Decide on food truck menu before designing commercial kitchen
Created a food truck menu? Check. Finished writing a business plan? Done! Researched local food truck laws? Yes... Now it's time to figure out the type of equipment you need inside your commercial kitchen on wheels. Introducing ACityDiscount's Ultimate Food Truck Equipment Checklist.
Some of this food truck equipment can be found on every food truck, regardless of the menu - three-compartment sinks, hand sinks, refrigeration, cabinet storage, hot/cold water installation, flooring, prep/work tables, etc.
From there, the rest of the equipment will depend on your menu. Surely you didn't expect a BBQ food truck to be outfitted the same as a mobile yogurt business!
Ask An Expert:
"When I think about food truck equipment... cooking space is a premium. Do not make the mistake of buying smaller or economic equipment for the sake of saving money. All you are really doing is limiting you ability to make profit." - Larry Rodriguez, ACityDiscount sales |
Top 10 FOOD TRUCK EQUIPMENT ESSENTIALS
No. 1. Griddle – Eggs. Grilled cheese. Burgers. Hash browns. Pancakes. Bacon and sausage. Cheese steaks. Steak and chicken fajitas. And so much more. This item is the workhorse of most foodservice operations and a mainstay on food trucks – no matter the menu.
No. 2. Charbroiler– Another useful piece of equipment – similar to the griddle – with one advantage: charbroilers sear food quickly over high heat, creating a distinctive aroma.
No. 3. Concession hood and fire suppression system – the foundation of all food trucks operations serving prepared items. Local regulations vary, so make sure concession hoods are (at least) six to 12 inches wider than equipment underneath.
No. 4. Refrigeration – If space allows, grab a reach-in freezer. If space is tight, consider an undercounter unit. A reach-in cooler is just as important; your food truck is a longgggggg way from the commissary, so keep it operating at ease. Browse options here.
No. 5. Range – This do-everything, cook-everything food truck equipment is known for its versatility… perfect for mobile food operations that balance day-to-day sales and catering gigs.
No. 6. Deep fryer – Vitamin G, anyone? (Insert laughs here)… Operate this food truck equipment to add fried goodness to your menu, from funnel cakes to French fries. Options range from countertop fryers (less than 10 orders an hour) and funnel cake fryers to more popular options that service hundreds of hungry customers per hour. Check out the full list here.
No. 7. Refrigerated Kitchen Prep Tables – Create photo-ready lunch orders with an assortment of ingredients, all housed in these handy units.
No. 8. Smallwares – A chef can never have too many smallwares, especially on the go in a mobile kitchen… Select from ACityDiscount’s full list of commercial-grade chef knives, spatulas, spoons, tongs, cutting boards, graters, napkin dispensers, baskets, pizza dough pans and so much more! In most cases, our commercial smallwares are superior in quality – and at a lower price – than residential smallwares.
No. 9. Refrigerated counter-top prep unit – Refrigerated countertop prep unit to house cold toppings like salsas.
No. 10. Used restaurant equipment – Looking for a deal? Shop ACityDiscount’s selection of used restaurant equipment. Our inventory changes daily. Click here to view online, or stop by our showroom in the Atlanta suburb of Norcross (6286 Dawson Blvd. Norcross, Ga. 30093).
HOW MUCH WILL I SPEND?
The good news? The relatively low cost of starting a food truck business annually attracts thousands of eager entrepreneurs to the foodservice industry. The average food truck equipment budget? Depends on the complexity of the menu and the design (custom-build versus ready-made), said Kori Peterson, co-owner of Inglewood Custom and Service, an Eastman, Ga.-based company which in 2017 built about 300 food trucks.
On the low end, expect to pay about $30,000 for a new food truck. On the other end of the budget spectrum, super premium units have included a price tag of nearly six figures.
"I always say, 'Let's price it out,' then you take that to your lending institution (or other source of investment capital)," says Kori Peterson, co-owner of Inglewood Custom and ServiceSorry, veteran restaurateurs. "If the food truck equipment price is too high, we’ll go back to the list and figure out what are the necessities, what do you need to have to execute the menu."
Ask An Expert:
"There's no set way to design a food truck's commercial kitchen except build around what you're going to serve. If you have a hot dog sausage food truck, you may want some type of steamer, or a roller griddle, or flat top; you may not even have a deep fryer on your food truck. Space is a premium." |
SHORT ON SPACE
Remember, in a food truck, every inch counts (granted, food trailers are more spacious than food trucks, but still tighter commercial kitchens than found in restaurants). After all, the width of your food truck walk space is a little smaller than the average door frame, and not much bigger in a food trailer. You're serving French fries, right? Are you expecting the fries to be:
- A low-volume menu item
- A popular appetizer
- An entrée?
Designing a food truck's interior is even more important than creating plans for brick-and-mortar locations. Remember we said in a food truck, every... inch... counts... Try squeezing three or four staffers in the food truck. Tight, we know! Kitchen flow is super important. Remember those French fries? Make sure you don't have to move past three employees to drop the fries under the food warmer. The ice cream cups should be near... the ice cream machine. You get our point. Buy New or Used? "Used appliances, sure, are going to be cheaper. But, you don't always know what you're buying, or how long it's going to last. And when you’re dealing with food trucks, it's best to buy new… but when you have a budget, you may have to buy used. If you do buy used, make sure you purchase a mixture of new and used from a reputable foodservice equipment company like ACityDiscount, which examines equipment before re-selling it."
– Shannon Peterson, co-owner of Inglewood Custom and Service
You want a design that allows food to travel from food prep to cooking to holding to plating (hopefully, hundreds of times a day) with precision... from coffee food trucks to mobile burgers businesses. What type of design works for you? Check out ACityDiscount’s Ultimate Food Truck Equipment Checklist on the top right of your screen, our collection of the most popular items built on these mobile kitchens.
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