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In the summer when the weather is hot, so are your food truck sales! Everyone knows that food truck sales are at their highest when folks are outside enjoying those beautiful sunny days.
That being said, all good things do come to an end. As summer closes, the days will become shorter and cooler, and before you know it, fall will arrive. Cooler periods normally mean a dip in customers, and that’s something many food trucks simply can’t afford to have.
The good thing is that there are things you can do to combat that inevitable sales shortfall. What you need are some solid food truck tips and a bit of ingenuity to sell just as many items—or even more—during the cooler times as you did during the warmer seasons. This article goes into detail with what you need to know about navigating fall food truck madness. Read on to learn more!
1. Enter a Contest
A food contest may not sound like something you had in mind, but this is a great way to get your company name out there and make some impressive sales. Most food contests have an entry fee, but chances are you’ll easily be able to make a return on the investment when you sell your goods at the event. Does your city or county have a chili cook-off? Or a pizza making extravaganza? Signing up to show off your skills will get your name out there, and it’s an even bigger bonus if you win! Consider making sample-sized items of a few of your menu favorites so contest-goers can purchase a variety of things to try from your truck.
2. Take on Catering Gigs
Instead of waiting for the customers to come to you, why don’t you go to them? Catering gigs are becoming a very popular way for food vendors to distribute their goods. Often, food trucks charge a flat rate up front for an appearance at a private event, plus making money on whatever sales go above and beyond that. If you can get in on that big Halloween party in town, the sky is the limit!
3. Find Fall Festivals & Activities
Working a festival can be a great way for your truck to earn some extra income in the fall. You may need to branch out a bit from whatever town you are based in to find places nearby hosting fall events. Once you have secured your spot, think about tailoring your menu a bit to highlight whatever fall food is being celebrated. Working a maple syrup festival? Add a maple bacon burger or maple glazed donuts.
You could also offer to set up at pop-up fall activities that only last for a limited time, such as your local farm’s corn maze or haunted forest. Nothing makes people hungry like being active out in the cold. Strike up a partnership with the hosts and offer them a percentage of the profits in exchange for the right to sell on their property. Be sure to have a variety of things to choose from, including meal items like soups or hot sandwiches, snacky foods such as popcorn and caramel apples, and hot drinks like apple cider, hot chocolate, or spiced lattes.
4. Add a Delivery Service
Food delivery has become increasingly popular in the last few years, so much so that there is an entire industry dedicated to delivering food to people. By delivering food to your customers, you make cash while also opening up another avenue for service.
Fall Food Truck Tips
Now that you’ve got a few ideas to help you in the fall, you may have some other questions about the food truck industry! Check out our blog for even more food truck tips.