Food Suppliers: A Guide

Here are two tips for those who'd like to run a late-night food truck business in a city known for its excellent nightlife.

They should ensure the food they order for this business will appeal to those who are on nights out

When placing an order with their food suppliers, entrepreneurs in this situation should consider the type of food that is most likely to appeal to people who are on a night out. For example, it's best to ensure that they make foods that people can easily consume whilst standing, as in this setting, many of their customers are likely to be people who just want to get a quick bite to eat in between their visits to different bars. Furthermore, in an area of the city where the nightlife is excellent, there might not be many places to sit outdoors (such as public benches) that are not already occupied by others. As such, the food truck owner might want to avoid adding items to their menus that might not be practical to eat whilst standing (such as chicken breast or steak, for example).

Additionally, food truck owners in this situation should also ensure they order ingredients from their suppliers that will allow them to make quite rich foods (such as burgers, pizza slices, burritos, etc.) as people tend to be more interested in these 'treat' foods than healthier items (such as salads) after they have had a few drinks. Last but not least, because the aforementioned indulgent foods are likely to contain lots of salt, and those who are on a night out tend to consume lots of dehydrating alcoholic drinks, it might also be sensible for these food truck owners to ensure they keep a supply of rehydrating energy drinks and electrolyte-rich coconut water in their trucks, as these will probably be quite popular with customers in this setting.

They should research the foods served by local restaurants in their chosen area

When deciding what food supplies to order for their food truck, entrepreneurs in these circumstances should also research the foods that are served by local restaurants in the nightlife hotspot where they plan to park their trucks. The presence of, for example, a Mexican restaurant in their chosen area does not necessarily mean that a food truck owner cannot also serve Mexican cuisine; however, they might want to ensure that some aspect of their food service differs, in a positive way, to the restaurant's, so they'll have a competitive edge.

For example, if the food truck owner wants to serve burritos and the nearby Mexican restaurant already sells very large-sized burritos that are quite pricey, the food truck owner might want to sell mini burritos for a more affordable price. This could be ideal in this setting, as people who have, for example, become quite full from drinking rich beers and cocktails might not only prefer a snack-sized burrito, rather than a huge one but might also prefer not to spend too much of their night-out budget on food when they also need to pay for drinks and nightclub entry fees.

For more information, contact a company like Kenya Breweries.