The Importance of Maintenance Amidst Food Truck Growth
Undoubtedly the COVOD-19 pandemic had a huge impact on every facet of the foodservice industry. It forced the industry to look at itself through a different lens and create new creative strategies. Creativity I am proud to say is a strength of the industry and this creativity is seen very clearly in the foodservice sector of food trucks. It is more and more commonplace for a food truck to be an extension of a restaurant brand or even its own brand or concept. What is certain is that food trucks are no longer mobile food, they are recognizable destinations!
As you know, in any foodservice business, repeat customers and word-of-mouth referrals are vital. Ensuring the product is consistent, drives that repeat business, and is key to protecting your brand. Maintaining the equipment on the truck or commissary that supports the truck, helps drive that consistency. As one of today’s leading restaurant equipment repair companies, General Parts Group stands ready to help when and where needed.
Prior to the pandemic, the food truck business was on track to reach $1.1 billion in revenue by 2022, according to an IBISWorld report. (IBISWorld) With the pandemic and its following restrictions, the number of food truck owners has increased and the ingenuity and resiliency have fueled this segment of the foodservice industry to stay on track. Below are some of today’s growing food-truck trends, as well as some reasons why the right maintenance is essential!
3 Mobile Food Trends
- The More the Merrier
Nowadays, things like markets, food halls, and food truck lots are becoming ever more popular to be serviced by a food truck. This venue provides a viable business opportunity for chefs to become food truck owners, experiment with menus, while not yet owning a conventional restaurant. When working your food truck around other food trucks, your brand needs to work more for you, consistent quality food will win the competitive advantage. - Trucks are Taking Part in Community Building
The food truck craze has caused many developers to rethink how to design urban spaces and include approaches to mobile eateries rather than high-end eating establishments. In this way, food trucks are helping to build a different, more accessible type of community. Consistent quality is important from the truck to work and have restaurant-quality foods. Your reputation is everything. Doesn’t matter how long the menu is if quality and consistency is not there. - Farm-to-Food Truck is the New Farm-to-Table
Eating healthily and sourcing locally has long since been an important trend in the commercial food industry, but now it is going one step further, with many of today’s food trucks sourcing fresh, local ingredients for their customers. Don’t allow seasonality of what is available to scare you from this trend. It is acceptable to shorten your menu when quality is there. High quality, healthy food will fuel word-of-mouth referrals and your business.
Why is Food Truck Maintenance Essential?
When it comes to keeping your food truck or mobile eating establishment running properly, maintenance is key for several reasons. The first being that food trucks come in many shapes and sizes. This means you’ll need to work with a food equipment service provider equipped to handle it all, like General Parts Group. If you have created a business model where the cooking is taking place in a commercial kitchen and the food truck is where the assembly occurs, we can help you as well.
Another important thing to make note of is that depending upon the menu, food trucks require a variety of the same commercial kitchen equipment as used in a restaurant, such as stoves, grills, hood, ovens, fryers, refrigeration units, and more, all of which need to be performing up to code when working hard.
Contact General Parts for Your Food Truck or Mobile Restaurant Maintenance!
As the foodservice industry faces unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic, the resolve to be creative, inventive, and innovative in regards to a business model, menu items, collaborating with other businesses is intriguing to watch and be in support of.
When it comes to keeping your food truck or mobile restaurant running, the experienced team from General Parts Group is always here to help. We’ll come to wherever your truck is parked or the restaurant is located. Get in touch to schedule a service visit today by contacting us online or calling (888) 498-1238.