When the pandemic first hit, a lot of food trucks quietly disappeared off the streets. It seems as though they had the perfect setup, in many respects: With nowhere to sit down and open-air perfect for takeout, it seems they should have thrived. That, however, wasn’t the case.
From difficulty advertising to an inability to keep up with brick-and-mortar restaurants that could offer delivery, many shut down during COVID-19. Now, however, it’s summer 2021. Food trucks are coming back better than ever.
Photo by Arturo Rey on Unsplash
Food Trucks Reopening
These truck owners are excited to get back to business, and so are their core customers. People coming out after over a year of lockdown procedures are eager to be around others, spend time in public outdoor spaces, and just get to enjoy a normal summer. We were all robbed of that last year.
Festivals and other places that food trucks tend to gather near are reopening too. That means more people out and about with hungry friends, kids and loved ones. Everyone has to eat, and nothing says summer like buying street tacos and hanging out on the boardwalk. Now that there will be more activity in the area, trucks can reopen and operate as successfully as before—and maybe even more.
Draw in these crowds by really playing up how reopening gets people together to have fun outside. Show how visiting your food truck will make them feel like they’re really getting out into the world for what might be their first time since initial lockdown. This will encourage more guests and even repeat visits in the future. Set out some benches and picnic tables so they can sit down and enjoy a meal with friends. There’s no longer the need to grab takeout and head safely back home straight away; instead, stay and enjoy the sunshine.
Obstacles Still Remain
Reopening this summer also presents some issues. The heat is coming, for starters, which affects both workers’ motivation and the efficiency of your equipment. Strange temperatures have crept across the U.S. this year, from freezing Chicago winters to heat waves reaching over 120 degrees. Couple this with food trucks’ somewhat common conundrum about how to refrigerate and preserve their ingredients throughout the day. If your equipment breaks down, that can add up to a lot of money in wasted food. Then commercial and residential calls flood in, so it can take awhile to get your equipment back up and running.
Heat waves are only exacerbated by the financial trouble that many businesses incurred during COVID-19. Lack of inflow means they don’t have that big of a safety net to rely on as they invest in reopening their business.
All of these issues, and upsides, will persist as food trucks return in full force this summer. Smart food trucks rely on smarter Point of Sale systems to help them through this difficult recovery period. Devices that streamline your operations while increasing productivity will do a lot for your bottom line this summer.
