Best Food Trucks Blog

Catering FAQ's

Q: Why did all of the proposals come in at my budget?  
A: We allow you to start your request by entering your minimum budget. Therefore all of the proposals you receive for your request will come in at either the minimum food budget you entered or include a budget increase requested by the food truck on top of your minimum budget. This ensures that you will always receive the best price food for your booking.

Q: How can I change the date, time, location, guest count, or meal parts for my request?
A: Please reach out to our customer service team and they can adjust any details on your request, but please keep in mind that if this causes the food truck catering budget to decrease for any reason the request may have to be restarted and resent out to the food trucks to submit new proposals.

Q: What if I find out I will have more guests after I confirm a booking with a food truck?
A: The food truck will have a set overage per person price that can be added to the budget before the event starts, or we can invoice for the overages after the event as long as approved. Please keep in mind that the food truck cost may only bring limited extra servings for your event if not told how many more to expect before the event start date, so at that point they would serve their extra food until they sell out and BFT would invoice you accordingly for those approved overages after the event. Please note, it’s best to let the food truck know how many extra meals they are approved to serve at the event, if not they will continue to serve the extra guests until they are sold out of the extra servings they bring.

Q: What happens if there is bad weather and we need to reschedule a booked event with a food truck?
A: Typically, food trucks catering will be prepared to still serve in most weather situations, but if the weather does impact your event and you need to push back the date, all parties will communicate to see if a new date can be rescheduled for your event.

Q: Can I contact the food trucks before or after booking?
A: We have implemented a chat feature so that clients can reach out to food trucks catering directly before or after booking to ask questions or supply extra details about the event. You can access this feature when reviewing the proposals or after booking a food truck. Please note that any contact information, budget questions, or related questions may be flagged by the chat feature and not sent to the food truck. This has been implemented so that our BFT team can monitor any changes to the event that otherwise might be discussed directly so that our team can stay up to date on any changes to the request.

Q: How can I include or share my request with other people to review the food truck proposals?
A: For the food truck proposals the request link we send you can be copied and shared with anyone you send it to who will then have access to review the proposals at any time.  Please keep in mind that only the initial client will have access to view the budgets for that request and will only be shown the proposals, not the cost to book the food truck.  Only you would have access to the minimum food budget information.  We only allow one mobile number and email per request, so please make sure that the person who will be actually booking is listed on that request.  Please contact customer support if you need to modify the client contact information.

Q: What if I booked the food truck but I am not paying for it?
A: If you started the request, you can follow through with the entire booking and then share the final invoice with anyone you would like to make the payment.  Simply download the free invoice template due and share that PDF file with the person that will be paying.  That person can then select ‘Pay Invoice’ from that invoice PDF file and make payment.

Q: How Do I Pay?  
A: After booking a food truck you will be sent an email with a link to pay the invoice due. If the booking is outside of two weeks, you will only be required to pay 50% of the total due and then the remaining final pay would need to be completed a day before the event start date. Within two weeks, full pay for the event would be required. We distribute the 50% deposit pay out to the truck immediately in which the event would then be considered officially booked. We would then issue the final payout to the food truck finance once the event has been completed. If you had any approved overages we would send a separate invoice to you after the event. We offer two forms of payment, either by card or ACH payment. Please note that within 7 days of the event only card payment can be accepted. ACH payments have no fee, but there is a 2.9% processing fee added to the budget for card payments. We do not accept checks unless that is the only form of payment, in which a 5% check fee would be added to the budget total. If you need to pay with a food truck purchase order, please let our team know and we can fill out the required forms needed, but this may not be an option if the event is less than two weeks away. We do not accept extended ‘net pay’ and the total amount due must always be received before the event start date with no exceptions. We do not back out taxes for tax exempt organizations and the budget is all-inclusive (tax, gratuity, and all related booking expenses within your budget total.

Q: What if I need to cancel my event after I book? 
A: Please contact our customer service team about the cancellation and you would be refunded accordingly based on the food truck’s refund policy listed on their request. Each truck may have a different set of refund policies, so please review that before booking the food truck. Some trucks may offer no refunds after booking.

Q: What if a food truck cancels or pulls out of an event after I book them?  
A: Sometimes a food truck order may need to pull out of an event for an emergency reason, in which our team would then do everything possible to find you a replacement option so that you can order food trucks for event. If the replacement option does not work for you, or one can not be found, our company would issue a full refund.

Q: What if a food truck is late, does not offer expected service, or does not offer the menu items promised on the proposal I accepted?
A: Please contact our customer service team about the issue and we will do our best to resolve the situation in the fairest way possible for all parties involved.

Q: What permits are needed from the food trucks?
A: All food trucks should be permitted to work in the areas they submit proposals for, but for most private events location permits would not be required.

Q: What if I need a COI (Certificate of Insurance) from the food truck? 
A: Please let us know this information as soon as possible along with the name of the company and address of that company needed for the food truck COI. Food trucks can typically get the COI’s issued for your event from their insurance companies within 24-48 hours).

Q: How long before I have to pay the deposit and final pay after booking?
A: The food truck rental will not be considered officially booked until our company sends them over the deposit for the event.  The food trucks expect to receive the deposit within 48 hours of being selected and may take other events until that deposit is received.  In cases where your event is more than two weeks away and only a 50% deposit is initially required, the final pay must be completed a day before the event start date.

Q: How long do proposals last after the food trucks submit them? 
A: We recommend selecting and getting payment down on a food truck proposal as soon as possible because these vendors receive multiple requests and typically will book on a first come, first serve basis.  Whoever gets the food truck the deposit payment to the food truck first for that date will get that truck.

Our Best Food Trucks team held an informative meet-n-greet with some of the local Las Vegas food trucks recently that has helped grow ties and focus on future expansion in the area. With the peak season approaching in Las Vegas, Best Food Trucks is committed to capitalizing on the potential of this warm weathered region and upcoming events.

Continuing to create and build strong relationships with our food truck partners in the area will only help produce better results in this already strong regional market. The more food trucks we can offer these opportunities to, the more deals we can close, and help curate return business and build stronger relationships with the clients as well.

Working with Organizers:

Working with organizers for events and daily stop locations helps to complement your own efforts to expand your business. Every food truck operator should consistently and diligently grow their own business through developing leads, relationships, and opportunities. Organizers should complement your efforts and help fill in your schedule's open days. Just like any other industry, there are great organizers who do a masterful job at securing, promoting, and making a location or event profitable. Unfortunately, there are also those organizers who are disorganized, forget to promote, and just plain do not care about the locations they're managing. This essay will help you learn how to reach out to organizers, how to discern whether they're worth your time, and how to make the most of every event and location you find yourself booked into.

Who are the Organizers?

There are three types of organizers in the food truck space: the event organizer, the lot organizer, and the catering organizer. The event organizers produce larger one-off events that incorporate entertainment and activities for a fun, crowd-pleasing afternoon or evening. Sometimes these are big food truck events (although less likely now), and sometimes food trucks are the food options for the public at fairs, concerts, outdoor movie showings, carnivals, and municipal events. These types of events typically require much more planning, and food trucks are booked way in advance. Lot organizers typically organize daily lunch or dinner locations. These stops are to feed hungry office workers or a community interested in having a food truck serve in their neighborhood. These events are usually ongoing and require much less planning. These events can be "manually booked," or a system like Best Food Trucks can allow food trucks to book open days on an app. Either way, these daily events are typically less expensive and are not booked up too far in advance. Catering organizers bring you catering opportunities. This is pretty straightforward; however, you have to be wary of the catering organizer that gets your proposal and doubles the cost for the client. You don't want to show up to an event with a $15 meal that the organizer has charged $30 for. Catering requests come fast and have a very low booking success rate. It's best to have pre-made catering menus, so you don't spend all of your time creating menus. Most customers will try multiple organizers to fill their request, so the chances of booking a catered event are low. Apply, but apply using pre-made menus so you're not wasting your time. Getting catering events is the best way to spend your time. Pre-paid, you'll know what you need to prepare, and you'll know how many employees you'll need. No food waste, no running out of items.

What to look for with events:

Yearly events give you the best estimates of expected customer counts. Knowing what you have to prep for an event provides you with the information necessary to prep your food, staff your food truck, and prepare your supplies. When an event has a history, it's always important to ask the organizer for the previous year's attendance numbers before you sign up. If the organizer refuses to provide those numbers or is not exact about how many people showed up, it may not be the right event for you. When the event is a brand new event, you want to know what the draw is. What is going to bring people to their event? Is it a concert with a popular artist? If so, you don't have to worry as much about attendance. However, if it's a food truck event, the success will depend on how accessible food trucks are in the region you'll be serving. If you're in a region with a strong food truck industry, people are less inclined to go to food truck festivals as they have plenty of access to food trucks in their city. For example, the first Los Angeles Street Food Festival brought 16,000 people (estimated attendance 5,000) in February 2010. By June 2012, a large food truck event was all but ignored because people were used to seeing food trucks daily at their workplace and their neighborhoods.

Additionally, it's important to ask event organizers what type of promotions they'll be doing. Beware of the event organizer who says, "We'll be promoting on social media and expect the food trucks to do the same." Social media was enough in the early days of the food truck industry, but it takes more to bring people to an event now. Also beware of the "Food Truck Festival." Don't be afraid to ask for a minimum guarantee.

Event logistics:

The most successful festivals have impeccable organization with a tightly scheduled day. The day is scheduled to the minute, truck locations are clearly marked, and everyone knows what they are supposed to be doing at all times of the day. Event organizers who do not communicate the details of the event week's in advance may cause some unnecessary distress.

Things to ask about:

- Onsite contact: Will there be someone you can always call?

- Layout of trucks: Has the organizer planned for the most popular gourmet food trucks to have longer lines than others? Where will you be placed? Be sure it's in an area that is easily accessible to the public.

- Waste facilities: Pay attention to the quantity and location of trash cans and restrooms to keep the area clean and in compliance with all codes and regulations.

- Security: Will there be enough security? Events are usually calm and easy, unfortunately, events can get pretty riled up, especially when alcohol is a central focus (beer festivals). You want to make sure that there is someone to call if security is required. Sometimes people drinking can put you or your employees at risk.

- What are the fees? Fees have gotten completely out of hand in recent years. The bigger the festival, the crazier the fees. It used to be that 10% was the most anyone could charge. Now, at spots like Coachella, we've seen 50% fees on food. This just means that food trucks have to raise their prices. Make sure to look for hidden fees such as: Power fees, where the organizer requires you to plug into their power. Water fees, where the organizers sell you their water at higher than normal prices. Waste fees, where the organizer requires that you pay their staff to empty trash cans.

- What is your weather policy? What happens if there is a huge storm on the day of the event? Be sure to ask if fees are refundable if the event is canceled or severely impacted by weather.

- Is the event insured? Is the event insured against weather and disasters.

What to look for with daily lots:

Daily lots do not require the preparation and logistics of a full-scale event. A well-managed lunch location should allow you to show up 15 minutes before serving time and set up for lunch or dinner. Beware if the organizer wants you to show up an hour before your shift. Managing employee hours helps ensure your shifts are profitable. Before scheduling a lot, you'll want to know how the organizer promotes the location. Often times the organizer is at the mercy of the location's "Gatekeeper." The gatekeeper is the person who notifies the location's employees or residents about the food truck coming for the shift. If the gatekeeper fails, the organizer will fail, and the food truck will have a bad shift. Automated systems like Best Food Trucks help to automate the outreach process and auto email customers about the schedules. Just like with events, you want to ask organizers how trucks have been doing. When you ask, be sure to inquire about your particular cuisine type or something similar. A daily lunch location may do really well for hamburgers but terrible for salads. Also, ask about the day of the week. We've seen very often that people are less inclined to eat unhealthier foods on Monday vs. Friday. When people have a big wild weekend with drinks and unhealthy food, the last thing they want is a burger for lunch on a Monday. You should also ask about the breakdown of the customer base. If the location is a blue-collar factory with a higher percentage of men, the successful cuisines are going to be different than a gender-balanced tech company with a younger workforce. Blue-collar locations typically see more traditional fare like burgers, sandwiches, Mexican food, and pizza being successful. Tech companies see salads, wraps, Asian fusion, and bowls being more successful. Don't be afraid to ask about the location and the people you'll be serving. Be wary if the organizer doesn't know the answers to these types of questions. Recently, we've seen more of a need for minimum guarantees. Minimums help protect you against a bad location, but more importantly, they encourage gatekeepers to get the word out and promote your arrival.

How do you find the organizer?

Talking to the food trucks in your region about who they like to work with is very important. The best thing you can do is to attend food truck events and stop by daily lunch locations early and speak to your fellow food truck operators about their experiences with different organizers. Often times, daily locations are run by your fellow food truck operators. You can also use Instagram and Facebook to research who is doing what locations. When talking to food truck operators, be respectful. A veteran food truck operator doesn't want to hear how you, as a new truck, are the best at what you do, so be humble and nice and they’ll typically help. 

You found the organizer! How do you reach out?

Organizers everywhere are approached daily by new food trucks asking for opportunities. I'm shocked every day how someone can email me from a Gmail account with a personal email and simply say, "Hey, how do I get access to _____ location?" DO NOT DO THIS. A first email to an organizer should be an introduction. When approaching organizers for locations, it's important to include a signature block with your name, your truck name, email, social media links, and anything else that can introduce your food truck to an organizer who gets inquiries from new trucks every week. Also helpful to include: a link to your menu, a pic of your truck if you haven't worked with them much in the past. If an organizer has to try and figure out who you are, they're just going to ignore you. Organizers that have been working with food trucks for a while already have a stable group of trucks they like working with. Adding a food truck that they've never worked with is not in their best interest. An organizer is trying to provide awesome food to their clients from a food truck that shows up on time and does a great job. Adding a new food truck to their rotation is always a risk. Your job is to convince the organizer of your competence and your desirability. How do you do this? Have a menu with GREAT pictures. Great pictures tell an organizer you're committed to making your food truck the best it can be before you even hit the road. Tell the organizer who else you've worked with, what amazing events you've done before. Include links to any stories or blogs written about you. Provide social media links with pictures and comments of things written about you.

When you're a brand new truck, organizers typically ignore requests. They want to see what you've done before they start booking you at locations. Organizers are like middle management. They serve truck owners and clients. Too few orders? Trucks are mad! Food truck is late or serves meals slowly, clients are mad. It's a delicate balance. When you have been on the road for a while, chances are organizers will reach out to you. The way you respond to them says a lot about you and your business. We've seen trucks lash out at organizers they don't know. "WE DON'T WORK WITH ORGANIZERS" or "WE DON'T PAY FEES!" That's all well and good until an organizer gets some amazing contract with the City, or the Super Bowl, and you want to do something with them. Organizers have long memories and will blacklist you pretty quickly for rude behavior. It's just as easy to respond with "We're not interested at this time, but we'd love to hear back from you" or "we're not currently taking daily events because we're focused on catering." If everyone in the industry, food trucks, and organizers, thinks that you're easy to work with, you will get more requests and opportunities. If people believe you to be hard to work with, you'll be the last food truck called. An organizer will ask a veteran food truck about you, and if you've been hard to work with, don't expect a call back.

Easy Things You Can Do:

- Have a great menu. Great pics, great descriptions.

- Be nice. If a food truck owner on the street asks you to move up a foot so he can park, DO IT!

- Be on time. Late food trucks wreck events and daily spots.

- Be great at customer service. The best meal you've ever served with a bad attitude will turn customers and organizers off much faster than a mistake you've served with a smile.

- Stay for your whole shift, or call the organizer before leaving early.

- Wash your truck daily. A dirty truck makes organizers and customers super nervous about what the inside looks like.

- Do not leak. If your truck leaks, bring a box to put under the leak. You don't want to leave any marks.

- Keep the organizer updated. If you're going to be late, tell the organizer. They're going to hear it from the client.

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Working with organizers is a great way to grow your business, increase sales and fill up your schedule. Just as you have to sell yourself to organizers, make sure they’re selling themselves to you. Organizers who seem to be disorganized and have a hard time answering you with clear and concise responses, may be tough to work with. 

Based on the experience of the trucks of the Southern California Mobile Food Vendors’ Association (SoCal MFVA), we have compiled a list of the items our members have noticed help create a successful event.

• Number of attendees: The ideal ratio of attendees per truck is between 200 and 300 if everyone is expected to eat. With less than 200, it’s difficult for the trucks to make money. Over 300, the lines often get long and the customers are unhappy. If it’s not an “eating” event, that ideal ratio should double.

• Fee Structure: With all costs included, the trucks expect fees to be approximately 5-10% of their sales for the day. If the fee is over 10% of sales, then we need an exceptional sales day to make up for it. I know that a flat fee is often easier for the organizer. If that fee structure is chosen, please keep in mind the trucks would ideally need 10x that fee in sales—after paying our sales tax—in order to profit. If you choose a flat fee structure, we have recommended that our members ask for a guarantee of attendance. Please do not be surprised if you see this as many festivals have promised the world and delivered less than ¼  of the projected attendance.

• Attendance estimates: Often, food trucks have to prepare their food days in advance. If attendance is higher than anticipated, vendors run the risk of selling out well before the end of the event. Customers will go home angry and trucks will not have capitalized on all possible sales. Conversely, if tickets are selling slower than anticipated, the trucks may have to throw away product. For example, most trucks threw away hundreds of dollars of food after attendance at the OC Foodie Fest was far below expectations. If you can provide estimates of attendance the Monday before, and then 48 and 24 hours before the event, it will help the trucks prepare appropriately.

• Logistics of the event:
• • Load in times: Please keep in mind how load-in times impact our business. We pay our employees from the time of load in. Ideally, all trucks will be in position 1 hour prior to the start of the event. If special temporary food facility permits are required, trucks should be in place and ready for health department inspection 2 hours prior to the event. Please communicate load in times 2 weeks in advance. Trucks need to schedule employees’ hours 1-2 weeks in advance. Without knowing the load-in times, it makes scheduling very difficult.

• • VIP Times: We understand that VIP tickets are important to some customers and profitable for the venue. VIP times are not profitable for the trucks because we are feeding only a handful of people. Please limit VIP times to half an hour. The customers will get to eat their pick of 2-3 trucks without lines, the organizers make money, and the trucks break even.

• Organization: The most successful festivals have impeccable organization. The day is scheduled to the minute, truck locations are clearly marked, and everyone knows what they are supposed to be doing at all times of the day. Specific items to be wary of are:

• Layout of trucks:  Plan for the most popular gourmet food trucks to have longer lines that others.

• Waste facilities: Pay attention to the quantity and location of trash cans and restrooms to keep the area clean and in compliance with all codes and regulations.
• Security: If you're going to have alcohol, be sure to have the proper amount of security.
  

To have a great food truck event, you need great planning, amazing food trucks and attention to detail. Making sure food truck operators are taken care of will ensure that your event goes smoothly. Overcharging, lack of communication and dictatorial demands will turn the best of the best food trucks and leave you with a substandard food truck selection. Be kind, communicative and fair and you'll have a great event.

Revolutionizing Food Truck Stops: From Mayhem to Methodology

Introduction

In the early days of the food truck industry, when the concept was still taking shape in Los Angeles around 2010, the demand for food trucks was overwhelming. With just 30 gourmet food trucks in the city at the time, the first LA Food Truck festival expected 5,000 attendees but was met with a staggering turnout of 16,000 people. This unexpected surge in popularity created chaos and a need for organized food truck stops. Inspired by these challenges, the SoCal Mobile Food Vendors Association (SoCalMFVA) emerged, paving the way for a new era of food truck organization and revolutionizing the industry as a whole.

From Chaos to Order: Savor the Revolution - Where Food Trucks Dance to an Organized Beat!

Initially, communication between food trucks and customers primarily relied on Twitter, with vendors announcing their location and customers flocking to the food truck stops. This informal approach led to long queues, last-minute cancellations, and late arrivals, which eventually prompted the need for more structured and organized food truck stops. Recognizing this gap, the SoCalMFVA stepped up to the plate, receiving requests from companies to assist in organizing food truck stops. While the more established and popular trucks were less interested, the newer ones saw the benefits of having guaranteed food truck stops that not only generated revenue but also increased their visibility.

The Birth of Organized Food Truck Stops: Fueling Fairness for Food Truck Mavericks

To facilitate the process of organizing food truck stops, the SoCalMFVA introduced the concept of using technology to streamline scheduling and payment. They implemented the use of Google Schedule and Paypal, charging a nominal fee of $15-$25 per stop. This revenue was then utilized to support the operations of the association, including hiring attorneys to protect the rights of food truck vendors. Over the course of their first three years, the association filed lawsuits against 13 cities in LA County, aiming to secure fair regulations for food truck operations.

Introducing "Lotmom" - Your Passport to Food Truck Paradise

With the aim of further enhancing the organization and accessibility of food truck stops, we created "Lotmom" - the groundbreaking new booking system exclusively for food trucks stops. This innovative platform allowed food truck vendors to independently book their desired locations, ensuring fair distribution of spots among different trucks. Lotmom simplified the process for vendors and event organizers alike, making it easier than ever to secure high-traffic locations. By incorporating user-friendly filters, the system prevented one truck from monopolizing all the food truck spots and allowed locations to curate their offerings based on different cuisines, offering a diverse and enticing food truck experience.

Lotmom Expands into Best Food Trucks - Unleashing Foodie Nirvana Nationwide

Due to the overwhelming success of Lotmom, the platform grew and expanded beyond Los Angeles. Embracing the opportunity to serve food truck enthusiasts nationwide, Lotmom transformed into "Best Food Trucks," a comprehensive online resource that revolutionized the way food truck stops were organized. Best Food Trucks expanded its database to include food truck information from major cities across the United States, providing a one-stop solution for both vendors and consumers.

Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges - The Rise of Exclusive Organizers

While associations focused on ensuring fairness and equal access for all members, the rise of exclusive organizers posed a challenge. These organizers only worked with top-rated food trucks, promising businesses the "best of the best." This selective approach undermined the associations, as businesses sought out exclusive organizers instead. It became evident that a balance needed to be struck between quality and equal opportunities to support the growth of the industry as a whole.

Striking the Balance for Sustainable Growth - Breaking Boundaries, Expanding Palates

As the food truck industry continued to evolve, it became essential to strike a balance between quality and equal opportunities. While exclusive organizers provided access to highly rated food trucks, it risked stifling the growth of newer vendors and limiting the diversity of food truck offerings. Associations, on the other hand, aimed to provide fair access to all vendors but struggled to compete with the exclusive organizers' marketing strategies.

To address this challenge, collaborations between associations and exclusive organizers emerged, creating a symbiotic relationship that fostered growth while ensuring inclusivity. By working together, associations and exclusive organizers could offer curated events that showcased a variety of high-quality food trucks while also providing opportunities for new vendors to gain exposure and build their customer base.

Conclusion

As it set out on its flavorful adventure, the food truck sector rode a roller coaster from unruly roadside meet-ups to the well-orchestrated stops of today. With the SoCal Mobile Food Vendors Association at the helm and innovative platforms like "Lotmom" and "Best Food Trucks" at our disposal, we were able to turn culinary anarchy into methodical beauty. Imagine shortened scheduling, happy vendors relishing in the joy of equal access, and groups dancing the tango with select organizers. They worked together to create a thriving food truck oasis, where visitors from all over the world could satisfy their appetites and enjoy an experience they would never forget. The streets were transformed into a playground of epicurean joy as the revolutionaries brought the populace delicious treats, from mayhem to meticulousness.

Top 10 Food Truck Cities in America

The Top 10 Food Trucks In America: Serving Up Deliciousness On Wheels!

Prepare to embark on a tantalizing culinary adventure as we delve into the thriving world of American food trucks! No longer a niche market, mobile food vending has rapidly evolved into a mainstream phenomenon, saturating modern American culture with an astounding variety of flavors and cuisines from every corner of the globe. With an impressive fleet of 25,000 food trucks traversing the nation, identifying the ultimate destination cities for mobile dining can feel overwhelming. But fear not, dear reader! Our team has meticulously sifted through countless customer reviews and ratings across multiple platforms to curate the authoritative list of the Top 10 Food Truck Cities in the US. Get ready to savor every delectable bite while getting out and exploring America!

Below, you'll find information about the food truck scene in America's top 10 cities. Take a look at each city's vibrant food truck culture:

1. Los Angeles
2. Nashville
3. Tampa
4. Washington DC
5. Austin
6. Seattle
7. Boston
8. New York City
9. Dallas
10. Phoenix

You're here because you've decided to up your party game and provide your valued guests with the hottest gourmet eats around and need answering to the question ‘how to rent a food truck for an event’. Renting a food truck can be a complicated affair, but not when you partner with Best Food Trucks, the industry leader in food truck catering for parties. There are a variety of considerations in your preparations for your party and since we started the first mobile food truck vendors association in the country back in January 2010, we have literally seen everything one can see in this industry, and our experience is yours, helping you cut through all the complications to ensure your party goes off without a hitch. And one of the first questions countless individuals have asked us is the cost of renting a food truck for their party.

If you want beverage and/or dessert options (with a savory truck) in addition to your cuisine catering, expect a range of $1-$5 in addition per person, with food truck rentals for parties.

Further, a general rule of thumb is that requests of cuisine orders under a total of 50 people will likely face food truck rental minimums, increasing your per person cost. Some trucks will have minimums below this amount while others will be higher, but this is the general ballpark to expect when planning your order and remembering when you want to rent a food truck for party.

But Why Am I Bound To Cover A Minimum Food Truck Rental Cost?

A food truck minimum is the cost you have to pay to get the truck on site and make the job financially beneficial to cover a truck's operating costs regardless of the number of eaters that show up. Food truck operation is expensive and the truck's responsibility lies in making great food for your guests and not in promotion of said event. If people do not show up and trucks eat the set-up costs, they won't stay in business. Hence, the minimum cost to rent a food truck for a party ensures all base costs are covered. Staffing, food costs, fuel costs, automotive maintenance, thorough truck cleanings, etc., are just a few expenses that go into rental food truck operation.

Factors That Affect Food Truck Rental Prices

There's a lot that goes into the rental cost, determined by the specifics of your party. Let's get started!

• Type of Event: The anticipated number of guests and the event's theme will both play a role in determining how much it will cost to rent a food truck for a party. Since corporate clients typically book multiple food truck rentals for parties & events, the price per person would rise for corporate events. Prices for private events (birthday parties, wedding receptions, etc.) would be lower than the prices for a corporate event due to the lower number of guests and the trend of hiring a single food truck for such events.
• Variety of Cuisines: When catering to a larger crowd, such as at a wedding or an office party, the host may opt for a more diverse menu to provide guests with additional dining options. This implies more food trucks to hire for parties, raising the cost per person.
• Power Cost: You need to take into account the cost of power supply which you would be providing for each food truck coming to your event. Food truck rentals use power to operate their mobile kitchen, this includes working with ovens, microwaves, refrigerators for desserts and more.
• Travel Cost To Reach Your Event: Food trucks do not usually travel long distances to cater an event, but if they do, most food truck owners would expect an extra travel fee if your party location is farther away. This cost even depends on whether or not your city permits food trucks operations, or has certain restrictions on food trucks catering parties. Another factor that affects travel cost includes the cuisine type, for instance common food trucks catering tacos and bbq are relatively cheaper to rent than a fusion or any fine cuisine food truck.

In a nutshell, if you are calculating the cost of renting a food truck the first thing to consider is what you want to serve and how many people are going to attend your event. While there are other considerations, these two are responsible for the majority of the bottom line. Hope this blog helped you answer ‘how to rent a food truck for an event’.

You've done the hard work spending your invaluable time conducting extensive and effective research, so that's why you're here at Best Food Trucks, your Best Partner to assist you in any and all facets of renting a food truck for your event!

• Catering - I want the Best Food Truck for my private and/or corporate event! [Hotlink Jump - Food Truck Catering] 
• Marketplace Solutions - I want the Best Food Trucks for a short- or long-term rental or lease. [Hotlink Jump - Food Truck Marketplace]
• Marketing Activation - I want to create the Best Food Truck experiential marketing activation. [Hotlink Jump - Food Truck Marketing]

Best Food Trucks: The Industry Leader In Food Truck Catering, Food Truck Rentals, & Event Booking

As the industry leader in all facets of food truck logistics, alongside the regulatory and legal expertise of our partners in the National Food Truck Association, helping people engage with food trucks across all potential avenues is what we do. With collectively over 25+ years in the food truck game working with over 20K individual food trucks, we have helped facilitate hundreds of thousands of food truck interactions and impressions across not just the United States but the world. Our competence is unrivaled in the industry as it's not just about quantity at Best Food Trucks, it's about quality, and it's that kind of mastery of every facet of the food truck industry—from consumer to provider to regulator to legislator—that has facilitated such widespread success and experience to rent a food truck in Los Angeles.

Best Food Truck receives 1500-2000 catering requests per month. As a BFT user you're entitled to apply for any event in your region. Applying for catering opportunities is fast and easy through BFT. However, booking those events takes a little more time and effort. You can quickly and easily look at all your opportunities in your catering dashboard. The three biggest factors to booking food catering trucks for parties and other events through BFT are:

• Great Pictures
• Great Descriptions
• Speed of Application

Great Pictures: Insta-Worthy Event Catering With Food Trucks

The average Instagram poster can take great pictures of their dinner, so you must be able to do the same or better. Great-looking pictires should focus on the food, have great lighting, and be clear. Maravilla Latin Cuisine has done a fantastic job taking great pics.

Great Descriptions: Surprise And Delight Customers With Your Delectable Food Truck Menu

Great descriptions of your food are a must if you want to book great catering events consistently. Menus of food catering trucks that say "choose a protein" or just list their menu items will not book many catering events. People are looking for descriptive language. Use descriptive adjectives to make the ingredients of your dish sound even better. For example, don't just say "tomatoes"; say "fresh tomatoes." Use other adjectives like "homemade," "freshly baked," "crispy," and "hand-cut." Your job is to describe your amazing food truck menu in a way that excites customers.

Speed Of Application: Cater To Consumers' Demands With Our Accelerated Food Truck Booking App

Most of the customers using BFT to book a food truck, want quick results. Even if their event is three months from now, they want to lock in their food options quickly so they can move on to other things. Once BFT receives five to seven submissions, we send those to the client. Clients typically choose one of the first five to seven submissions, even when others are submitted later. So, get your food truck menu on our food truck booking app as soon as possible to increase your chances of being hired for an event near you.

We're excited to launch the BFT Point of Sale.

• The Best Food Trucks Point of Sale was created to work seamlessly with our BFT online ordering system. Once activated, the POS will appear on the BFT app.
• Having all of your orders on one screen will simplify the process of managing walk ups and online orders. Currently, only online customers are alerted via email when a truck is scheduled at one of our locations. With our new POS, we’ll also alert walk up customers that share their phone number or email for notifications. People are incentivized to share their phone number so they can be alerted when their food is ready.
• Our introductory POS processing fee is 2.5% + .05 (for the first 6 months then 2.6% + .05). We have also built in incentives for POS use. If you do $300 in credit card payments, you’ll receive a $3 credit towards booking dates.
• If you refer a food truck to the POS you'll receive $100 through Stripe after they hit $2,000 in credit card payments through the BFT POS. 

If you’re interested in using our POS reach out to [email protected] and please let us know what address to send the credit card reader (free) to and when you’d like to start.  If you're already using our POS and want to be a BFT ambassador to generate revenue for yourself, please email [email protected] . It's easy to connect the credit card reader and get started: https://app.typestudio.co/share/W3aZ9ZliRJpxTcdTxAde

Beach Eats - Where Food and Fun Unites!

Fun and vibrant, Marina Del Rey is known for its outdoor events. From fun activities to the best food trucks in LA County serving up gourmet grubs, Marina Del Rey has it all. Beach Eats is another such weekly food truck event at Marina Beach more commonly known as Mother’s Beach. The event happens every week on summer Thursdays from 5 to 9pm, May through October. So, whether you’re a local or new in town, if you’re looking for fun things to do around Marina, we have good news. Beach Eats is coming back to Marina Del Rey soon. So put on your stretchy pants, don your napkins and head out to Beach Eats!

Calling all LA County Food Trucks: Beach Eats is coming back soon

BFT is bringing back LA County fair food trucks to the Beach Eats in Marina Del Rey

Beach Eats is entering the 12th year and it's going to be better than ever! Food Trucks always have great shifts here. If you're a food truck in LA county, you'll need the LA County Business License. 

Everyone scheduled for Beach Eats or any County Event, and those who would like to book Beach Eats must get a LA County food truck inspection and have a COUNTY Business License. This is not the LA County Health Permit, It's not a City of LA business license and it's not the LA Tax Cert, since it comes under all the LA County food trucks requirements.

The LA County Business License can be obtained at  225 N. Hill Street Los Angeles, CA 90012, INFO -Toll-Free No.: (888) 807-2111 Email: [email protected] http://ttc.lacounty.gov/ (under business license)

What To Expect At The Beach Eats Festival?
No one knows how to celebrate food better than us Americans. Whether your favorite food is a simple grilled cheese sandwich or a gourmet style lobster, Beach Eats celebrates it in a big way. Wondering what to expect at Beach Eats? 

• From American classic to Asian-fusion, Beach Eats has it all. It's a full-on food truck fare!
• You can have a picnic by the beach. Roll out that blank and enjoy your food by the waves.
• You can even bring your fur friends. Dogs are welcome at the Beach Eats festival.

Have you ever been to a festival with food trucks and wondered, “How on earth is my burger, fries and a drink over $20?” Answer: it is not the food truck. Event organizers are now charging up to 40% of a food truck’s gross sales to participate in their event. Participation fees for food trucks catering at parties used to be 10%.

Food truck rental for parties, like many restaurants, operates on very small margins. After catering for parties, the food truck owner pays for food, employees, food truck and commissary rent, propane, gas, insurance and incidentals; they're typically left with about 10-15% profit. Well attended events with big sales numbers will increase the margins a bit, but not enough to justify a 40% fee. So what happens? Food trucks must pass along a portion of the participation fee to the customer so they don’t lose money on every order. The public, understandably, sees these higher prices and mistakenly assumes the food truck is taking advantage of the customer’s attendance. We’ve seen terrible Yelp reviews that start off with: “I used to like this truck, but then they overcharged me at an event and now I won’t go back…”

Reducing A Truckload of Trouble for Food Truck Owners

Customers who are already paying the high costs for a ticket shouldn’t have to pay exorbitant prices for a food truck meal while enjoying an event. Food trucks for festivals provide a great outdoor service. The eclectic food options and the ability to serve anywhere makes them the perfect choice for large scale events. But the food truck industry is successful because food trucks bring great meals to the public at reasonable prices. Unfortunately, when food truck owners are forced to pay 40% to be part of an event they have to raise their prices to a level that most food truck owners find unacceptable. The question I hear most often is, “why don’t food truck owners just skip the high fee events?” Food trucks have to get out and do business. They can’t pass up events, especially in the areas that have a short season. Food truck owners have to get while the getting is good. They would most definitely prefer to offer food trucks  catering for special events and charge their normal prices.

So what can the public do? If you find food trucks catering for festivals, why not try asking the organizers via social media how much they’re charging food trucks to attend? Currently, organizers aren’t blamed for the high cost of food because it’s not clear how much they’re charging the trucks. Instead, the blame for high prices falls directly on the food truck owners. If the public joined with food truck owners and demanded that organizers lower their fees, food trucks could charge their normal (or close to normal) prices. Let’s bring down the price for food this upcoming event season.

Outsource Your Catering Needs Today!

BFT is your best choice to find yourself the perfect rental party food truck for all your catering needs, whether you're interested in booking food trucks for your special events or you're searching for a food truck to come to your office or neighborhood every week. Give us a ring right now and we'll have you set up with one of our finest mobile eateries.

The Challenges Operating Food trucks Faced

Food trucks are one of the many businesses affected by the epidemic, but because of their mobility, they provide better flexibility than traditional restaurants. Yet, during the epidemic, the food truck industry struggled to turn a profit, far less sales. 

Because of the strict restrictions imposed on social distancing measures during the pandemic, the cash stream provided by catering events for food truck operators was hampered. This caused the food truck vendors to get off the streets since there were no hungry mouths to feed on the streets. 

And despite the restrictions being lifted post-covid, less people were interested in eating at food trucks and other mobile vendors due to concerns about food contamination. Moreover, staying in quarantine caused people to adjust their diets, moving away from fast food and towards more balanced, nourishing meals spaced out throughout the day. As a result, several low-key mobile eateries failed.

Food Trucks Adapting to the Post-Covid World

Now even though people are finally returning to the offices, many will continue to work remotely. Even when the limitations were lifted following the pandemic, there was a decline in the demand for street food due to food safety concerns. Being quarantined for such a prolonged period even changed the eating habits of people, a shift from eating unhealthy fast food to eating healthy nutritious meals throughout the day. This caused many modest food truck businesses to run out of business. Decisions on how to adapt in this post-Covid world will be a critical factor in the success of operating food trucks and brands moving forward. 

Two of the bigger changes that affect both the food truck operations and customers might be here to stay. Despite office buildings slowly filling back up, the demand may be limited with more workers now contributing efforts from home. With more people working from home, the demand for food truck catering services has continued to expand out to neighborhoods and large apartment complexes with some food trucks moving towards food delivery options. We are now witnessing the traditional ways of getting food truck operating systems to expand to include virtual world customers looking for food trucks, and food trucks looking to find homebound customers.

Considering how much the industry may change from this point on, the technological bridge becomes even more important. Luckily food truck technology has developed at the perfect time for food truck operators who need to adapt to different ways of attracting business. With innovative food truck operational plans, food truck booking and online ordering platform companies are now paving the way in connecting operators with clients and vice versa. 

Be a VIP at Your Party; Book BFT's Mobile Kitchens for Your Next Big Event

The largest online food truck booking and ordering platform company in the industry, BestFoodTrucks.com, has a simple goal. BFT wants to handle the logistics so operators can focus on the food. BFT assists in everything from lot booking to location management (food trucks at offices and neighborhood) to exclusive order ahead technology in food trucks and easy to navigate catering events. If you’re interested in a smooth catering service for your next event, get in touch with us right away and let us find you the perfect food truck to turn your event into a memorable experience.

We've got some great new services and features to help food trucks using BFT bring in more money each week. If you own a food truck and make a weekly income with BFT, you'll love our brand new features and services. Try our cutting-edge new tool to get new customers and retain the ones you already have. Gaining and keeping customers is now a breeze. Contact us at [email protected] if you have any further inquiries or require assistance.

The New and Improved Catering Requests Application

Apply for catering requests by going to https://trucks.bestfoodtrucks.com/catering-requests. Food Truck Catering requests have increased dramatically in 2022. Applying for catering requests takes 10-15 seconds once you have your food truck catering menu set up. Some of the local food trucks for catering did over $40,000 in 2022. Now you can request a higher budget by clicking “reject" and asking for a budget increase.

Minimum Pre-Order Guarantee Before Catering For Events

Now you can require your customers to hit a pre-order guarantee before confirming your shift. Customers will be able to track orders on your order page to ensure everyone is ordering. To create a minimum pre-order guarantee shift go to “schedule customer shift” in the BFT app and select "Minimum Guarantee '' section.

Simplify Your Food Truck Operations With BFT's Point-of-Sale

The Best Food Trucks Point of Sale was created to work seamlessly with our BFT online ordering system. Once activated, the POS will appear on the BFT app.

• Having all of the food truck catering orders on one screen will simplify the process of managing walk ups and online orders. Currently, only the online customers are alerted via email when the  food trucks available for catering are scheduled at one of our locations, with our new POS, we’ll also alert walk up customers that share their phone number or email for notifications. People are incentivized to share their phone number, so they can be alerted when their food is ready.
• Our introductory POS processing fee at 2.5% + .05 (for the first 6 months then 2.6% + .05). We have also built in incentives for POS use. If you do $200 in credit card payments, you’ll receive a $5 credit towards booking dates.
• If you refer a food truck to the POS you'll receive $100 through Stripe after they hit $2,000 in credit card payments through BFT POS.

If you’re interested in using our POS, reach out to sales@bestfoodtrucks and please let us know where to send the credit card reader (free) and let us know when you’d like to start catering via food trucks for events.

BFT is now scheduling food trucks in neighborhoods and offices in Los Angeles County. We know you’re tired of delivery food and the fees! 45 minutes is way too long to wait for a hamburger and fries. Now you can schedule a weekly or daily food truck with freshly made meals straight to your neighborhood or office complex! With online ordering we make ordering simple, safe and easy.

Receive a $50 Meal Credit if you help us successfully launch a food truck program for your neighborhood or office building.

If you'd like to book food trucks directly by using our automated submission form: CLICK HERE to get started. Or if you'd like someone from our team to walk you through the process, please reply to this email or send an email to [email protected] and tell us where you're located and what you'd like food trucks for.

We can't wait to serve you again you soon!

Corporate catering is changing. As people head back to offices (slowly) employers are reexamining how to provide subsidized meals to employees. Pre-Pandemic scoop and serve trough-style catering was the accepted way to feed a department quickly and easily. Of course there were always going to be some people left out, vegans, celiac etc, but the majority would get a quick meal and be back to work. The open-trough feeding just seems unsanitary now. Do I really want to touch utensils everyone else has had their hands on? Do I really want the 20 people in front of me breathing, sneezing and coughing on my food before I get in to scoop? Nope! Not after two years of masking up to protect myself against invisible pathogens. 

Benefits of Hiring Food Trucks Post-Pandemic

Let's talk about why it makes sense to hire a food truck. We can all agree that after being hit by a pandemic, the first thing we want to do is eat something delicious. Here are a few advantages to ponder about renting a food truck: 

1. Budget-Friendly Service: Compared to restaurants, food trucks fit inside your limited budget. Plus all sizes of food trucks are available, so you need not worry about your guests going hungry.
2. Mobile Kitchen Catering Service: Serve your guests in style by renting a food truck to serve your backyard gathering or an outdoor business event. By hiring a food truck, you can save more than fifty percent compared to traditional catering services or an exclusive restaurant.
3. Safety Concerns: Living in the post-covid era, the customers are extremely concerned about hygiene and other safety precautions. However, with a food truck such concerns are nullified since the food is prepared right before your eyes.
4. Clean Kitchen: Due to the modest size of these mobile food trucks, it is simple to maintain a clean kitchen at all times, as seen by their inspection reports.
5. Specific Orders to Customer’s Needs: Besides offering a wide selection of foods, many food truck caterers will also accommodate dietary restrictions and preferences for your guests.

New feelings about sanitary conditions are why food trucks have become such a desired alternative to the troughs. Employers can now provide meal benefits for employees with BFTs meal plans. Additionally, the Best Food Trucks platform allows employees to put in online orders days before their catered lunch so they’re not rushing to get it done on the day of the meal service. Each employee can put in special instructions to ensure that they get a meal they can eat and enjoy.

Book Weekly Food Trucks To Arrange Onsite Meals For Employees 

In a bid to bring employees back to the workplace, employers are offering subsidized food meals from trusted sources to keep employees happy and content. We’ve seen a rush on employer-provided meals for employees. The two most popular are full catered lunches where employees simply walk up or order online from a limited menu. The bill is covered by the employer. These catered events are less frequent and typically fall on special days.  Gaining popularity is the employer subsidized meal plan that sees a food truck come more regularly with the employer issuing online coupons to employees. Employees can quickly order online with a coupon issued by their company. We’ve seen coupons from $3-$15. Employees get a great order email with a small ticket price. 

Let Us Take Care of the Catering So You Can Focus on What Truly Matters!

Whatever the meal service, Best Food Trucks can find a meal plan that benefits your employees in a sanitary, less wasteful way. Made to order meals from a food truck are hot and prepared onsite, with less waste than traditional trough style catering. So what are you waiting for? Call us right away for a smooth catering experience. We pick out the perfect food truck for your catering needs and have happy employees with boosted morale!

We get it. You’re sick of going to the same three restaurants over and over. Delivery food comes lukewarm at best, meaning say goodbye to crispy french fries, and get used to using words like “soggy” and “stale”. Catering trays where you have little choice, and 25% of that food is likely going into the trash.

That’s where food trucks come in. Neighborhood food truck catering  and the office food trucks are the best possible solutions to bring a professional chef and a fully equipped kitchen delivered right to your house or office. These mobile kitchens offer an eco-friendly catering solution with minimal food waste, and all of your guests are served freshly prepared cuisines of their choosing. No soggy fries. There are no lengthy wait times.

 Order Your Food in Advance With BFT & Never Wait In Line Again

Best Food Trucks (BFT) provides an online ordering system for all its mobile office food trucks

so your employees never have to wait in line. Additionally, the employees can pre-order up to three days in advance to ensure that your order will be ready at the office food truck. When the food is ready, a text message is received so they can come grab it fresh. No lines means you can get more work done, relax more, or just enjoy extra time.

This is why we see a lot of offices starting to use food trucks for office lunch a lot more than traditional catering dishes. You get all the convenience of online ordering with the freshest possible food made right outside your doorstep. Unlike traditional catering, food trucks offer a large variety of options on their food truck menus. Serve your guests with sumptuous cuisines with the help of our professional food truck caterers. 

Rely on BFT for a Stress-Free Catering Experience

We take care of the catering so you can focus on what truly matters! Typically, offices and neighborhoods would have to manage the whole catering process themselves, once they are done searching the internet for queries like, “food trucks in my area.” They then have to negotiate minimums, check certifications and licenses, track booking, manage and track payouts, and routing customer feedback to the truck. Sounds fun, right?

BFT does all of this, for FREE. We want to make sure you’re happy with your meal options, so with our unique software approach along with our decade of relationships with food trucks in your area, you won’t have to dread the “Where to find a catering food truck in the neighborhood” question anymore, or browse for “food trucks in my neighborhood”. Contact BFT to book a food truck to your office or neighborhood.

Different Types of Events We Can Cater For

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly catering service to rock your special event, BFT is the way to go! Besides catering for your neighborhood or offices, we can help you with your other celebrations too. Be the best host to your parties with BFT handling all the catering for you. 

To give you an idea, here are a few examples of the types of events you can hire our food trucks for: 

• Birthday parties in your garden with refreshments served by our food truck are the most budget-friendly way to give your children the greatest birthday surprise ever.

• Graduation parties are worthy of a grand celebration. Gather your friends and family in your garden or on your terrace to indulge in our sizzling grills and grilled cheese sandwiches.
• Anniversary surprise for your significant other with the most adorable flowers in the backyard, and let us handle all the catering hassle. We are responsible for all your catering needs.
• Ethnic and art festivals to celebrate cultural heritage events and support art events by providing the finest cuisines and a streamlined catering process for your guests.

Let us know if you are interested in trying us out by clicking the link below. We’ll get back to you ASAP and try to help you become your office hero.