r/foodtrucks • u/Cairnslennie • 3d ago
Just opened a coffee van, looking for advice
I’ve just opened in Australia. Would love any advice on how to make this as lucrative as possible.
Is it events, regular location, driving to multiple location, speciality drinks, social media? Any advice welcome! TIA!
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u/leonme21 3d ago
Great that you’ve already started the business, yet have put zero effort into planning on how to make it work.
Love that.
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u/Cairnslennie 1d ago
Thanks for your comment. I’ve done a business plan, and have done plenty of planning (enough to actually open the business). I’m asking for advice from people with real-world experience on what they’ve learnt a long the way because I’d rather learn from them than assume I know everything. Any advice welcome 😊
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u/foodfighterforever 3d ago
It’s a tough industry with a lot of competition, but completely doable.
Are you already a barista, or do you have any hospitality experience? If not, I’d highly recommend doing a TAFE espresso course or working at a local cafe to learn the tricks of the trade.
Also, will you be serving or making food? purchasing from a food supplier? If you are, you’ll definitely need a Food Safety Supervisor certificate.
Up to you, but I wouldn't tell anyone you have your own coffee van just yet! Just absorb all the free training and insider info you can, and go from there.
I’d start small with local markets in your area to find your feet. From there, look into caravan parks in your area that don't have kiosks, then if you want venture out to some regional ones. There are heaps of food trucks that travel the country during festival/holiday season doing that.
Once you've got your skills and setup locked down, you can start targeting local festivals. Start emailing organisers early to get on their radar. They love to see that you've been in the game for a bit, so building up a solid social media presence now will give you a massive advantage.
I’m a bit tired at the moment, but once I've caught up on some sleep. Compile a list of questions you want answered, and I'll see what I can help you out with! ✌️
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u/Cairnslennie 1d ago
Thanks for this, this is much appreciated.
I’ve got an event booked in at a local sports club every weekend.
I am a barista and have planned to start with coffee because of the red tape around involving food.
I’ve got my Food Safety Supervisor certificate, but I am trying to determine whether food is worth it considering the fees and permits that are involved.
Have you found that selling food is a good profit maker?
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u/SuperSaiyanTupac 3d ago edited 3d ago
Figure out who’s in charge of the events, or the even spaces, and cold call them until you can get in.
Hopefully your van has a nice logo, but you’re gonna wanna spruce up your menu to look enticing and blast it on social media.
Coffee trucks mean morning times. Find race events, find parks, find business parks, find large neighborhoods and see if they want a coffee truck set up Saturday morning? Or if they have space for it
I know nothing about Australia so I can’t give specific advice to you or your area. I have no idea what laws you have or what groups control events. Best of luck.
Coffee should be fast. Don’t get caught up in making it pretty when you have a line. Consistency and speed are the most important things.
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u/BlueGolfball 3d ago
Have you done market research and written a business plan? You're supposed to do that and know your numbers before you make your capital investment.
You're doing business backwards by buying the capital investments and not doing any market research and no business plan. You're basically vibe owning a foodtruck business.
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u/True_Solution_9668 2d ago
OP: “I’ve done none of that. Just throwing caution and money to the wind and turning to Reddit where there’s a 90% chance I’m talking to Ai or a 14 year old.”
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u/salsamora 2d ago
Farmer markets are our money makers. SOCIAL MEDIA. As much as I hate doing trendy stuff, it’s what brings in attention. Also avoid events that cost over $100 to attend. Waste of time and money.
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u/NassauJack 2d ago
I’m in the Italian Ice business in Houston Tx , we concentrate on events , sports events , kids sports ( in Tx that’s huge) you basically want to only spend your time in High Traffic areas , setting up in one spot that’s what you do when you have a 3rd truck , and want to build a customer base , ( gonna be a slow climb ) we have over 136 trucks and trailers and 82 franchisees , so believe me , the HIJACK TRAFFIC model works . Good Luck 🍀
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u/SceneRemarkable 2d ago
Social media!! When u post reels on Instagram, they are promoted to users who are within your locality/ geography... High chances these people will visit you after seeing your reels, provided u post interesting reels that hook & bait the users & provide mental taste bud stimulation!!
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u/dangly_chipmonk 3d ago
Best advise would be to ask for advise and have a plan before you opened.