Food Truck Marketing 101: How to Attract Customers

Restaurant owners know the importance of marketing to entice customers to their establishments. But, If you operate a mobile kitchen, you might wonder: How do you market your food truck? Are there advertising opportunities that benefit mobile restaurants? What information should be included in your campaign? Take a look at these steps you can utilize to promote your food truck business.

What’s the Best Way to Market a Food Truck?

Maximizing your marketing is all about grabbing your customer’s attention. Mobile kitchens that utilize social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), or other apps can effectively reach food-focused consumers.

• Broad customer bases, for instance, the 196 million utilizing #foodie, are potential untapped markets for your food truck business. 
• If your food cart is truly mobile, online websites and apps such as streetfoodfinder.com can update your location in real-time for customers, so you never miss a hungry patron. 
• Cultivating a customer email list and an email newsletter program can alert your loyal followers when you’re on the move. 
• You can also drive customers to your website and social media by getting creative with packaging and branding. 
• Include your website URL, hashtags, and social media handles on your receipts, to-go containers, takeaway menus, signs, and the truck itself.
• Encourage customers to post reviews online to boost more business. With over 90 percent of consumers researching a food establishment online, reviews are a low-cost investment that can encourage more sales.

Best Practices for Your Food Truck Marketing Plan

Creating a food truck marketing strategy doesn’t have to be complicated. To help streamline your marketing plan and ensure you are reaching potential patrons, follow the four Ps of mobile kitchen marketing:

1. Product: 

Like any successful business, you want to ensure you have a developed product and effectively communicate your offerings to your consumer base. In the culinary world, that product is your food truck menu and your brand. You’ll want to showcase your cuisine, highlight any specialty items, and tell your unique story. Maybe you’ll want to include a few words about how you’re using recipes handed down through generations. Perhaps you want to tell your tale of discovering a passion for healthy eating through plant-based entrees. Consider your food truck’s brand identity and infuse that into all aspects of your product–from menu design to packaging, marketing voice, and logo.

2. Price: 

Once your product is established, it’s time to think about your pricing. When calculating your food cart’s prices:

• Keep overhead, labor, and food costs in mind. You can employ a few different techniques to ensure your profit margins are healthy.
• Evaluate your ideal customer base and examine their preferred price points. While you don’t want your consumers to dictate your prices, you also don’t want to outprice your clientele.
• Don’t be afraid to adjust menu prices as needed to increase revenue. Also, use your food truck marketing plan to communicate any price updates.

3. Place: 

Location is critical for a successful food truck. When selecting and marketing your location, take into account the customer experience of that area. Many diners are looking for more than just a great meal. Even with a robust online presence, mobile kitchen operators still want to be visible and accessible to residents, businesses, and pedestrian traffic. Whether your food cart is stationary or on the move, you’ll want to develop a Google Business Profile or Yelp page so that customers can see your location, read and leave reviews, and check out your most recent menu. If you change locations periodically, keep your followers updated on your current location via social media.

4. Promotion: 

If you want to drive more patrons to your food cart, marketing promotions can increase traffic. You can offer a neighborhood discount, lunch specials, first-time order promos, and even a customer loyalty program.

Looking for more promotion ideas? Explore restaurant weeks in your area.

Utilize Business Tools from CHEF’STORE

CHEF’STORE is known for our exceptional restaurant supplies. However, we also provide excellent business resources like website design, staff training, and more! Whether you are looking for wholesale grocery products or restaurant supplies and tools to strengthen your brand, we are here to help! Stop by one of our locations for more information.

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