Beat the Heat: 5 Ways to Ensure Your Food Truck Runs Smoothly During the Summer Months

Summer weather brings people outdoors to dine al fresco, sip on a refreshing beverage, and enjoy the longer days. However, summer can also bring some extremely hot days that can be challenging for food truck operators. Navigating the internal oven temps, flat tops, and high outside temperatures can seem challenging. However, plenty of practical, simple strategies help you beat the heat and keep your mobile kitchen cranking out the eats. 

Prepare Your Food Truck for Summer, Beat the Heat, and Stay Cool 

Summer is one of the busiest times for food truck businesses, which makes the season especially lucrative for owners. Take advantage of warm-weather revenue, and keep your cart and yourself cool all summer. 

1. Maximize Air Flow

Air circulation is a sure way to beat the heat and stay comfortable. Fans and portable air conditioners do require energy, but they make all the difference when it comes to cooling down your cart. Don’t have power? No problem. Open any two windows across from each other to create a soothing cross-breeze. This will aid in air circulation and keep fresh air flowing freely.

2. Power Down Heat Producing Appliances

We all know the feeling of turning on a home oven during a hot summer day. Now imagine adding a fryer, flat-top, and gas range to that mix. Cooking appliances can give off a ton of heat, so scaling back on heat cooking might be necessary.

• Consider switching up part of your menu to focus on fresh, chilled items that won’t require so much heat to get the job done. Fresh green salads, ceviches, pasta salads, and cold desserts are all excellent options for summer menus. While you might not be able to convert your entire menu to cold items, you can engineer it to limit appliance use.
• To keep your food truck temperature manageable, you can shut off some cooking equipment when it’s not in use. While turning on an oven might raise the temperature, turning it back off feels better than having it cranked up all shift.

3. Head for the Shade

If you have a mobile kitchen that can pick a prime parking spot when serving, try to pick the place with the most shade. It will help you stay cool, and your guests might head to your food truck for a respite from the sunshine. It’s a win-win!

4. Keep Cool Under the Collar, Literally

For an instant cool-down, keep damp towels in your fridge or reach-in. Once the day starts to heat up, take one of the rags, place it around your neck, and enjoy the chill. For a more high-tech version, invest in portable neck fans that keep you cool all day.

5. Stay Hydrated

This sounds like a no-brainer, but when you are hustling all day to keep up with customer orders, it’s easy to forget to take water breaks. A simple tactic is to consume plenty of water the evening before so that you walk into the food cart, already hydrated. Have lots of water and electrolyte-enhanced beverages handy, and set timers to ensure everyone is taking time to stay hydrated. 

Always pay attention to signs of heat-related illnesses, such as headaches, dizziness, confusion, and rapid pulse, and call 9–1-1 if these symptoms are present.

Expand Your Food Truck Business with Products and Resources From US FOODS CHEF’STORE

At CHEF’STORE, we know quality products at competitive prices are crucial for profits, any time of the year. That’s why you’ll find only the best meats and seafood, freshest produce, high-quality paper goods, and more lining our shelves.

CHEF’STORE offers excellent business tools to help any food truck owner take their business to the next level. Stop by one of our many locations today and check us out!