Whether your planning a corporate gathering, a community festival or a fund raising event, food trucks can be a great way to feed the masses. If you’re thinking about inviting trucks, there are two ways to do it.
First question to ask:
Is this catering (you are paying for the food) or is this a buy-your-own event (attendees will pay for their own food). If you opt for catering, CLICK HERE.
So it’s a big event and they’re buying. Here are a few guideline to make your event a hit.
- Size DOES matter, so plan appropriately.
Think about how long your event is and how many people are expected to attend. Be realistic. A good balance is one savory truck (burgers, tacos, etc) for every 500-800 expected. And don’t forget there are also sweet trucks — just keep it to one, two max (if you have a HUGE event!)The goal is for them to be profitable so they want to come back next year. And remember, just because you expect that number of folks doesn’t mean every one of them will eat.
- Variety is the spice of life, or in this case, your event.
If you’re going to have more than one truck, make sure you aren’t doubling up on the type of food. Both your guests and the trucks will appreciate if you mix it up a bit.
- Think out of the box, but not TOO far out.
Consider your audience when picking out your trucks. Are they adventurous or conservative? Kids, adults or both? Do you need handheld food or are you going to have tables for spreading out? Assuring the type of food matches the type of guests will make sure everyone is satisfied.
- Three words: Communication, communication, communication.
When working with a truck, be very detailed and stand by your word. Let them know what time they are expected load in, how long they are to serve, if they will be able to leave before the event is over and any VIP or early admission requirements. Many events hold “best of show” contests. Even though you may think they’ll love the bragging rights, overall it usually just means extra work on an already busy day. Clear expectations from the start will make a happier experience for everyone!
- Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Food trucks are rockin’ my event!
Getting the word out is key. From personal experience, we believe that having an event with trucks can be a HUGE asset if it’s advertised properly. There are a ton of people who are food truck followers and might attend events they wouldn’t typically know about, simply because the trucks are there. Make sure you advertise your event in the neighborhood and in the truck-loving community — Twitter and Facebook along with posters in the windows of local business, handing out flyers, talking about it non-stop. Every little bit helps.
- Paying up
The benefits of having a truck at your event could be payment enough, but sometimes venues do charge a fee. The fee structure we endorse is the percentage method. Charging the trucks 1-10% of their total sales for the day assures two things. 1) If they have a killer day, you make more money and 2) If you do a good job of promoting the event, they make a good profit and want to come back next year, and you’ll make more money. Everyone is a winner.
How to get started:
If you have a specific truck in mind, contact them directly. If you’re open to suggestions, post for free on our Classifieds page. Don’t waste time – schedules fill up quickly so get your request in NOW!
The follow-up – let us help:
When you do book a truck, please let us know the details (assuming it’s open to the public) so we can put it in our events column (to the right of this article) at absolutely no charge. If you REALLY want to get the word out, advertise with us! We’re here to help. Just send a note to seattlefoodtruck@gmail.com.
Happy Trucking, and Happy Eating!
