The appropriate answer will depend on the laws and guidelines in your location or the state where you intend to operate your food truck.
However, note that a good number of food trucks have installed portable toilets or have agreements with nearby businesses to utilize their facilities. Nevertheless, it is recommended that you reach out to your local health department to obtain the right information regarding bathroom arrangements.
Food trucks with bathrooms are becoming a common sight in this modern age, especially among those who prefer to customize their food truck. They have proven to be a viable alternative to brick-and-mortar restaurants because they offer you the flexibility to set up your business in a wide range of locations.
Benefits of Installing a Bathroom in Your Food Truck
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Zero need to move around to locate a bathroom
If, for instance, you park your truck at a festival or an event, you will understand that folks come to eat when they are tired of walking around and they would really love to take a moment, sit down, fuel themselves, and keep going.
It is most often the ideal time to take a pee or visit the bathroom. If there is no bathroom around for your customers or they have to walk a long distance to be able to locate one, it can get them really frustrated or even stressed.
As such, installing a bathroom will ensure that you can offer that extra relaxation to your clients. It also bolsters the possibility of them ordering more food and beverages from your food truck.
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Provide an Overall Better Food Truck Experience
Although the primary objective of food truck businesses is to cater to the nutritional needs of patrons, please note that possessing a bathroom at your truck will most definitely boost customers’ experience in your location. Your will clients feel more comfortable because they can relax and enjoy their food without having to worry about where the bathroom is.
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Saves Time for Your Employees
You should definitely consider inculcating a bathroom especially if you own a food truck that has two or more employees working at the same time. Locating the toilet in a crowded event or in an outside location can be quite daunting.
If the nearest one is in the shopping mall close to the event location, or there exists a public bathroom that is always too congested, your employees will spend more time trying to empty their bladder. If you are always parked in a location where there is no nearby bathroom, it is another valid reason to make this addition.
Factors to Consider When Looking to Install a Bathroom in a Food Truck
You have to realize that not every food truck needs a bathroom, especially when you take into account the rules in your location, the size of the truck as well as its layout and available space.
As such, when considering this often necessary addition, it is imperative you consider the factors below as you will be sacrificing space on cooking trucks that could be used otherwise.
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Locations with easy restroom access
If your truck is parked in a location where there are assorted bathroom options, then you have no business installing a bathroom in your food truck.
In the United States, a good number of places are adequately organized and have considered this factor. If you would constantly be present at a camp, festival, or even park where a restroom is available, then it would be a waste of valuable space and resources to build a bathroom into your food truck.
Just as was noted above, even though food trucks could possibly offer the majority of services a typical restaurant does, the lack of space can be a setback. As such, when looking to fit your food truck with a bathroom, it is recommended you take into account the size of your food truck.
Although your food truck manufacturer will ensure you get a compact bathroom, still note that it will be taking up some important space in your food truck.
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Tight budget
All fingers are not equal, which is why it is imperative you take into account your startup capital when making this decision. If for instance, your budget is limited, installing a bathroom would warrant more expenses.
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Government Regulations
The appropriate answer to the question of whether it is possible to install a bathroom in a food truck will depend on the laws and guidelines in your location or the state where you intend to operate your food truck.
One thing you need to understand is that regulations pertaining to food trucks vary from state to state, and in most situations from one city to another. As such, ensure you conform to the guidelines and also be informed about the hygiene protocol in general.
Conclusion
It is possible to install a bathroom in your food truck, but you need to consider your local regulations as well as the size of your truck. Nevertheless, if you decide to go on with the installation, it is important to separate it from the cooking area of your truck.
Also, ensure to keep it clean since it is a part of your business and a dirty restroom would negatively impact the image of your kitchen.