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A queue of people in front of your food truck looks great in the promotional photo. But what do you want those people to take away from their visit? The taste of a new product, a better understanding of your brand, or a concrete reason to buy something later on? When using a food truck for brand activation, these questions need to be considered before deciding on the serving concept. Your truck is the place where product, team and visitor come together. How you organise that moment determines the experience you offer and what you can meaningfully evaluate afterwards. Choose one main objective for the campaign ‘Creating visibility’ is a start, but not yet a useful brief for the team. Make it clear who you want to reach and what you hope this introduction will achieve. For example, do you want people to taste a new iced tea, understand how to prepare a product, or find out where it’s available to buy? Choose one main objective and, if necessary, a supporting objective. This prevents staff from having to hand out samples, conduct in-depth interviews and direct all visitors to an online promotion all at the same time. Metrics should align with the desired outcome; the duration of a conversation, on its own, says little about its effectiveness. Next, consider the location from your target audience’s perspective. Does your product suit the time of day when people are passing by? And do they have the opportunity to stay for a while, or are they mainly just passing through? Ensure the sample accurately represents the product The serving format must allow people to experience what you’re introducing. If you’re serving a new iced tea as an elaborate cocktail with syrup and garnish, then

A row of colourful ice cream tubs, a soft-serve machine or a freezer stocked with unusual ice lollies: you can set up a mobile ice cream bar with any of these three. Yet the way you work behind the serving hatch is quite different. Your choice determines how many orders you take, what stock you take with you and how your working day ends. Do you want to sell ice cream from a food truck? Then also compare what needs to be done before the first customer arrives and after the last ice cream cone has been served. What do you want to offer the customer? Start with the product as the customer receives it. A single pre-packaged ice cream requires different steps to a tub with two flavours, sauce and toppings. Even within the same type of ice cream, you can make the service simple or more elaborate. Concept Steps at the serving counter Key design choice Scooped ice cream Selecting flavours, scooping and, if necessary, finishing Number of flavours within easy reach Soft-serve ice cream Dispensing ice cream and, if necessary, finishing Machine and desired portion sizes Pre-packaged ice cream Selecting the correct product and handing it over Well-organised storage by type Assess the entire order. A simple soft-serve ice cream and an elaborate ice cream sundae may use the same machine, but require a different workspace and amount of time at the counter. Scooped ice cream: choice and presentation require space With scooped ice cream, you can offer several flavours side by side. Decide how many of these really fit in with your concept. Every additional flavour requires its own space in the display and attention when restocking. Consider an ice-cream bar with six flavours. If you want to offer all six flavours at the same time, you’ll need six tubs within easy reach. Perhaps you’d like to feature the most popular

A spot by the entrance seems appealing: everyone passes by there. However, on arrival, visitors might head straight for the stage, their colleagues or the cloakroom. You’ll see plenty of people, but will they actually pass by your stall at the right moment? Choosing a spot for your food truck therefore involves more than just comparing visitor numbers. Within a single event site, two locations can work very differently. Consider where people are coming from, what they want at that moment, and whether it’s convenient for them to stop by your stall. 1. Find the route that suits your sales moment Start with your product. Do you sell coffee, a full lunch or a snack to take away? Next, mark on the site plan where visitors are just before that meal or drink break and where they’re heading. For a coffee bar, it’s worth looking at the route to a morning meeting. For a lunch concept, on the other hand, you’ll want to know where guests can take a break after their programme session. Discuss these ideas with the organiser. Ask about the programme and the location of other facilities. A venue with three thousand visitors doesn’t mean that three thousand people will visit your spot. What matters is how many people actually pass by your sales area during your trading hours. A route can be busy during a programme changeover and then remain virtually empty afterwards. 2. View your food truck from the perspective of the arriving guest Walk the planned approach route yourself. When do you first see the truck? Can you tell straight away what you’re selling? And is it clear where to order from? A spot at a junction might look good on paper,

The first order comes in. The bread is ready, the sauce has been portioned out and the vegetables are in their usual places. All you have to do now is prepare and finish the dishes. That is exactly what good preparation for your food truck should achieve: a clear overview when customers are at the serving counter. In the kitchen, this preparation is known as mise-en-place. You spread the tasks out over the times when they can best be carried out. Speed, product quality and food safety all play a part in this. After all, preparing everything as early as possible isn’t the best choice for every step. 1. Break each dish down into individual steps Start with a single dish and write out the entire preparation process. Think of washing, chopping, weighing, mixing, frying, heating, assembling and packaging. Next to each step, note where it takes place: in the preparation kitchen, in the food truck before opening, or after the order is placed. Then ask yourself what happens if you carry out that step earlier. Will the flavour remain the same? Will the texture change? Can the component be safely stored and transported afterwards using your facilities? You might be able to prepare a sauce in advance, whilst you’d prefer to finish off a crispy roll just before serving. This overview also highlights which equipment you actually use on site. A piece of equipment that’s only needed for preparation doesn’t automatically have to go into the food truck. 2. Save the final quality check for just before serving Take, as a hypothetical example, a warm pita with fried mushrooms, fresh coleslaw and yoghurt sauce. You can use this division of tasks as a starting point: Component

A well-attended event, an attractive pitch and a suitable menu: that sounds like a promising day’s trading. Yet the expected turnover says little about what you’ll actually make from it. The costs of ingredients, staff, preparation and participation all need to be taken into account. Calculating your food truck’s profitability therefore starts with one specific question: how much must each portion sold contribute to cover the costs for the day? With a simple event budget, you can work this out before you book a pitch. 1. Choose a clear basis for your calculation We’ll use a completely fictional example: a food truck sells one dish for €10 per portion. All amounts are exclusive of VAT; tax on any profit is excluded from the calculation. The figures are illustrative examples, not market prices or recommended rates. Per portion sold, we allow €2.80 for ingredients, €0.50 for packaging and €0.30 for other sales-related costs. Together, that amounts to €3.60. For the purposes of this example, we assume that these costs increase in proportion to the number of portions sold. In reality, you may also lose ingredients due to failed preparations or unsold prepared stock. You should therefore account for expected losses separately or include them, with justification, in your cost price. Otherwise, a quiet day will appear financially better than it actually is. 2. Calculate the contribution per portion Subtract the variable costs from the selling price: €10 − €3.60 = €6.40 contribution per portion. That €6.40 is available to cover the remaining daily costs. Only once those costs have been recouped will a profit be generated within this budget. If you sell different dishes, calculate the contribution first

During the presentation, it’s quiet at your mobile coffee bar. Twenty minutes later, a group of visitors suddenly turns up, all wanting coffee. And in a quarter of an hour, the next session is due to start. At a corporate event, therefore, preparation centres on the moments when people place orders all at once. With the programme, a clear menu and arrangements with the organiser, you can better prepare for these peaks. Find out the number of visitors per break Two hundred visitors spread out over an afternoon require a different approach to two hundred visitors all taking the same short break. So make sure to ask when people arrive, when sessions end and how many people are taking a break at the same time. Also check whether your coffee bar is the only place serving coffee. Perhaps there’s a buffet inside, or some groups are being hosted elsewhere. This prevents you from automatically using the total visitor list as your expected number of orders. Discuss in advance what happens if a session runs over. After all, a shorter break changes the time when guests will want to collect their coffee. Make the choice clear before ordering A visitor who only discovers what you’re serving once they’re at the bar will need time to make up their mind. So display the agreed coffee menu prominently by the queue, so that guests can choose in advance. Discuss with the client which drinks are suitable for the event. An extensive range may be appealing, but it also means more varied tasks and ingredients. Agree in advance on milk options, decaffeinated coffee and any extras, based on what you can actually provide. Keep the names on the menu recognisable. The break is short; it helps if visitors can quickly

Calculating the stock for your food truck starts with three questions: how many portions do you expect to sell, how are these spread across your menu, and how many ingredients do you use per portion? We’ll work it out for a hypothetical food truck serving wraps. Start with the expected number of portions At an event with a thousand visitors, you first estimate what proportion will order something from your truck. Other vendors, opening hours and the type of event all play a part. Ask the organiser about previous sales figures and use your own data from similar days if you have any. For this example, we’ll use 120 wraps sold as a hypothetical starting point. In practice, an order may contain several wraps; therefore, calculate based on portions sold. Allocate the portions across your dishes. Suppose you expect half to choose chicken, 30% to choose halloumi and 20% to choose falafel. The breakdown would then be: Dish Proportion in this example Portions Chicken wrap 50% 60 Halloumi wrap 30% 36 Falafel wrap 20% 24 Total 100% 120 Base this ratio on previous sales wherever possible. If you don’t have any figures yet, note down your initial estimate and adjust it afterwards. Work out the ingredients required for each portion. Record exactly how much you actually use per wrap. With these hypothetical portions, you get: These are calculation portions, not prescribed quantities. First, weigh out your own recipe. Add up the shared ingredients to produce a single, usable shopping list. Distinguish between purchase weight and usable stock. In the example, 6.6 kg of chicken is the required quantity after preparation. That

Your food truck has a lovely colour, a sleek logo and a complete design. Yet visitors keep asking: “What do you actually sell?” This means the message on your truck still needs some work. With good food truck decals, you can help people understand what they can get from you. Your brand name, range and overall look need to work together to achieve this. It starts with choosing what information someone should see first. Give your range a prominent place A brand name like ‘Mellow’ might suit a coffee concept well, but it tells a new visitor little about what you offer. Combine such a name, for example, with a short description: ‘Speciality coffee & cookies’. You don’t need to display your entire menu on the food truck. Choose a product group or speciality that makes your concept instantly recognisable. ‘Warm pitas’, ‘fresh waffles’ or ‘cocktails & mocktails’ immediately set the tone. Ask the designer to establish a clear sequence between that description, your brand name and supporting details. A short, consistent message that suits the vehicle’s size is also a key principle in 3M’s design guidelines for vehicle graphics. View the design with the sales hatch open A design on a closed vehicle shows only one scenario. During sales, hatches and doors are positioned differently, menu boards may be displayed, and customers may be standing in front of the lower section. Therefore, ask for two proposals of the same design: the truck on the move and the truck in use. Check where the key words remain visible. Does ‘coffee’ disappear from view as soon as the hatch opens? Does your logo end up behind a separate menu board? Also follow a visitor’s route. From

The dance floor is packed, the first guests are getting peckish and the food truck is waiting outside. A perfect moment for a hot snack. But if everyone heads outside at the same time, you’ll want to avoid a large part of the party ending up in the queue. Are you providing your food truck for the evening snack at a wedding? Then smooth service starts with clear agreements on the timing, the menu and the number of portions. Ask who will still be there during the evening snack. The total number of wedding guests doesn’t tell you how many snacks you need to prepare. Some guests only attend during the day; others join in for the evening reception. You should therefore ask how many people are expected to be present during your serving session. Also discuss what the bride and groom have in mind. One snack per guest requires different preparation to an all-you-can-order arrangement over an agreed period. Clarify whether extra portions are possible and how you’ll handle this. This will prevent any mismatched expectations on the night itself. Link the snack service to the event programme. A specific time alone isn’t enough. Is a speech scheduled just before the snack is served? Will the snack be announced? Or do the bride and groom actually want guests to come and help themselves at different times? Agree with the master of ceremonies or event planner who will give the go-ahead and who your point of contact will be in the event of a delay. Also let them know until what time you’ll be serving. If the programme runs over, you’ll have someone on hand who can make a practical decision straight away. Choose a snack that’s easy to eat during the party. Don’t judge your menu on taste alone.

A sandwich to go with it, another salad and perhaps some fresh chips too. Before you know it, your menu will require a second kitchen. Yet you want to operate from a compact food truck. Putting together a menu for your food truck therefore starts with coherence. Which dishes fit your concept and can you prepare them using largely the same ingredients and methods? With a single recognisable base, you can offer customers multiple choices without having to start from scratch for every dish. First, decide what makes your food truck distinctive Summarise your concept in a single sentence. For example: warm pitas with a savoury filling, fresh vegetables and a distinctive sauce. This provides direction for the dishes you add. A soup or burger might be tasty, but may require different equipment, packaging and preparation methods. For every new idea, ask yourself: does this reinforce my concept, and what do I need to change to make it work? You don’t have to offer every dish that appeals to your target audience yourself. Develop three variations using shared components. Take this fictional pita menu as an example: the filling gives each dish its own character. Bread, salad, onion and sauces together form a shared base. This allows you to add variety without needing a completely separate list of ingredients for every pita. Three dishes here are a design choice, not a fixed ideal for every food truck. The point is that every variation has a clear reason for being on the menu. Map out the preparation for each dish. Shared toppings do not automatically make a menu simple. If chicken, mushrooms

You want to get to the fridge, but your colleague is standing in the doorway. The order is ready, but there are still some packaging items on the serving counter. Meanwhile, the next customer is waiting for their coffee. In a compact food truck, you’ll quickly realise whether the layout works. A good food truck layout for two people gives both of you a logical workspace, with the right equipment within easy reach. You’ll also need space to pass orders between you. That way, you can keep working together even when it’s busy. Start by dividing up the tasks First, write down which steps are involved in each order. Who takes the order? Who prepares the food? And who handles the finishing touches and serving? This division of tasks forms the starting point for the placement of equipment and worktops. Designing workstations around fixed tasks is also practised in professional kitchens. For a mobile coffee bar serving pastries, an initial division of tasks might look like this: Staff member Main task Within reach Person 1 Making coffee Machine, grinder, cups and milk cooler Person 2 Orders, payment, pastries and serving Till, pastries, packaging and napkins Use this as a starting point and try out the division with your menu. If there are a lot of pastry orders, for example, the second workstation may require more space than you initially anticipated. Also check the fridge with the door open – a fridge may fit neatly on the drawing, whilst the open door blocks your colleague’s workstation completely. The same applies to drawers and cupboard doors. You should therefore check the movements you make whilst working. Can you fetch milk whilst someone else is processing an order? Do you need to

The coffee machine is heating up, the fridge is running and you switch on the contact grill. Just at that moment, the power goes out. You want to avoid such an interruption, especially when the first customers are already waiting. A reliable power supply for your food truck starts with two calculations: how much power do your appliances draw at the same time, and how much energy do you use during a day’s trading? A simple list of your appliances will give you a good idea of this. The difference between kW and kWh When it comes to a food truck’s power supply, you’ll come across two units: an appliance that uses 2 kW continuously for an hour consumes 2 kWh. If it switches off in between, the consumption will be lower. This distinction is important for appliances with a thermostat, such as a grill or fridge. Also bear in mind the energy source. In an electric food truck, the kitchen isn’t necessarily powered by the battery you use to drive the vehicle. That depends on the chosen layout and electrical installation. Add up what you want to use at the same time. Note down the power consumption for each appliance from the technical documentation. Also include smaller power consumers, such as a water pump, lighting and a till system. Then determine which appliances can be switched on simultaneously during preparation and sales. A hypothetical example for a mobile coffee bar serving hot rolls: Equipment Power consumption in this example Coffee machine 2,000 W Contact grill 1,800 W Refrigeration 200 W Coffee grinder 300 W Lighting, pump and till 200 W Total when used simultaneously 4,500 W / 4.5 kW These are example values, not specifications for the eFoodTuk or fixed averages for these appliances. Short-term

Not because electric vehicles automatically solve every problem. A sound concept, smart layout, sufficient capacity, food safety and realistic financial planning remain essential. But an electric food truck can give entrepreneurs a clear advantage: on location, in terms of customer engagement, at events and in the way your brand is perceived. In this article, you’ll read about the key benefits of an electric food truck. Explained in practical terms, with a focus on the business side of things. Why electric food trucks are becoming increasingly attractive Mobile business is changing. Whereas in the past the focus was mainly on the menu, price and appearance, venues and clients are now also considering questions such as: These questions don’t come out of nowhere. Transport in Europe has a major impact on emissions, air quality and noise. The European Environment Agency states that transport is responsible for around a quarter of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions and also contributes to air pollution and noise pollution. At the same time, European mobility policy is moving towards cleaner vehicles, more charging infrastructure and more climate-neutral cities. For a food truck entrepreneur, this means above all that the location where you’re allowed to park, the client you work for and the image you project are becoming increasingly important. An electric food truck is better suited to this trend than a traditional food truck with a combustion engine or generator. The benefits at a glance Benefit Why it matters No exhaust fumes on site More pleasant for guests, staff and the surrounding area Less noise Suitable for events, courtyards, business premises and urban locations Stronger sustainable image Suits conscious brands, organisers and clients More future-proof Aligns better with cleaner mobility and urban developments Compact and manoeuvrable Easier to position

Starting your own food truck sounds straightforward: you buy a van, come up with a tasty menu and start selling. But, believe us, when you get started, there’s actually a lot more to it than that. A food truck isn’t just a kitchen on wheels, but a fully-fledged business where the concept, speed, regulations, technology, appearance and location all have to be just right. We certainly don’t want to put you off, but it’s important to have a realistic picture of what’s involved. If you start off well prepared, you’ll avoid costly adjustments later on. Those who buy or build too hastily often only realise during their first busy lunch, market or festival day that there isn’t enough refrigeration, the queue isn’t moving fast enough, the power consumption is off or the licence hasn’t been finalised yet. In this article, you’ll find out what considerations you need to make before starting your own food truck. Not just the standard points, but also the details that, in practice, make the difference between “a nice idea” and a food truck concept that really works. Don’t start with the food truck, but with the concept The biggest mistake when starting a food truck is thinking about the vehicle too early on. Of course, the food truck is important, but you can only choose the right one once your concept is clear. First, ask yourself three basic questions: A food truck concept must be small enough to run efficiently, yet strong enough to stand out. You have limited space, limited storage and often experience peak periods. That’s why a compact, straightforward menu usually works better than a broad restaurant-style menu. A good food truck concept