Food Truck / Catering


 
Clint

Clint

TVWBB Olympian
I've been halfway interested in opening a restaurant, mostly a pipe dream, with another friend, now 2 of my cousin's husbands are expressing interest in catering.

Another one of my cousins (a different one, a seasonal chocolatier by trade but currently Mr Mom) is looking to get back to work. He had a big rolling chassis picked out.

I'm already overworked & overloaded, too many hobbies, not enough money (and on and on and on).....butttttttt I have 2 people who've been pulling at me, now another 2 expressed interest just recently.

I talked with a restaurant owner who had a food truck parked behind their restaurant while there last week. I know from reading here that the food needs to be prepped in a commercial kitchen, and he said that the truck was a commercial kitchen. I suppose it'd be nice to have a big warehouse / kitchen with fridges/freezers & prep areas. The only commercial kitchen we have access to is a candy shop, and it's not suitable for what we need. Their family has several commercial properties they lease out.....that could be available rent free for at least a little while. I'd keep my business interests close (I'd help them all just to learn, but my corp would be smaller if I participate).

It's just a pipe dream and fun to think about right now, just thinking it through a little----partway just to help my cuz(bro) get something going for him.

If anyone has info on starting a mobile restaurant and feels helpful (and it's not too much trouble), if you have any pointers, we'd sure appreciate hearing them.
 
Sometimes a local unused church kitchen can pass for a commercial kitchen or commissary. Learn the state and local food laws before you invest though.
 
Many years ago I had a close friend that opened a restaurant, it almost killed him but he was successful and ran it for almost 20 years before selling it.
Starting any small business there is a huge risk of failure and the restaurant business there is even more risks. You need to know the laws and have a business plan in place. Also a lot of reserve cash because most new start ups don't generate a profit that overcomes the initial investment for a couple of years if the business is successful.
Talk to restaurant owners or managers to find what it's like to manage a restaurant.
Take some small business courses at your local college that will help you get a feel for what is involved.
Also remember owning a restaurant is not an eight hour day, most restaurant owners work 12-18 hours a day if not more as my friend soon found out.
 
Start watching shows like Bar Rescue and Restaurant Impossible. I'm not kidding... those shows will outline every bad thing you should never do with food service business!

Like you, cooking professionally is a (pipe) dream of mine. Watching those shows was a real eye opener for me, and helped me realize that I have no business knowledge. In order to be successful, someone has to know all the specifics of food safety and health laws, someone has to know how to run a food service business (marketing, costing, decor, etc.), someone has to understand customer service, and, obviously, someone has to know food. Without all of that, any restaurant is doomed to failure.

But dang, it sure sounds like fun, doesn't it? :D
 
Len Dennis said:
Clint, did you do a search here for "catering"? There's a ton of threads here asking your question.

Here's one http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?18002-I-WANT-TO-OPEN-MY-OWN-BBQ-JOINT&highlight=catering
Click to expand...

Not yet still just wondering the regulations. I'm a biz owner of almost 18 years so I know it's not easy, one of the brothers does too.

The guy that I give credit for helping me get started in my field used to say 'if it was easy everyone would be doing it'.

I didn't think to search - should have :) thanks for the thread.
 
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