Food trucks provide clever chefs with the chance to achieve a higher level of economic freedom. A food truck takes a cook's food directly to the people and provides them with direct access to a delicious menu.
However, individuals who want to design this type of truck may run into problems that are hard to predict. As a result, professional food truck design is a wise choice. Before talking to a custom truck builder, though, chefs should consider the following design tips.
Choose a Menu Before Designing a Truck
Before building a food truck, owners must decide what kind of menu they want to serve. For example, they need to choose between common items like sushi or tacos, focusing on foods that they feel comfortable preparing. Just as importantly, truck owners need to brainstorm variations on these dishes and decide what kind of prep items are necessary for a truck.
For example, a truck focusing on sushi won't likely need a deep fryer, unless it plans on serving items like rangoons or egg rolls. Similarly, a truck focusing on hamburgers and fries will need a stovetop cooker as well as a deep fryer. This array of cooking choices ensures that the truck is not only prepared to cook but appropriate for the types of foods being prepared.
Consider What Items Are Essential for Truck Operation
After picking a menu, food truck owners need to decide on a variety of different essential elements. For example, owners need to decide if they want a bigger truck — for more cooking variety — or a smaller truck – for easier maneuvering and parking. Owners must also determine if a new vehicle is right for their needs or if a retrofitted one is a better choice for their budget.
Other essential elements to consider include what kind of fuel the truck uses — such as gasoline, electric, or a hybrid of both — and the size of the generator needed for truck operation. A generator is a necessity for trucks parked in most areas of a city. However, a long extension cord may provide some electrical capacity for food trucks, as long as the town licenses their use of that power source.
Design the Food Truck Interior
Once owners decide on the exterior design of the truck, they must decide on a food truck layout. This element of design will be the most challenging. For example, owners need to choose equipment that will not only fit in their truck but also provide enough room for them to move and prepare food comfortably. This balancing act is a tricky one and requires a lot of forethought.
Typically, a good food truck has items such as non-slip and inflammable floors, many ventilation options, paths that provide maximum movement capacity for an employee, emergency exits in case of a fire, refrigeration and dry storage areas, food preparation tables, cooking items (grills, ovens, stovetops, deep fryers, etc.), serving areas, and a cleanup station for employees.
Beyond these considerations, truck owners must also have openings for windows and air conditioning units; reinforced, inflammable, and insulated walls; insulated interior ventilation hood; safe and insulated electrical wiring; plumbing essentials for water and waste disposal; space for a generator; connections for gas and electric; and exterior logo designs for the truck.
Help Is Available With Us
If you are planning on building a food truck soon, please call or visit us at
Diamond Truck Body MFG
to set up a design appointment. Our professionals will work hard to create a design for a food truck and to build everything to the owner's needs and requirements.
