Page 26 - foodservice - June 2018

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TOOL TALK
“[Food trucks and mobile restaurants] now offer an array of gourmet offerings, at times, served by some of the world’s most acclaimed chefs. This has given our industry the credibility it deserves
and has changed the way food and beverage is sold at events and festivals.”
“A disadvantage of owning a food truck is that some events do have high rentals that may not be suited to all types of vendors,” he says. “This could be because they do not have the product to cater for the audience attending, or not have the type of food truck with the capability and output to cater to the demand, in which the fees to trade at the event have been based off.”
Staff is a further consideration, particularly when starting out. Rusitovski says, “It is hard to attract good calibre of employees as you are still establishing your event calendar and may not have the consistent work that employees require.”
Green has experienced his
own set of difficulties. At Elijah’s Kitchen, he is constrained as to the number of diners he can feed in a night, which in turn can stymie brand growth. “We work with a limited allocation, set, chef ’s menu,” he says, “plus carry enough to cater for à la carte. We don’t just churn out three to four street food dishes until we’ve sold out – our guests stay and eat three courses.”
TIPS TO LAUNCH
If a operator is keen to get into
the food truck or mobile kitchen game, a good place to start is purchasing a low-cost, used truck or trailer. The savings could be in the tens of thousands of dollars, money which could go towards vehicle insurance, a register or POS system, website and advertising, truck fitout and wrap, fuel and generator costs, and supplies. It is also important to do your research about the competition and what other vendors are selling. It’s no good wanting to specialise in a particular cuisine or food product if the market is already saturated.
Rusitovski’s advice is three- fold. He says, “Create a list of opportunities of where you could potentially trade; speak to qualified and credible food truck builders; and speak to supporting bodies or councils on what rules and regulations may apply before starting your own business.”
Green on the other hand considers a good marketing campaign as key, as is the practicalities of your operation. “Make sure you have everything on hand,” he says, “if you don’t, you’ll have to make trips back and forth from your base to the site to get it, which is not ideal.”
TRENDING TRUCKS
As food trucks and mobile kitchens increasingly cater to ever-changing, consumer demands, they will become more creative in design and innovative in operation, and look beyond burgers and fried chicken. Green says, “Judging by our success, diners are becoming more and more adventurous, and are willing to consider a food truck on location as a restaurant, where they can relax and enjoy their food, not eat and run.”
He sees food trucks as also providing a great opportunity for foodservice professionals. “I think young chefs who can’t afford premises, particularly in high-rent urban areas, will come to realise this is a great way to get started in their own mobile ‘venue’. Don’t think of it as a food truck – it’s your restaurant.”
Rusitovski sees a different set of trends. He says, “The industry is growing all the time with digital solutions continuing to evolve, such as event tracking and online ordering systems. From the menu side, I expect to see more offerings that fuse food products in exciting and unexpected ways, such as Nutella-filled momos and Middle Eastern-inspired pasta sauces.”
Above clockwise: crocodile laksa at Elijah’s Kitchen; American fare at The Food Truck Park; and Zachary Green with Leila Gurruwiwi in the Elijah’s Kitchen food truck.