11 Factors to Consider When Buying Concession Trailers
Concession trailers come in a wide variety of styles, though. Read on to learn the five factors to consider when choosing the type of mobile food trailer that will work best for your company. If you’ve always wanted to purchase a concession trailer.
Given that it provides all the advantages of having your own kitchen without a lot of the associated overhead, paperwork, and aggravation, the perfect commissary kitchen could be the key to a successful food truck business.
Prior to COVID-19, commissary kitchens were nothing more than overnight parking spaces for food trucks.
Since then, they have developed into an essential tool for each operator of a mobile kitchen as well as for other food producers.
Continue reading to learn more about commissary kitchens and to get advice on how to choose the ideal one for your company.
About
The local health department regulates a commissary kitchen, which is a certified commercial kitchen where food service providers can safely and legally prepare, cook, and store food and equipment.
A commissary kitchen includes a specialized parking space, electrical hookups, cleaning and sanitation spaces, water and propane refills, disposal facilities for solid waste, grease, and other trash, recycling facilities, and space for food trucks.
Some commissary kitchens include additional tools and resources like ice refills, refrigerated storage space, a place for vehicle repair, and kitchen and prep space for food preparation.
Commissary kitchens are typically considered the headquarters of various food operators, including chefs, caterers, food trucks and carts, product producers, artisans, and restaurateurs.
Because they are focused on maintenance and food preparation.
Today’s commissaries must offer more than just parking and electricity if they want to attract mobile cooking companies.
Factors to Consider When Buying Concession Trailers
Since many of them now provide a full range of services, this will aid food trucks in expanding and taking advantage of new opportunities in the post-COVID-19 food service business.
This is fantastic news from the perspective of a food truck owner. The value and quality of the service offered by commissary kitchens increase as they compete for customers with food trucks.
Access to Knowledgeable Foodservice Professionals
This entails that food truck owners will have access to professionals in the food service sector who can offer advice, knowledge of the business, and support.
Certain commissary kitchens provide even incubation programs and demo space.
Find a partner who is committed to helping your business grow and succeed, rather than just renting you a kitchen.
Think About Your Budget
When purchasing a food trailer, it’s crucial to keep your starting budget in mind. You can narrow down your options by comparing prices to see which trailers you can afford to buy.
It’s possible that larger or more feature-rich trailers are out of your price range. Knowing this range in advance will prevent you from wasting time looking at expensive trailers.
Storage Capacity
Food truck owners can save a lot of money by purchasing ingredients and supplies in bulk when they have lots of storage space available.
Look for shelving, refrigerator, and freezer space as storage options.
Interestingly, it provides greater space for items that take up too much space in the food truck.
Besides preparation tools like cookware, spatulas, thermometers, fruit cutters, and other products, these include countertop cooking appliances, including grills, gas and electric ranges, and charbroilers.
Collaborating with Other Food truck Enterprises
The placement of commissary kitchens is less important now than it once was because of the surge in demand for and availability of meal delivery services.
Every place has its peaks and valleys. Some kitchens are situated adjacent to major thoroughfares or interstates, so delivery food trucks would spend less time traveling.
Others can be found in suburban areas or elsewhere outside of the city, which allows food trucks to access new suburban customers at lower rental costs.
Select the Best Category or Type
Your concession trailer should be as close to the right size and layout for your needs as possible. This is essential for smooth operation.
Trolley trailers, v-nose trailers, and gooseneck trailers are just a few of the several designs of concession trailers.
Styles are selected based on their look, connectivity, operational location, and other layout considerations.
The structure of different trailer types varies depending on the kind of food you’ll be preparing and serving.
Smoker trailers, pizza trailers, barbecue trailers, bar trailers, and dessert trailers are a few examples.
Licenses
For the purpose of storing supplies and food, food trucks must have access to a licensed, hygienic facility.
By doing this, businesses can make sure they are abiding by all health code regulations and protecting diners.
Additionally, operating out of a commissary kitchen frees food trucks from the duties of ownership. A small food truck may not be able to pay the overhead and upkeep of a structure.
Working with a commissary kitchen transfers responsibility for maintaining licenses, pest control, electricity, contractors, security, plumbing, building codes, specialized cleaning, and many other things to someone else.
Availability of Supplies
Food trucks can get a variety of frequently used ingredients and supplies at several commissaries. These normally consist of gas, ice, water, and cleaning supplies.
Commissary kitchens with a commercial kitchen may also provide culinary materials, such as plates, napkins, gloves, and other items made for industrial use.
They can also grant you access to unique tools, which is more significant.
Industrial-sized equipment is expensive to buy, requires a lot of room, and is often difficult to maintain.
You would have a significant advantage if you could substitute on-demand access for ownership of items like food processors, spice grinders, commercial electric ovens, and more.
Whether Brand New or Fairly Used
The first choice to make if you’re entering the mobile kitchen industry is whether to buy new or used.
There is no assurance that either choice will produce a higher return on investment than the other. Although buying new is more expensive, it saves on upkeep and remodeling.
You may quickly alter the kitchens in a new trailer to create the optimum workflow for your business.
Purchasing used trailers might help you save money and enable you to get a trailer with more features. Frequently, supplementary features and appliances are included with used trailers.
Bonus Features
Instead of being viewed as essential assets, bonus features should be seen as extra bonuses.
It will be more cost-effective to purchase a trailer with suitable pricing, size, and appliances than one with great extras but a claustrophobic interior.
However, additional features might improve the usability and client experience you offer.
Decorations and Aesthetics
LED lighting and menu Chalkboards are a couple of decorations that work well with any kind of home design. However, the aesthetics might need to be changed if you purchase an old trailer.
For your mobile kitchen to remain relevant in the market, branding is essential. Customers will be drawn to well-known fast-food franchises, donut shops, and packaged goods suppliers based on their brands.
If you are ordering a new trailer, it is simple to incorporate this customized signage into your build package.
If your trailer is used, work with a business that can brand it by painting or wrapping it.
Think About the Food You’ll Be Serving
The kind of food you’ll serve greatly influences the kind of trailer you’ll require. It’s essential to have the best layout and suitable tools.
The trailer you select should be spacious and equipped to accommodate everything you’ll be providing.
You may need sinks, fryer areas, smoker equipment, refrigeration and freezer areas, and more, depending on what you’ll be serving.
Be specific when you shop because not all trailers can satisfy every requirement. Your local health department should advise. Foodservice trailers might need unique licenses to run.
Advantages Concession Trailer
Have you considered the advantages of concession trailers? Here are a few advantages you’ll want to know about:
- Concession trailers are suitable for moving from one area to another because of their portability, larger size, and lesser initial investment.
- A variety of sizes and styles are available for concession trailers. Everything is up to individual preference.
- Reduced overhead and operating costs.
- Compared to conventional indoor dining establishments, trailers demand less financial investment.
- You are able to run your mobile business during festivals, social events, and food fairs. It is a fantastic way to increase your online visibility and attract new fans on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
In Summary
Since mobile food trucks have consistently dominated food service trends year after year, we expect to see their popularity climb if consumers choose to eat out less because of the coronavirus.
Concession trailers are a fantastic way to make money and have fun serving up delicious food. Contrary to a restaurant, a concession trailer is a mobile business with limitless opportunities.
