Surviving Within The Food Truck Industry
Jerk 312 is a hot commodity here in Chicago. They were kind enough to share some awesome tips for surviving in the food truck industry.
“At Jerk service, love, and unity enables our pursuit to perfect the Jamaican Jerk Barbecue experience.”
Why create Jerk?
Chicago has good Jerk but it wasn’t easily accessible as say finding a taco or a burger. For years I longed for the “drum pan” Jerk Chicken that my mother and I would eat on the way home while growing up in Jamaica. The food truck laws changing to allow the ability to cook on-board screamed opportunity, opportunity to share a special part of my childhood and perhaps be a solution.
Chicago’s Weather Can Create Obstacles For Food Trucks
The winter months have been the biggest struggle for us and most all food trucks in Chicago. The winter months can kill a food truck business if you didn’t have a successful summer. Yes, we would love to see some of the laws change regarding the amount of propane we can carry as well as the 2hr parking limit and 200ft rule. However, we’ve built our business to be successful within the constraints of the current laws.
Our Customers Keep Us Going
They love us and we love them! I recently spoke to a customer from Philly that had been following us on Twitter for over a year and he had been dying to try our food. He finally made it to the truck during the Taste of Chicago and upon shaking my hand said “Thank you. That was the best Jerk Chicken I’ve ever had. The best Chicken I’ve ever had!”
Here Are 5 Tips To Survive Within The Food Truck Industry
- Build bridges and nurture relationships. This mantra has been an important part of of our success.
- Be prepared to wear many different hats. You are above no job and you should want to not only do them all but build the frame work for how they will function within your business.
- Learn the ins and outs of your food truck and be prepared to work long hours.
- Know your product but don’t be married to it. You have to know when to tweak and adjust. Just because you like it doesn’t mean your customer base will.
- Brush up on your math. Food costing is an integral part of your food truck business. High food costs will kill your dream.
