Food Truck business plan

Smokestack & Slaw is a food truck serving Texas-style barbecue sandwiches, smoked-meat bowls and house sides in a mid-sized US city. The truck works weekday lunch rounds at office parks, Friday and Saturday evenings at breweries and a weekend farmers market, plus private catering bookings.

The owner has seven years of line-cook and kitchen-manager experience and has run a successful pop-up barbecue stand at community events. A compact menu keeps prep predictable and food cost near 32 percent. By month twelve we plan 1,250 orders a month at $13.50 each, producing about $16,900 in revenue.

We need about $78,000 for a used, fully equipped truck, a commissary agreement, permits and working capital. The owner is investing $35,000 and seeking a $43,000 SBA microloan.

Smokestack & Slaw LLC owns a 16-foot used step van converted to a food truck with a hood system, three-compartment sink, refrigeration, generator and a built-in smoker bay. We hold a mobile food vending permit, food manager certification, general liability and commercial auto insurance.

All food prep happens at a licensed commissary kitchen that we rent by the hour, where we store ingredients and wash equipment. The menu has six items, kept simple to move quickly at a window: a brisket sandwich, pulled pork, smoked chicken bowl, mac and cheese, slaw and a seasonal special.

Food trucks serve people who want quick, interesting food at offices, breweries and events. Breweries without kitchens often book trucks for weekend nights, and office parks welcome rotating lunches. Barbecue is popular, travels well and can be held hot during service.

The business is exposed to weather, parking rules and permit limits, so booking a diverse mix of locations matters. Customers follow trucks on social media, which creates a direct marketing channel. Costs of meat and fuel fluctuate, so menu pricing needs periodic review.

The city has about fifteen active food trucks, several barbecue restaurants and fast-casual lunch spots near the target offices. Trucks compete mostly for the same event and brewery slots, while restaurants compete for office lunch spending.

We differentiate through a focused menu, consistent quality and a speed target of ninety seconds per order. We keep a posted weekly schedule so regulars know where to find us, and a preorder link helps office customers skip the line.

Social media is the primary channel. We post the daily location by 9 a.m., photos of the smoker and menu specials, and run a weekly giveaway for followers. An email list collects customers at the window, and a text alert lets subscribers know when we sell out.

For bookings, we apply to four breweries, two farmers markets and eight offices with a sample lunch drop. We create a catering page with a quote form and send a tasting box to ten local event planners. Local food bloggers and a regional newspaper will be invited to the launch week.

Prep occurs at the commissary the day before service: brisket is smoked overnight, sides are cooked and sauces portioned. The truck is loaded and driven to the day’s location, where service runs for a three-hour window. Orders are taken on a tablet POS with card and tap payment.

Staffing is the owner plus one part-time cashier-cook, with a second helper on weekends. Inventory is ordered twice a week from a meat supplier and a restaurant distributor. Waste is tracked, leftover brisket becomes a next-day special, and the truck is cleaned and checked after every shift.