Remember watching Hollywood movies and sitcoms where the characters would walk around town and stop at food trucks to get their meals? Cinema have always had a huge influence on food across the globe. But in India, our version of the ‘food truck’ had been the local chaat stalls. Thankfully in the past few years we’ve seen a wave of change. Chaat stalls have gotten cleaner and more hygienic, no longer were Kolkata and Mumbai the only cities known for street food. Bangalore’s streets lined up with dosa trucks and Chennai’s beaches saw fried fish stalls.

It wasn’t too long before we saw American inspired food trucks on our streets. As far as I remember, one of the earlier trucks were found in Koramangala, Bangalore and there was no looking back after that. From BBQ style to simple home style food, food trucks began sprawling across the country. Today, all the metro cities in the country have a number of food trucks making the rounds. Some of the earlier ones have gone on to growing their business and running multiple trucks at multiple locations. If you’re passionate about food and have wanted to crack your way into the business, food truck may be the solution.

The truck

When the idea of a food truck was relatively new, probably around 2011-2012, people transformed a tempo traveller into one. All was needed to be done was to remove the seats and fix the required equipments. But now there are food truck manufacturers located in different parts of the country who will set your truck up and even transport it to you. Couple of such manufacturers are Amigos Food Trucks, Noida and Food Truck India (FTI). They will not just get your food truck done, but also guide you through the FAQs of setting up one like the paperwork and other permits, and even financials.

Pick your spot

It might seem like the last thing you’d think about or the easiest bit of the whole process. But location scouting is just as important as the rest. Maybe even more. Where your truck is parked will determine the success or failure of it. Yes, you do have the convenience of moving it around but picking a spot in a certain area is still crucial. You run a food truck and you need regulars too. One of the common problems food trucks may face are objections from homes and restaurants in the locality. Then again, for each time you want to change your truck’s location, you might need to get the required permits for the same. You location is also dependant on the food you serve. For example, if your truck is in an area with colleges around, your menu should cater to people in the age group of 18 to 22 and with affordable prices. Whereas with corporates, you can go with a full menu with flexible prices.

On the grill

Why food trucks are on the rise is primarily because the owners are more passionate about food than money. And they have found how starting a food truck is relatively easier than open a full-fledged restaurant. When you’ve figured out the details of the truck and the necessary papers you need to get it on the road, think about the kind of food you want to serve. Well, you might need to figure that out when you’re going to customize your truck. The customization should be according to what you’ll serve. If you’re serving burgers you need the right kind of grill, if it’s dosa you need the big griddle, and so on. If you do your research right, you’ll be able to find tricks and tips on food prepping and cooking with a food truck. Most of the food is usually prepped and very few kinds of food should need to be cooked on order. Just ensure you don’t bite more than you can chew. Don’t take on miscalculated risk of serving food that might require too much prepping or too much cooking on the spot. You want to serve easy yet delicious food. Think of flavours, think of convenience – for you and your customers.