Types of Food Truck: A Complete Guide

Planning to start a food truck business this year, you are diving into the most loved food chain options out there, and it is not much of a capital game where you need investment or need a fundraiser. It's all in the food choices you are going to pick.

There are plenty of options to choose from, and it's easy to get confused. In this blog, we have picked the popular options to make it easier for you to pick, and before we jump into that, here are some of the interesting things you should know about food trucks. 

• In the US, the food industry is growing rapidly; in 2023, it was valued around $1.5 billion.

• If you are starting a food truck, your target must be Millennials and Gen Z because they absolutely love food trucks because they have many options to pick from, are quick & easy and serve unique experiences. 

• 91% of US people loved food trucks and the experience with the food trucks when they tried them, according to a Statista consumer survey.

• The best places to have food trucks are colleges, cities , festivals or business events. Usually the place where there is a lot of crowd.

Now let's look at the type of food truck you can start from. 

As the name suggests, go with dessert options which are your speciality and you know for sure people are going to love. It can be waffles, doughnuts, chocolate food, etc. You can bring something unique and new for the customers, which they're going to love for sure. You can also bring a candy section with dessert! 

What's better than a quick drink? It's a popular choice too. People going to offices and colleges would love to have a coffee on the go. As per the daytime, you can create a certain menu. And for a night feel, you can have cocktail options. 

Burgers, tacos, hot dogs, BBQs or some fancy salads too – they are all-time favourites, and anyone would love to have those. The classic choice and a little mix and match with new tastes will definitely have them try out.

Ah! The Ultimate food choices to taste in your neighbourhood. People with social media exposure are craving to try some new dishes from certain countries, KoreanBBQ with an influence of K-drama, ramen from anime (Japan), etc. Being something tempting that you will know by that food. 

If you are doing it on a part time basis and you have the morning free, then a breakfast food truck will do wonders for you and will be a great side income. 

Lunch is a good option to try on the food truck menu in urban areas, near schools or colleges or offices and crowded places during the day.

The Cocktail and dinner combination is a great one. You can bring this to a nightlife area. Some quick food with drinks on top will set the mood for people.

The ultimate choice, a mix n match of two cuisines served by restaurants, can be easily available with affordable rates and superb taste. We are Mile High Tikka Express, offering American-Indian and Chinese-Indian food cuisines.

The first is still loved by all, and if it agrees with you, then no need to think. An ice cream food truck can never go out of business, and if you can travel to places, then you're all set.

People are shifting to more healthy and sustainable options. Opening vegetarian and vegan options is giving them a choice to be part of something greater, and if you want to start something to bring a change, then you should definitely go because people like to join a cause.

The trending food truck options are:

High-end gourmet food - The fine dining experience on the street, people are absolutely picking out that option if available to them.

Vegan options - As we mentioned earlier, people love to join a cause, and healthy vegetarian or vegan options are giving them a choice, and they will definitely try it out once a day! Again, only if you have a strong sense of this cause should you try.

Traditional - The classic options again,  the burger, fries, pizza, tacos, hot dogs, and BBQs are all timers. 

Regional or cultural cuisine - The global taste in a moving van is a more tempting option than anyone would give it a quick try.

Starting a food truck costs around $50,000 - $100,000. It is relatively cost-effective compared to starting a restaurant, which starts from $5,000,000.

You need a business licence, a food handler's permit and food service to operate as a mobile food vendor.

Any food which can be served quickly and easily – that food option is a great choice for a food truck, like ice cream, which is the best example for it. But mostly it depends on the location and people's choice.

They have no hidden costs, are easy to open with lower capital and flexibility, can be moved from one location to another, have a higher profit margin and are good to test the food options.

Food trucks are a great way to start your food business on a minimum budget and have maximum profit. It all comes down to your speciality, popular choice, trending options and the location. There are many options to pick from for breakfast, snacks, drinks and fusion cuisine, but the final factor will be your audience preference as per the area.

Keep your unique touch to any food option you bring to your food truck, because that will be the selling point and what draws people in. Step out and bring your food truck game to festivals, events, and crowded places. Start small but with taste! At Mile High Tikka Express, we’ve built our brand around bold fusion flavors and a passion for street food culture. Check our page if you’re a cuisine lover and want to know our food truck story.