Selling cafes on wheels. Kitchen on wheels step by step business plan. Step-by-step plan for opening a diner

A mobile cafe is an excellent alternative to a stationary catering outlet. It is unusual and has low prices, which can be explained by the low costs of organizing a business. The establishment claims to be a serious competitor to ordinary food outlets, such as cafes, restaurants and canteens. This business format is unusual, which will certainly attract the attention of visitors. They will have access to an additional option - travel at the client’s request. How to organize such a business, what are its nuances and how much money should be invested in the project?

Specifics of a mini-cafe on wheels

When opening a cafe on wheels, you should decide in advance on the number of visitors. The format of the institution determines its target audience in the form of students, schoolchildren and children. To attract their attention and stand out from other similar and stationary establishments, you need to think about the design of a mobile cafe. To prevent its visitors from being disturbed by extraneous sounds from the street, care should be taken to ensure sound insulation.

Audio and video equipment will be needed to entertain visitors. When planning special events, you should take care of developing an entertainment program and the possibility of preparing dishes for the banquet menu.

You should think about the routes of movement of the establishment on wheels in advance. In this case, you need to take into account the location of the city’s attractions, as well as the time of the greatest concentration of people in them. To ensure that the cafe does not stand idle, citizens of the city should be notified about the trajectory of movement. It is better if the cafe moves along one route, which will allow its customers to plan their visits. It is better to save information about clients, as well as their dates of birth, phone numbers and email addresses, in your database, which will allow you to issue advertising mailings with promotional offers dedicated to holidays.

Cafe menu on wheels

When creating a menu, you should take into account the specifics of the establishment. It should not contain alcoholic beverages. It is allowed to include low-alcohol cocktails in the menu if the target audience of the subject belongs to the adult category. Since it is impossible to provide full cooking in a mobile establishment, most dishes should be presented in the form of semi-finished products, the preparation of which does not require a lot of time and great effort. They should be cooked to such a degree that they can simply be reheated and served to the client. The menu can include baked goods, soups and side dishes.

Interior design of a cafe on wheels

To bring semi-finished products to readiness, you will need an oven or microwave. As an alternative, you can formalize a contractual relationship with a stationary institution in which the food preparation process has been established. However, it should be taken into account that if you purchase a ready-made meal in an elite restaurant, it will be difficult to sell it at the same price in a mobile cafe. For this reason, it is better to negotiate the supply of freshly prepared food in canteens.

A van with selfie pancakes, a snack bar on wheels from the Russian army and a food truck with Donald Trump’s “nonsense sandwiches”... Read these and other examples of unusual types of mobile fast food trade and more in the material of the portal “1000 Ideas”.

There are a lot of ideas for creating snack bars on wheels. One has only to say that the first predecessors of modern fudraks appeared in the USA back in the 19th century. It’s quite difficult for a novice entrepreneur to come up with something new, but borrow one or more tricks - please. In this collection, the “1000 Ideas” portal has collected 35 examples of unusual food trucks and other types of food-related street trading on wheels.

Winnermobile by Oscar Mayer

A miracle called the Winnermobile from the Oskar Mayer company, selling hot dogs. The first such car was manufactured in the USA in 1936 according to a special order from the founders of the brand, the Mayer brothers. The drivers of the Winnermobiles were called hotdoggers, and their arrival greatly delighted local residents and children. Attention to this miracle on wheels has not subsided among Americans to this day: “winners” are still driving around in US cities today.



Cafe shuttle

This mobile eatery is called Space Shuttle Cafe. Its story dates back to the 1970s, when a Californian decided to use part of the fuselage from a decommissioned American Douglas DC-3 transport aircraft and stick it on a school bus. Subsequently, the appearance of the diner was redesigned more than once, until the last owners decided to settle on the space shuttle.




Cuisine of "undesirable" animals

This food truck from Amsterdam is famous not for its appearance, but for what it sells. Here you can buy dishes made from animals, the meat of which is either rarely consumed by humans or completely thrown into the trash. On the menu you can find pigeon rolls, pony burgers, as well as dishes from geese, parrots, crows and rodents.


Snowmobile snack bar

This snowmobile was designed to deliver hot burritos to the slopes of California's Mammoth Mountain ski resort, giving skiers the perfect chance to grab lunch on the way down the mountain.



Three-story bicycle restaurant

A masterpiece of Vietnamese engineering is the three-story bicycle restaurant Ta Di Oto from Hanoi. It is a pedicab with a structure made of somehow welded metal pipes. On the ground floor there is a kitchen, on the second floor there is a bar, on the third there is a restaurant and a lecture area.




Grocery store on wheels

Rollin' Grocer is a mobile grocery store in Kansas City, Missouri. Despite the fact that the city's business district is growing, residents in the very center experience a shortage of grocery stores. Inside you can find everything that you would find in a regular store, starting with fruits and vegetables and ending with canned goods.The truck mainly serves low-income urban residents who cannot afford to regularly shop in supermarkets.





Burger mobile

This burger mobile is parked in front of the Wesport Flea Market Bar & Grill. The idea to create it came to the owner of the establishment, who “strained” one artist he met in New York with his idea. While running through Central Park in the morning, he came across a uniquely designed car selling vegetarian food, after which he decided that such an idea would be ideal for a meat cutlet.




Martini van

It is not at all necessary to sell fast food, coffee, pizza or yoghurt from your car. For example, a van called Gray Goose is used by the owners as... a martini bar. Inside the converted Citroen H van there is only luxury: marble coverings of the bar counter, forged and metal parts, glass display cases.



Pork food truck

This food truck called Maximus Minimus from Seattle makes money in any weather, and its owner, as the Americans say, is able to “bring home the bacon” every day, which literally translates as “bring home the bacon,” that is, making a living and providing for his family. The reason for this, of course, is the unusual and slightly creepy pig shape of the truck. By the way, the piggy food truck sells not only pork but also chicken sandwiches.



Bomber style van

The Gastro Bomber food truck operates in the American city of Dallas. Its design is made in the style of World War II bombers. The aggressive, toothy appearance and holes in the body seem to let the buyer know that the van has been in more than one scrape, but came out of it well. The menu includes snacks like mashed potatoes with meat and various types of pies.


Bigfoot with ice cream from Skoda

This is the world's largest ice cream van from Skoda. Its parameters cannot be called childish: its “height” is more than 6 meters, its weight is over 5 tons. To get to the window with the ice cream maker and get his portion, the child needs to climb a stepladder. By the way, the best-selling delicacy is also impressive in size.



Beer bar-bike

The beer bar bike is a vehicle that is particularly popular in Germany, but is also found today in other countries around the world. You can rent it and travel around the city with a glass of beer and in the company of friends. Typically, a beer bike is equipped with seats for 10-16 people, a beer dispenser, a beer keg and... a sober driver.



Steampunk trailer

This steampunk fast food trailer was put together by Artisan Cake Company. You may ask: what is the point of creating such a style? Nothing. The point is precisely in these very copper mechanisms and pipes, creating the aura of steampunk. The main thing, as they say, is that the idea catches the eye.


Star fast food

This food truck from Fayetteville, USA, is inspired by Star Wars. Here you can try themed snacks with names that refer to the film. For example, a bun with cheese, bacon, turkey and cucumbers and garlic called “Chewbacca”. The truck itself bears the parody name Grillenium Falcon. Let us remember that one of the main fictional Star Wars spaceships was called the Millennium Falcon.


Food truck with banana cheeseburgers

You don't have to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars to make your food truck popular. “Why not dilute the menu with something unusual, for example, banana cheeseburgers,” decided this gentleman from Florida. From his food truck called Tropical Point, he sells Brazilian fast food, and for some reason such not-so-exotic ingredients as fried bananas and burgers with them are especially loved by local residents.



Student food truck

The thing about the Gryph "N" Grille food truck is that it's designed to cater to students. The truck is at the disposal of the University of Guelph in Ontario. Students are not only offered affordable food, but also the ability to pay for it with their student ID. In addition to ordinary service at the walls of the educational institution, food trucks are involved in university events so that students do not remain hungry. The student food truck sells not fast food, but only healthy food.




Restaurant on a double-decker bus

The distinctive features of this establishment on wheels are visible to the naked eye. First of all, this is a double-decker bus. And secondly, this is a double-decker restaurant bus. It appeared in Los Angeles based on the idea of ​​two friends, entrepreneurs Travis Schmidt and Jason Freeman. They decided to turn an old bus into a multi-cuisine establishment with gourmet dishes and an upstairs dining area.


Trump's Nonsense Sandwiches

During the presidential election campaign in Portland, Oregon, there was a food truck serving "Donald Trump's bullshit sandwiches." The staff of an establishment called “Donald Trump’s BS” handed out five types of sandwiches in special packages with the most inappropriate quotes from the presidential candidate, in the comments to which factual errors in his statements were indicated. The name of each type of sandwich represented one or another myth attributed to Trump. As if hinting at the billionaire's fortune, the creators did not skimp on the design of the trailer and laid out a red carpet in front of the entrance. In addition, the customer's order was first taken by the concierge, who then passed it on to the chef.






Food truck with Indian tacos

Seattle-based food truck Off The Rez was the brainchild of Mark McConnell and his girlfriend, Cecilia Rickard. Inspiration came to Mark when he started looking for his native cuisine in Seattle restaurants and couldn’t find it. After this, an authentically painted van selling Indian tacos appeared in the city.



Izh-barrel

This old Izh, tuned to look like a wooden barrel, spotted in Moscow, although not a snack bar on wheels, is so unusual that it would be a mistake not to mention it in our material. In this unusual way, the owners of one of the capital's restaurants decided to attract people to their establishment for beer and barbecue.




What's unique about this van, called Pancake Selfie Express, is that it sells pancakes with portraits of its customers. The customer is forced to take a quick photo of himself, and then the software in the truck prints his face onto the pancake. The van does not have a specific registration; the creators first decided to organize a tour of American cities such as Austin, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco.



Mobile pizzeria

The famous pizzeria on wheels is the mobile bakery Del Popolo from San Francisco. To create this masterpiece, owner John Darcy worked with four designers and spent about $180,000. Inside there is a real wood-burning oven for preparing classic Neapolitan pizza. At the same time, clients can observe the process through transparent glass.





Fugutruk

Fugu fish is a Japanese delicacy that, if cooked incorrectly, can cause death. In many countries, you must have a special license to sell this fish. But if you're a Bostonian willing to risk your life on the street, then the Fugu Truck is made just for you.



Thank You Van

It’s hard to think of better advertising for a catering establishment than positive customer reviews. And food trucks are no exception. This truck, called Giovanni's White Shrimp Truck, has long been indistinguishable from other shrimp snack trucks in Hawaii. But then one satisfied customer decided to leave a positive review on the board. And thus he started a chain: since then, the walls of the food truck began to be regularly covered with gratitude.


Vegan food truck

It’s not for nothing that the Randy Radish food truck has an image of a radish on its side. From these vans, customers can purchase exclusively healthy food made from fresh vegetables - no fast food. The home of the vegetarian van is Lauren County in Virginia, USA.


Breastfeeding van

The Milck Truck was designed by American artist and mother Jill Miller. She drew attention to the fact that nursing mothers often do not have enough places to feed their babies in private. Then she bought an old van, converted it and placed huge artificial breasts on the roof. A conspicuous van has begun driving around the American city of Pittsburgh, offering women a free place to breastfeed their babies.



Provocative fast food

This food truck from Los Angeles is known throughout America for its interesting name. It's called Eggslut - the name combines the word "eggs" and the word "whore." The establishment itself mainly offers breakfast dishes to customers.





The smallest food truck

This mobile eatery based on a Smart car, called The Verts Kebap, was invented by two German students - Dominik Statten and Michael Haye. The guys studying at the University of Texas at Austin decided to surprise Americans with German engineering. Somehow they managed to fit a refrigerator, sink and oven into the Smart. All this could fit into the car only when assembled - for the restaurant to fully operate, a tent is also required. The restaurant specializes in Turkish cuisine: kebabs and shawarma, which are very popular in Germany.



Air food van

This van was created by the French airline Air France and operated for only 5 days in Manhattan, offering free food to everyone. Typically, many passengers like to complain about the quality of food offered on planes, so Air France decided to show itself in the best possible light. For example, the menu included smoked salmon and shrimp dishes, and two lucky winners, in addition to delicious food, also received air tickets to Paris.


Three-wheeler running on electricity

The three-wheeled E-Tuk Vendo was developed by the Dutch company Tuk Tuk Factory specifically for catering. It runs on electricity and can travel up to 60 km without recharging. At the same time, the creators made the three-wheeler powerful enough to withstand the operation of a refrigerator. For the convenience of street trading, the E-Tuk Vendo is equipped with a folding table and a folding window that opens outward.



Eco-friendly food truck

Another example of a food truck powered by electricity is featured in Greg Alden Steele's vehicle called Philly Greens. Made a green truck based on Polaris Gem. The maximum speed is 40 km/h; without recharging, the food truck can travel 50 km. Not only does Philly Greens use sustainable energy sources, but its owner sells only organic, seasonal, non-GMO food.




Peugeot's snack bar on wheels

The French company Peugeot has its own ideas about what a real urban food truck should look like. Le Bistro Du Lion is an elegant restaurant on wheels with a full kitchen, DJ space and coffee maker in the trailer. Among other things, the van leaves no waste behind, as it is equipped with waste recycling facilities.






Food trucks of the Russian army

One of the reasons to be proud of the Russian army is the presence of army food trucks. You can usually see such trailers under the Voentorg brand at major events. For example, this handsome man in the colors of his military uniform was spotted at the tank biathlon in Alabino.




Food truck for dogs

This may seem surprising for Russia, but abroad you can find not only food trucks for people, but also for dogs. For example, this van called Milo's Kitchen, which toured US cities, offered our little brothers a taste of chicken meatballs, grilled burgers, beef sausages and much more.


Following fast food

The Dentyne company came up with an unusual advertising campaign to promote its chewing gum. To emphasize the importance of chewing gum after every meal, Dentyone decided to make its own branded van that followed the food truck around the country and stopped behind it at every stop. It was decided to call the campaign #FollowFood - that is, “Following the Food.”


If a person is accompanied by a persistent desire to organize a unique restaurant business, you can consider an option such as a restaurant on wheels. This is something that has already taken root in the world, but is not yet widespread enough, so with its novelty and unusualness, a mobile cafe or restaurant can arouse genuine interest among residents of the country.

The practice of creating mobile restaurants

A mobile restaurant is not an exclusive business at all, since there are several examples of enterprising businessmen converting a vehicle into a catering establishment.

Successful examples

The very first mobile restaurant appeared in Los Angeles. It was organized by two friends by converting a double-decker bus. A kitchen was organized on the first floor, and a hall on the second floor. A special window was also equipped on the ground floor, through which during stops the trading process was carried out, as in an ordinary stall.

In San Francisco, an old school bus was to be written off, but there were those who decided to revive it and at the same time create their own unusual business. Thanks to efforts and incredible desire, everything worked out successfully, and the old school bus turned into a mobile restaurant. Of course, such an establishment on wheels cannot be compared with elite cafes and restaurants in terms of the variety of dishes offered, but, nevertheless, enterprising businessmen were able to find their clients. The route of such an unusual vehicle changed each time, the bus went to those places where there were large crowds of people, and it was there that it made a stop.

This is not the only example of a successful organization of such a business. In Moscow, a tram was used as a restaurant space, which was converted and equipped with comfortable tables for two. The external and internal design was skillfully chosen, so the news about such a tram quickly spread throughout Moscow, contributing to the increase in people wishing to visit such a restaurant on wheels.

In Belgium, the idea of ​​a restaurant business on wheels was successfully expanded, as a result of which real gastronomic tours began to be organized for visitors. Indeed, traveling around the city and exploring local attractions while sitting at comfortable tables is much more comfortable; besides, national dishes are served during the excursion, allowing you to taste and appreciate the local cuisine.

Specifics of a restaurant on wheels

Having decided to organize such a business, entrepreneurs should carefully study the specifics of the restaurant business on wheels in order to anticipate possible risks and protect their business from bankruptcy.

First of all, it is important to take into account that each catering establishment focuses on a certain contingent of visitors. Considering that this mobile cafe or restaurant will not be able to offer visitors a varied menu, at the initial stages they will have to be content with schoolchildren and students acting as regular customers. Accordingly, product prices must be adapted to them. Subsequently, when the business is promoted, it will be possible to diversify the menu, and the owners of the restaurant business will be able to expand the contingent of their visitors.

In order for a café on wheels to attract the attention of modern residents, you should consider the external design of the vehicle, as well as the internal one. Due attention will have to be paid to noise and sound insulation, since it is unlikely that anyone will like to eat food and enjoy its amazing taste while listening to the roar of passing traffic.

Caring for customers always finds a positive reflection in business activities, so it is recommended to notify visitors about ongoing promotions that the mobile restaurant is ready to provide to customers.

Rules for organizing a restaurant on wheels

The very first steps in organizing such a business will be actions related to vehicle tuning, the success of which largely determines the success of the entire restaurant business. It is important that the interior is distinguished by its amazing catchiness and originality, then potential clients will definitely show strong interest.

Required number of employees

Any business involves hiring employees who will perform functional duties aimed at the successful development of the business.

Entrepreneurs will have to worry about hiring qualified employees, the number of which may vary and depend on the budget. However, a large amount will definitely not be needed, so it is not expected to spend a lot of money on paying wages. If the owner of a mobile restaurant is limited by budget, he can only hire two employees. The first will perform the duties of a cook, and the second - his assistant. The third must be the driver driving such an unusual vehicle, but in order to save money, the driver’s responsibilities can be successfully combined by either the cook or his assistant.

When the business gains the necessary momentum, it will still be necessary to expand the staff. A minimum of three drivers must be hired so that the establishment can carry out its activities seven days a week. You should also hire one more cook and waiter each to organize work in two shifts.

Financial expenses

Organizing any business is accompanied by expenses, the catering business on wheels is no exception, so novice businessmen should take into account all the expected expenses.

Experienced specialists have roughly calculated that they will have to spend about 120 thousand rubles on interior design, and almost the same amount on the purchase of special equipment. If a businessman does not have a vehicle, there will be a need to purchase one, and this will cost a fairly round sum, equal to approximately three million rubles.

You should also take into account the monthly expenses associated with running a business. In particular, money should be allocated for the purchase of fuel, bus maintenance, and wages for employees of the establishment. In total, monthly expenses will be approximately 140 thousand rubles.

Despite such impressive expenses, a restaurant business on wheels will be able to pay for itself within a few years. Experts have calculated that even by just selling one ice cream, you can successfully prosper, certainly expanding your circle of customers.

Business Disadvantages

Unfortunately, mobile business does not come with only positive aspects. There are also disadvantages that are important to consider before opening such a restaurant.

First of all, such a business can only be organized in a large city, the population of which reaches or exceeds 200 thousand. In small towns, people prefer to have lunch and dinner at home rather than visiting cafes.

Local roads are far from perfect, so it is impossible to ensure a vibration-free ride. As a result, dishes may break, and visitors may express dissatisfaction. To avoid this, you should carefully plan your routes, avoiding areas with poor quality roads.

They may be waiting on the part of Rospotrebnadzor, since the rules stipulate that any catering establishment must be connected to city communications, which cannot be done in a mobile restaurant.

Fire safety rules also stipulate the mandatory presence of two doors in places where crowds of people are possible. However, all such difficulties can be overcome; it is only important to have a great desire to become the owner of a real mobile cafe or restaurant.

Legal registration of business

The easiest way is to purchase a franchise, thanks to which many problems immediately disappear. The franchise includes the provision of a bus, an advertising campaign, and the development of a recipe. Unfortunately, almost all businessmen reject this method, since the franchise amount is incredibly large, reaching almost 4.5 million rubles.

If on their own, the entrepreneur will have to carry out state registration, obtain permission to carry out such activities from all higher organizations designated by the rules, obtain a license to sell alcoholic beverages and cigarette products, and also ensure that all employees undergo a medical examination.

All the efforts made will not go unnoticed, the mobile restaurant business will demonstrate good results, clients will be ready to order banquet events in such an establishment. Collective events accompanied by simultaneous trips to nature can also be reflected in such a business.

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Mobile cafes are a promising type of business. Despite the abundance of mobile outlets, this market segment has not yet been filled and will only expand over the years. If you take into account all the intricacies of this matter and find your own tricks, success will be guaranteed.

The mobile cafe market in Russia is developing at a rapid pace. Currently, the Russian consumer is served by more than 30,000 cafes on wheels. And this is a very approximate figure.

Experts agree that this business niche will constantly expand. This is a rather interesting type of entrepreneurial activity, and in this article we will talk about its main nuances. After the collapse of the USSR, numerous snack bars, dumplings and pancake houses somehow disappeared unnoticed.

This has freed up a large niche for mobile cafes. A mobile cafe is, first of all, a trailer equipped with everything necessary for cooking.

Previously, such vans were purchased abroad and cost quite impressively - up to $25,000. Today the price for them has more than halved, and on the Russian market such a van costs about $9,000. In Russia, several companies are leading in the production of vans for mobile cafes.

This is, firstly, the famous Tonar company, which has been producing various models of trailers for more than 10 years. They began to call any trailer “tonar”, regardless of its manufacturer, often without even thinking that this was a proper name. This name even began to be used in resolutions of the leadership of various cities and regions concerning this type of trade.

But, unfortunately, Tonar models are not directly suitable for opening a cafe, since they require quite significant additional equipment. Their main advantage is their low price - 3-4 thousand dollars.

Another enterprise that produces similar products is MAZ-Kupava. Has representative offices in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Several models from this manufacturer can be used for trading grilled products and shawarma without additional modification.

The cost of such a trailer ranges from 5-6 thousand dollars. Another leader in the production of these products is the Avtokholod company. It produces more than 70 models of mobile cafes based on the MAZ-Kupava trailer. Products from Avtokholod will cost 5-12 thousand dollars.

The Russian company Delovaya Rus equips any trailers with equipment for a mobile cafe. On average, the cost of a mobile cafe equipped with everything necessary for operation is approximately 10 thousand dollars. The simplest model, equipped only for cooking grilled chicken and shawarma, costs about 5 thousand.

By the way, it is these cafes that pay for themselves the fastest - their products are relatively cheap and are readily purchased. The main buyers are the lower middle class, the most numerous in Russia.

According to experts, the shelf life of a trailer during intensive use is 5-6 years. This should be taken into account by businessmen who do not plan to quit this business in five years. The choice of food that a mobile cafe can sell is unlimited.

The trailer can be easily equipped with equipment for baking, barbecue, barbecue, cooking pancakes, potatoes, and pies. The entrepreneur will only have to worry about the manufacturability of products and semi-finished products. So, there are no restrictions on products.

But there are a number of difficulties and nuances that must be taken into account. First of all, a mobile cafe is a big city business. If the population of the city does not exceed 100-200 thousand, then opening such an establishment is practically futile. In such cities, people have a different mentality - it is easier and cheaper for them to go home for lunch.

You can count on a more or less decent income only on major holidays and in crowded places. The second is the production base and the availability of semi-finished products. In the case of shawarma and grilled chicken, everything is simple - you buy a semi-finished product and cook it on the grill.

And products that are more difficult to prepare - pancakes, pies, or potatoes with filling - already require the presence of their own production base. In this case, the costs will only pay off if you have a network of at least five cafes.

The third, most pressing point is the attitude of the authorities towards this type of business. The leadership of almost any city treats mobile cafes as an inevitable evil that must be endured until better times, when stationary public catering places appear. This attitude towards mobile cafes is present even in the capital.

And this despite the fact that the authorities themselves involve cafes in organizing major holidays - May 9, City Day, New Year, etc. Due to the lack of operating standards for mobile cafes, officials themselves determine policies regarding this type of business.

Hence, the situation is completely different not only in different cities, but even in the capital districts. About 30 regulations have been developed for Moscow regarding the activities of mobile fast foods, which in some cases contradict each other.

For this reason, scandals related to mobile food outlets often break out in the capital. For example, in the Northern District of the capital, the prefect, citing a certain decree, demanded that trailers be removed at night. If sellers were to comply, it would result in large additional costs on their part. All Tonars are connected to the electrical network. They would have to be turned off when moving.

The food in the refrigerators could spoil, and the owners would have to hire drivers. In addition, towed trailers must be stored somewhere else. Fortunately, the prefect was simply showing the entrepreneurs “who’s boss.” According to experts, the development of fast food chains on wheels is most hampered by the lack of a specific legislative framework. This is especially true for the issue of land.

In Moscow, for example, owners of mobile cafes do not pay rent, but a fee for the use of land based on the Moskomzem declaration. This permit is valid for up to three months.

After it expires, they can easily either refuse to extend it or move the point somewhere else. Because of such uncertainty, owners save on additional investments in the business. It is almost impossible to interest banks in this type of business, since there are no long-term guarantees.

And the attitude of the federal authorities is generally worthy of a separate chapter. For example, at the moment, all-Russian sanitary standards have been adopted. Based on their requirements, mobile cafes must be connected to city sewerage systems. There are no exceptions. In some Russian cities, this type of business has already been banned, citing precisely these standards.

Good cross-country ability is the key to success

So far, this business has become most widespread only in Moscow. There are about 3,000 mobile cafes in the capital. And there is no talk of any competition yet.

The profitability of this business is still very high. The first investment in this business does not exceed 15 thousand dollars (to organize one point). This includes the cost of purchasing a trailer, equipping it, purchasing utensils and semi-finished products.

The payback period for the cafe is about 8 months. It all depends on its location in the city. Besides Moscow, there are cities in which mobile cafes are doing almost no worse. These are Yekaterinburg, Sochi, Nizhny Novgorod, Krasnodar. Although in these cities the income of the population is slightly lower than in the capital, this is compensated by the huge interest in mobile cafes.

So in some regions this business is developing quite rapidly. According to a representative of Avtoholod, entrepreneurs from these cities constantly return to purchase and equip new trailers.

From the point of view of professionals, each mobile point is characterized by only two indicators - the average check size and traffic (the number of customers per day). The cafe, located in a not very good location, can serve up to 60 customers per day. The average check size in this case can be 25-30 rubles.

A point located in a profitable location serves an average of 200-300 clients (with a maximum capacity of 500). In any case, the average cost of a check does not exceed 150 rubles; this is the limit of the solvency of Russians.

Seasonality plays an important role in the operation of mobile fast food outlets. For example, the “deaf” months are January and February. And on frosty days, revenue can drop to zero. A sharp increase in interest in mobile cafes usually occurs between the warm and cold seasons - early spring and late autumn.

The fast food business is very profitable. Hundreds of entrepreneurs, including newcomers, have already appreciated this. But in order not to make large investments at the start, you can choose a slightly different area - mobile fast food. This format of public catering in Russia is not yet “famous” for high competition, which means you have a chance to carve out your niche in the market. Fast food on wheels as a business is considered highly profitable - investments with consistently high demand for the dishes offered can pay off in just six months.

Our business assessment:

Starting investments – from 300,000 rubles.

Market saturation is average.

The difficulty of starting a business is 5/10.

Mobile fast food can hardly be called a full-fledged catering establishment. In mobile stalls, people only buy “quick” food so they can go about their business again. The format of a mobile retail outlet can be different.

Analyze your local consumer market. If in the business part of the city and on busy avenues there are no food trucks at all or in limited quantities, you can start your own business. It is better to plan the opening for the spring - there will be greater demand, and you will be able to recoup an impressive part of the investment in one summer season. How to open a fast food on wheels? What nuances will an entrepreneur have to sort out in order to start a business?

Where does a business on wheels start?

Start implementing a business project by finding the “right” vehicle. An ordinary truck, of course, will not work here - you need a special van designed for a cafeteria. Moreover, it is more profitable to find just such a car, otherwise it will take a significant investment to “remake” an ordinary car. There are many companies on the market that sell and rent vending trailers - there are plenty to choose from.

To minimize investments at the start, you can not purchase a van for personal use, but rent it. In the future, when things get better, just buy the vehicle.

Perhaps the only drawback of this direction is the need to obtain numerous permits from state inspectors. Register your activity and register with the tax office. To prepare all the documents, you will have to wait at least 3-6 months. The “establishment” preparing to open will be inspected by sanitary and fire services. The local authorities of Rospotrebnadzor will have to approve the menu and recipes.

And don’t forget that a fast food car on wheels is still a car that needs full legal registration - it is subject to registration with the traffic police, a technical inspection and obtaining compulsory motor liability insurance.

It also doesn’t hurt to think about the design of the outlet. Let the van attract customers not only with the pleasant aromas of freshly prepared food, but also with its bright design. This way you will create your own “brand name” - who knows, maybe soon you will expand your network of mobile coffee shops.

If there is a financial opportunity, it is better to involve a professional lawyer in “paper” matters - there are important tasks to be solved, which will be problematic for an ignorant person to understand.

Choose a business direction

The business plan for fast food on wheels must necessarily include an item dedicated to menu development. The amount of revenue will largely depend on the range of dishes offered. And here it doesn’t hurt to analyze the activities of competitors - what they sell, what customers are more willing to buy from them, what service they offer.

Mobile fast food can specialize in selling only one dish, or it can offer customers a full range of “fast” food. Our compatriots prefer the following menu:

  • shawarma,
  • pizza,
  • hot dogs,
  • pies,
  • pancakes,
  • confectionery.

It would be great if the mobile cafe would additionally sell hot and cold drinks - there is always a demand for them.

When developing the menu, pay attention to the franchisors' offers. A fast food franchise on wheels will save the entrepreneur from developing the concept and design of the future establishment - all data is provided by the parent company. But there are few offers of this kind on the market, they cost a decent amount, and the rules of cooperation are sometimes simply impossible to implement. Therefore, it is sometimes financially more profitable for a novice entrepreneur to open an establishment from scratch.

Be prepared for the fact that inspection authorities will periodically visit your fast food trailer. Everything here must be kept clean and tidy. And the highest demands must be placed on purchased products for cooking! If representatives of sanitary services reveal any violations during an inspection, the sale of fast food on wheels will be suspended. To avoid this, use products only from trusted suppliers - this is clearly not worth saving. It is better to establish connections with local food factories and vegetable sellers - then you will not have to overpay for the delivery of “raw materials” from afar.

Location of the outlet

Buying a mobile trading kiosk for fast food is half the battle. Now it’s time to decide on its location. And here, too, a number of problems are possible. Even though your cafe will be on wheels, you can’t just stand anywhere on the side of the road and start serving people “quick” food! You will need to “settle” somewhere.

Mobile fast food carts and food trucks must be installed in accessible areas. Sleeping areas are not your option. Here the dishes will not go out as quickly, which will significantly reduce revenue.

A fast food van on wheels can be installed:

  • close to major markets,
  • on the territory of large shopping centers,
  • at train stations,
  • in the business part of the city,
  • on busy streets.

Many entrepreneurs change their location during major city holidays, installing a fast food car in amusement parks and squares. On one such day you can make a month's income.

To install a mobile stand at the selected location, obtain permission from the local city administration or from a private tenant. You will enter into an agreement with the specified rental amount for the plot. Experts advise not to enter into a long-term contract for the use of land at first - it is important to first understand whether there will be a decent income in a particular place. If you fail, you can always move to another place.

RV Equipment Costs

Equipment for fast food on wheels can be purchased inexpensively. The exact list of necessary kitchen equipment, utensils and appliances will depend on the chosen specifics of the business. In any case, it is quite possible to meet even 200,000 rubles.

As a rule, a fast food machine is equipped with the following equipment:

  • microwaves,
  • grill ovens,
  • coffee makers and juicers,
  • cooler,
  • heated counters,
  • fridge.

If you do not have sufficient finances, you can think about purchasing used equipment. But be careful when choosing it - sellers may simply be selling illiquid goods.

To work with kitchen equipment, you don’t have to look for experienced employees - even beginners can handle the tasks. Hire at least two sales associates to work shifts. Please note that each employee must have a health certificate!

How much can you earn from a food truck?

To buy a fast food van on wheels and all the necessary equipment, you will need at least 1,000,000 rubles. If you rent a vehicle, the starting investment can be reduced to 300,000 rubles - the best option for beginners!

Do not expect huge profits in the first months of operation - the auto shop will gain popularity gradually.

When setting up a business, pay attention to pricing. The cost of the dishes you offer should not exceed the level set by your closest competitors! Customers will not buy expensive hot dogs if there is a diner with more attractive prices literally 100 meters away.

 

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