Over the past several years, food trucks and food trailers have become increasingly popular. Now, you can find people lined up at festivals, events, parks, and during their lunch breaks to try the innovative cuisine offered by these restaurants on wheels. If you have a unique and delicious food concept, opening a mobile restaurant out of a food trailer is an excellent way to start a business at the fraction of the cost of opening a brick and mortar restaurant. One of the keys is to purchase the right food trailer. Use the following tips to help you find the right food trailer to buy.
Budget
Before you begin to look at the different food trailers that are for sale, it is really important to carefully review your budget. While starting a mobile restaurant out of a food trailer is much cheaper than opening a traditional restaurant, you will still need capital. Thus, you need to look at the money you have available and figure out exactly how much you can spend on your food trailer. Don't forget to leave funds aside for permits, food, equipment, marketing, and fuel. Once you have figured out how much you can spend, you can focus on food trailers in your price range.
Layout
Every mobile restaurant will have different needs depending on their concept, the number of items offered on the menu, and the type of equipment that will be placed in the food trailer. When it comes to buying a food trailer, don't make a hasty decision. It is crucial to select a food trailer with the right layout. If you purchase a food trailer with a poor layout, you will have a very difficult time preparing food for your guests and getting it out to them in a timely manner. You may need to look at several food trucks for sale before you find one that is perfect for what you plan to do.
Towing
While food trucks are independent vehicles, food trailers will need to be towed to each location where you plan to do business. This means that you will need to have a vehicle that is capable of towing your trailer. If you already own a truck or SUV, make sure that you know its towing capacity, and don't purchase a food trailer that is too large to be towed by your vehicle. Always make sure that you ask the weight of a food trailer before making a purchase so you can compare it to your vehicle's towing capacity.