The best time to open and close a food truck will vary based on the truck’s location, menu, and target audience. However, food trucks going to serve lunch tend to open their panes around 11:00 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. and continue to operate for three hours on average.
Popular trucks are consistently open from 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm. When the line begins to dry, food truck owners begin wrapping their belongings and shuttering the truck. By 3:00 p.m., most food trucks have stashed their food scraps, disposed of waste, and stored any devices that can’t be left out.
To be honest, operating a food truck can be physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging even for the savviest of entrepreneurs. Keep in mind that the amount of work that goes in everyday on a food truck can put an owner’s level of dedication to trial. However, note that a properly defined routine will help to achieve your business and personal goals.
Determining the best opening and closing times for a food truck can be difficult, so newcomers to the industry are advised to monitor other food trucks on a daily basis to know when they open and close. When offering two meals each day and/or participating in consistent events, the typical food truck owner functions up to 80-100 hours per week.
When it is a slow week with only one service time per day, operators can wind up with a 40-hour work week. Food truck employees usually spend about two to three hours making preparations for business.
Within this time, they will arrange any food products needed for the day, organize the truck, and stockpile it with the necessary items. Also make time to sort out your vehicle’s mechanical problems, schedule time for grocery shopping, stop by the bank to get change, and fill up your gas and water tanks, etc.
Factors That Determine a Food Truck Hours of Operation
For your food truck to be successful, you must choose the appropriate hours of operation. Determining the best opening and closing times for your food truck business can be difficult, so here are some factors to consider when making those decisions.
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Local Regulations
When deciding on the best opening and closing times for your food truck, make sure to check if there are any operational regulations in your area that govern those decisions for food trucks.
For example, is there a specific time when you should close, or are there rules about how early you can open depending on your location? Take into account all these restrictions and make sure they won’t become too burdensome if you choose to extend your working hours.
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Menu for Your Food Truck
If you’re going to serve eggs, sausage, and waffles, your food truck’s operating hours will certainly be in the morning. If you’re going to serve Pot Turkey Chili, then you will not need to be open for breakfast. If your specialties are not in any way appropriate for breakfast or late-night dining, attempting to open earlier or closing later may not profit you much.
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Your Ideal Client
When deciding on the best opening and closing times for your food truck, you must first understand how your target market thinks. Note that merely knowing their age range, earnings, and purchasing practices is insufficient. You should also know when this specific demographic prefers to buy meals.
If a large percentage of your target group works eight-hour days Monday through Friday, your busiest times may be weekends or after 6 p.m. on during the week. If the majority of your patrons are retired and reside in the suburbs, weekday mornings may very well be your peak period.
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Foot Traffic, Location, And Business Volume
You should understand that where you park your truck and when are your busiest times will help in determining when you should open and close.
You must therefore evaluate the amount of footfall and revenue generated in each location so that you have a solid knowledge of your daily and weekly peaks and valleys. These kinds of decisions can be based on empirical research from inspections and audits.
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Your Opponents
If your competitors’ stores or offices are open while yours is closed, you may be putting yourself at a vulnerable position. You should take note of your competitors’ operating hours and customer traffic throughout those hours.
If you notice that they are attracting a large amount of traffic during times when you are normally closed, you might want to modify your plans accordingly. Meanwhile, if their traffic volume is modest all through your off hours, you can be confident that you are not passing up important chances.
Conclusion
Food truck opening hours should be determined by the time of day when the average individual will start thinking of food.
If you continue operating afterward and also don’t notice a difference in business activity within one week, don’t reverse the change. It can take a while for your publicity to spread, so try to give your new breakfast or lunch crowd a few more days to catch on.