How to run a mobile catering business
With fewer overheads than a traditional restaurant – it’s no surprise the appeal of starting a mobile catering is enticing more people in the UK!
But behind every successful catering business is a reputable catering trailer manufacturer, and few offer the same level of expertise as the Excel Trailers team. Follow our 7 tips to help you get your mobile catering business – whether it be an ice cream van, breakfast van or hot and cold drinks trailer – off to the best start:
- Start planning
Our best advice is to set yourself up for success and have a clear plan. Know what products you’ll serve and how you’ll present them. You might also want to think about whether there is anything you can do to make your products stand out from your competitors.
- Secure appropriate licenses
Remember to research applicable laws in the local area you’ll be trading in to avoid expensive fines and damage to your business’ reputation before you’ve even started. Some areas have strict policies on food and alcohol distribution which is why it’s always better to ask before you pitch up.
- Set your prices
Think about how much food you’ll prepare and the cost to produce delicious culinary dishes.
Keeping your prices as cheap as possible will allure customers but will also make it incredibly difficult for you to generate a profit. Likewise, overcharging will only put customers off and encourage them to look elsewhere.
The best thing to do when starting your mobile catering business is to find a balance between affordability and profitability – keeping your customers sweet whilst you increase your turnover at the same time.
- Choose a catering trailer
Once you’ve created a menu, found a supplier and looked at pricing your products, you’ll then need to think about a mobile catering trailer. Our trailers and vans are available in all shapes, sizes and styles – ranging from the smaller, subtle Travel Chef trailer to the larger, flamboyant Showman trailer.
To spread the cost of a mobile catering trailer, we provide finance options. If you’d like to know more about these, feel free to contact us.
- Properly equip your trailer
If you’re going to move your business from one location to the next, you’ll need suitable catering equipment for your trailer, but rest assured we can help. As well as catering trailers and vans, we also supply an extensive range of catering equipment, including:
- Bain Maries
- boilers
- cold shelves
- coffee machines
- extractors
- griddles
- refrigeration
…and more.
- Buy insurance
Running a mobile catering business can be dangerous – especially when using powerful cooking equipment in confined spaces. Having liability insurance will ensure you’re covered, your staff is protected against trip hazards and members of the public from harm.
It’s always a good idea to insure your trailer against damage and theft as we can bet you’ll be using it to travel up and down the country to attend various events.
- Hire staff
At this point, you’ll have the main foundations for mobile catering – making it the perfect time to start looking at hiring staff to help you run your start-up business. Consider how many staff members you’ll need, hourly wages, National Insurance, and tax.
You may opt to employ friends or keep it in the family – but if not, be sure to advertise job opportunities on social media, billboards and spread the word as much as possible.
If you’d like to know more about the best practice for running a mobile catering business, rest assured, the team at Excel Trailers is on hand from 8.00am till 5.00pm, Monday to Friday. We will be more than willing to guide and advise you, so call us on 01279 422 227 or email info@exceltrailers.co.uk.