Sales numbers roadside vending

smokelahoma · BBQ Fan Joined: 22 Mar 2009 Posts: 314

I'm sure this has been covered before but i had a hard time finding anything while searching. How do I figure what kind of sales numbers I could expect in a BBQ food truck.

What type of info do I need? demographic, traffic, etc.

I guess this is always the hard question, but I'm working on numbers to figure whether I can afford an employee for a business that doesn't really exist yet.

The food truck scene has finally begun to develop in Tulsa, and I'm am wondering wether to try to cash in by hiring someone to run the truck.
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BBQMAN · Posted: Jun 01 2011 Post subject:

That's the $10,000 question and not one that any of us (that don't live in your neck of the woods) would have any idea of truthfully answering.

I could give you suggestions on promotions (so could others) spots to look for etc. but it would still be a crap-shoot.

As with any business I highly doubt you will "cash in" hiring somebody else to run the truck- at least not initially.

I cash in on my own business by running my own business.

Jeff Hughes tried it (I believe in Tulsa) at the VA parking lot and we never heard back on the results (that I can remember anyway). Hopefully he will chime in here and offer up his own experiences.

I'd also be curious as to what happens with the food trucks when the snow flies.

Good luck with it, I look forward to the other answers you get!
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Louie · Posted: Jun 01 2011 Post subject:

$10,000 question? More like a $100,000 question!! Wink

I have seen some investors owning a food truck or having one tied to their restaurant. You would have to be making some good coin to be able to pay employee's, You would certainly have to run it as a restaurant in a good location with a great menu to draw the peeps and a pocket full of cash to get it off the ground.
I think it's certainly doable, under the right circumstances.

Here's a link that may help. http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/

Good Luck
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Texman · Posted: Jun 01 2011 Post subject:

SoEzzy · Posted: Jun 01 2011 Post subject:

One thing to remember the big chains run expensive and complex calculations when they are planning a new site for a fast food restaurant.

That can also be used as a clue to other restaurants / vendors, I was speaking 7 or 8 years ago to one of the people running the numbers for Mcdonalds, they grid the area round a prospective site then fly helicopters in spirals around it at different times of day, with camera's recording the traffic patterns and traffic density.

Notice how often when one of the big 6 puts a new location in, 2 or 3 of the others will be within 150 yards, well it's no coincidence!

So look for the places that they are looking at if you can.
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smokelahoma · BBQ Fan Joined: 22 Mar 2009 Posts: 314

Thanks for the replies.

I run numbers all the time, I try to factor in days good days and bad days. At this point I've been using anything from20 sandwiches a day to 100 sandwiches a day.

I was just curious what kind of average unit sales you guys are having per day?

I'm not trying to make any real money with the employee, i'd be happy to pay them and pay all the bills. Any profit will be put back into the company for bigger better equipment.

I have a day job that pays me more than this could pay me, so I can't quit my job yet. But I don't want to wait until I have left my job.
I would be very hands on I would be at the truck several hours a day, I would work any catering jobs personally, and I would try to work for the first month or so with the employee.
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Jarhead · Posted: Jun 03 2011 Post subject:

What are you gonna do when "Joe Blow or Suzy Rottencrotch" quits without notice, gets drunk and don't show up, gets knocked up, steals you blind, etc?
Do you have the time to keep the ball rolling?
Not to be negative, but I wouldn't let somebody run off with my trailer, let alone a truck, and me be responsible for their actions.
JM2C & YMMV

Edited to add after Smoke's rebuttal: I've been screwed by "Friends and Family" more than I have by a person that I screened, checked references and done a background check on. (Not my business, I was the manager)
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smokelahoma · BBQ Fan Joined: 22 Mar 2009 Posts: 314

This would be someone I already know.
So the risk is being the boss of a friend or family member which is a totally different can of worms.
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BBQMAN · Posted: Jun 04 2011 Post subject:

BBQMAN · Posted: Jun 10 2011 Post subject:

Just curious on a follow up here Rob?

What do your local guys think?
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halftimer · Posted: Jun 10 2011 Post subject:

in texas if they run off with the truck you CANNOT turn it in as stolen and you have to find it.
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BBQMAN · Posted: Jun 10 2011 Post subject:

smokelahoma · BBQ Fan Joined: 22 Mar 2009 Posts: 314

I have talked to jeff and mike about roadside vending in the past, neither were very optimistic. I talked to some other food truck vendors as well about there numbers as well. I haven't gotten the greatest numbers from the foodtruck guys either.

But most of these are people who show up on a corner and hope someone shows up, very little marketing is being done.

I was really just looking for actual numbers from posters, but i understand that these numbers aren't going to be applicable to my situation.
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Jarhead · Posted: Jun 10 2011 Post subject:

BBQMAN · Posted: Jun 10 2011 Post subject: