost of it. Catering, attendee-pay and business guarantee comprises the pricing structure bracket for the rental of the food truck services. So, check the cost before renting out.

2. How many food trucks will you be needing?

Talk to the food truck possessors about the estimates and how many attendees can they serve in an hour. Provide the food truck owners an estimated number of attendees a week prior to the event to prep. A practical starting estimate should be ideally 200 to 300 attendees per food truck. If the number of attendees is over 400, consider putting up another food truck to cater to them. Or if there are other exhibits during the event, attendees can gaze at that and queue up at the food truck. Figure out what works best for you according to the number of attendees at the event.

3. What will the food menu consist of?

Food trucks usually offer an array of lip-smacking food options. Most times food trucks have a set menu. Discuss with your clients as to what they would like to offer for this particular event. Some of the food trucks only offer their set menus while some others offer a customizable menu too. Decide if the food should be vegetarian or non-vegetarian, vegan or Jain for that matter! Food truck owners could make suggestions basis for the crowd that is going to come in. So, make a note of these suggestions and see what suits best to the type of your attendees.

4. Which food truck should I pick?

Food trucks are in huge demand these days. So, lock down your preferred option as soon as possible. Explore the best options available in the city first and shortlist the list of food trucks according to the event criteria. And then finally book a popular and reliable food truck service that is reputed for offering outstanding service.

5. Are there any food truck regulations?

Just like any restaurant, food trucks need a valid license. In India, the government has already started clamping illegal food trucks. If you don’t want any such issues happening at your event, make sure you have these licenses –

• FSSAI License
• NOC from Chief Fire Officer
• Permission Letter from the local municipal body
• Vehicle License

There may be restrictions if you’re on private property or a non-commercial zone. Get all the permits well in advance to avoid any kind of a nuisance at the event.

6. Where will I park the food truck?

After finalizing the type of food truck, you want at the event make sure you have a proper layout of the event space. Based on that, decide whether to keep it indoors or outdoors as per the event space regulations. The accurate parking of the food truck will enhance the event’s success. If the event has only one truck, keep it stationed in a way that attendees can access it easily. But if there are more than one, make sure it’s stationed in a clustered area or at the perimeter of the event so that attendees can choose from a variety of food items offered at the event. Keep a station only for cutlery and napkins to ensure attendees don’t interrupt the food truckers from doing their job well.

The finalized price, timing of arrival, service, the number of attendees and responsibilities should be made very clear to the food truck owners prior to the event. Food trucks should be like salsa and tacos; ready to pull up and enhance the revelries in serene style. Food trucks add an element of color, excitement, and interest to any event. So, next time you want to book a food truck, keep the above-listed essentials in mind.