This answer will be heavily influenced by the nature of your food truck in addition to your location. Nevertheless, for food trucks, commercial kitchens are not only a practical option; they are frequently mandated by local laws. Numerous cities prohibit food trucks from selling goods cooked in their homes, pressuring food truck operators to prepare their meal components in a commercial kitchen.
A commercial kitchen is simply a commercial-grade kitchen that people can lease for a short or prolonged period of time. Numerous food trucks or small business owners can share the kitchen space, enabling them to utilize the equipment and storage at a quarter of the price.
Food trucks, shadow kitchens, and catering companies hire and/or lease commercial kitchens from their owners. Owners of commissaries turn commercial kitchen space into an available-to-rent service, a business model most often referred to as KaaS (Kitchen as a service).
The renter anticipates specific cooking equipment and facilities from the landlord, and the landlord expects their tenants to adhere to the guidelines and local regulations of the area.
Benefits of a Commercial Kitchen for a Food Truck
Several local regulations mandate food truck operators to utilize commercial kitchens, but some food truck operators prefer to do so despite the fact that they’re not considered necessary. Nonetheless, here are several significant advantages to using a commercial kitchen:
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Guarantees that your company complies with health department regulations
When starting a food truck business, you are expected to take into account numerous factors. Among the most crucial matters is making sure that your food truck business complies with health department regulations. Although laws differ by state, many mandate food trucks to use a certified meal preparation facility. Furthermore, they govern how your food truck obtains water as well as how you clean up in your food truck.
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More room for food preparation and storage
Even the largest and most extravagant food truck will have little room for food preparation or storage. As a result, a good number of food truck owners are scrambling to find a place to store their inventory. Note that you can keep your food cold overnight by leveraging the huge refrigerators easily found in commercial kitchens.
In addition, having enough space to prepare food will help your employees work more productively. Aside from that, the additional storage space for extra food will guarantee that you are ready to serve every customer who approaches your window.
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Acts as a base for your food truck
Trying to find a good spot to park your food truck during off-hours can be quite difficult, particularly in bigger cities. A good number of commercial kitchens provide renters with free parking, allowing you to keep your food truck in a good place between shifts!
To be honest, this alone could be very worth the extra cost or expense of trying to rent space at your local commercial kitchen, especially since it guarantees the safety of your truck.
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Specialized Equipment Too Large for a Food Truck
If you want to sell baked goods on your food truck, one of your greatest obstacles will be that you may not have access to the equipment you need. This is one reason why a commercial kitchen is extremely useful. These kitchens are fitted with professional-grade tools, hardware, and devices.
Note that having unrestricted access to these appliances greatly enhances your menu offerings and also takes away the need to invest in large appliances that take up a lot of space.
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Creates a network with other food truck owners
You need to understand that the food truck group is a community! Even if you are involved in a rivalry with other food truck owners, don’t forget that you are all striving to work towards the same goal. Collaborating with other food truck owners in a commercial kitchen enables you to learn from this community.
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More affordable than renting a full-time kitchen space
A commercial kitchen is far less expensive when put in contrast to renting a full-time kitchen space since it is a shared space. Have it in mind that these cash reserves will make a massive difference, especially for food truck owners who are just starting out!
Conclusion
As previously stated, the nature of your food truck, as well as its location, will dictate whether you need a commercial kitchen or not. Note that commercial kitchens function as nodes for a diverse range of businesses, from ghost kitchens to concession stands.
Aside from that, numerous cities mandate food trucks to make their food and/or park at a commissary kitchen overnight.
A good number of major cities have enacted statutes and regulations that govern food trucks; owing to that, ensure to examine your local regulations to guarantee that you are in compliance with all the guidelines and instructions noted in their statutes.