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6 winter food cart ideas

Amanda Hoyer
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Food trucks are an outdoor business. Not all trucks rely on seasonality and weather like an ice cream food truck. No matter what you sell, your food truck sales occur outside. And the cold tends to put a damper on most foot traffic, therefore putting a damper on your business.

But you can winterize your food truck and still make a profit in the colder months. Maybe you’re new to the food truck industry or perhaps you wish to maximize your profit. The best way to optimize your food truck winter sales is with solid ideas. If you’re struggling to develop your own thoughts, check out the ones below for some possible solutions for winter sales and get answers to some additional questions.

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Do food trucks do well in the winter?

You’re probably wondering how food trucks can “winterize.” Even with insulation, the open air and general outdoor operations leave any food truck exposed to the elements. In the summertime, this proves problematic for keeping cool, especially with hot fryers and grills.

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Food trucks do well in the winter in areas where truck owners adapt. They also do well if the cold’s not as aggressive or the truck is located somewhere customers can find a warm reprieve to enjoy whatever eats they’ve purchased. Of course, food trucks don’t do as well in the winter as they do in warmer months.

How do food trucks keep food warm?

If you do plan to operate in colder regions or the winter, you need to know how to keep your food truck warm. Winterizing your food truck isn’t just about operating. It’s also about staying comfortable.

Most trucks have a built-in heating system with whatever food truck equipment is used to cook and prep food. Grills and fryers warm up most trucks to potentially dangerous levels in the summer (even with proper ventilation). In the winter, this residual heat is excellent for keeping food (and employees) warm.

Instead of leaving cooked food on the food truck window sill, it’s better to keep it in the truck. If you lack an interior space to store completed orders, consider adjusting your truck’s layout for seasonal needs.

Food truck in the sun set
Image used with permission by copyright holder

1. Work with local businesses

An excellent tactic for winterizing your food truck starts with working alongside local businesses. Depending on what you sell, you could park your food truck outside a venue to boost sales for you both.

For example, if you park outside a bar and you sell food, this could keep customers on the premises longer since they don’t have to leave for a bite to eat. Plus, you might even save on parking permits and fees if you can park for free.

2. Set up outside festivals

Colder months are full of seasonal festivals. From autumn to winter, there are all sorts of holidays that everyone celebrates at community gatherings. For winter especially, you have tons of potential opportunities to set up shop and make a decent profit.

If you’ve created a seasonal menu, this is an especially great opportunity to sell your goods. And if you’ve got a special event permit, you’re probably already covered to sell your food or concessions.

3. Consider delivery and catering

If you can’t quite beat the cold and winterize your whole operation, consider delivery or catering as a backup plan. A good way to boost food truck winter sales starts with changing how and where you sell. If your mobile operation can pivot to delivery or catering, you could easily maintain or increase your profits.

Catering and delivery don’t require much beyond prep space. If you’ve got parking permits, you can even move your truck to delivery hot spots or the venue where you might cater.

4. Craft a seasonal menu

If you can adjust your menu to meet seasonal tastes, winter’s the time to do it. You can try out those dishes or drinks you’ve wanted to, perhaps with a warmer twist. And if your primary cuisine is catered toward warmer weather, consider this the perfect time to innovate and try something new.

5. Warm up your online presence

Maybe your online presence has been “cold.” If you lack customers, one way to winterize your food truck business is to strengthen your virtual recognition. It might mean updating content on your website or finally investing in social media marketing. If you’ve got more free time to dedicate to the passive parts of your business, your business off-season is the best time to do so.

6. Head south (or somewhere warmer)

As a last resort, you can always take your business elsewhere. That’s the most significant benefit of operating a mobile business. If you have another location in a warmer area, you can sell your food and/or drink there. Go for it. Ensure you’ve got proper licensing and permitting to take your food truck somewhere further south or warmer.

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Amanda Hoyer
Amanda Hoyer
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Degreed in Psychology and English, Amanda fell into copywriting and blogging when she discovered an innate gift for narrative…
How to create a memorable food cart menu
Food truck with menu and person standing out front

Food trucks are a popular business for many entrepreneurs, aspiring chefs, and restaurant owners. They're a great way to test out smaller menus and specialized cuisine without the startup costs of opening a restaurant. Many food truck owners go on to establish permanent locations in areas where their goods sell very well.
If you want to set up a restaurant one day or try your hand at operating a food truck, you need a solid menu. Creating a menu isn't always easy. You might feel overwhelmed with limiting the menu. Business savvy types may focus too much on profit margins, neglecting the value of a menu with one costly (but revenue-building) specialty item.
Read on to learn what you need to know for carving out a solid food truck menu. You'll discover the most popular food truck items, how many items you should include, and what makes a good menu.
What are the most popular food truck items?
It should come as no surprise why some of these items hold such popularity as menu items. The following aren't just popular food truck cuisines, either. Many of these are adaptable for special diets. Some are perfect for prep, easy cleanup, and sale.
Burgers
Think high-quality or specialty meats: bison, kangaroo, and gator. Consider ease and adjustability for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Or, think of regional twists like Mexican, Cajun, and so on. Plus, you can adapt to keto, vegan, and vegetarian options, too. For quick and easy cooking, you can always rely on a burger.
Indian
Known for its rich spices and rice or flatbread base, Indian street food is perfect on a food truck menu. It's popular for taste, dietary options, and ease of consumption. Plus, cooking rice and prepping most sauce or curry bases are very straightforward.
Pizza
Understandably a favorite, pizza isn't hard to prep ahead of time. And if you layout your food truck just right, you can customize pizza in many ways. Although making vegan options is harder, you can still cater to specific dietary needs and a wide variety of specialties with unique topping combos.
Fries
Loading up fried potatoes is easy. And if you want a standout factor, you can sell a simple burger or other entrees with one-of-a-kind specialty loaded fries on the side. You can quickly adapt fries to vegan needs, and you can even make a heart-healthy loaded fry entree. If you're wondering what these would look like, imagine how curious your customers might be.
Grilled cheese
Grilled cheese is doable for even the most novice cook, which is a solid, reliable staple food in kitchens everywhere. Finding a good location and sourcing quality ingredients can put this at the top of any food truck's potential menu.
Falafel
For different dietary concerns, healthier options, convenience, and more, falafel is another multicultural street food. Customers love this dish, which is full of flavor and easy to eat on the go (often served in kebabs). Plus, you can cater to a wider variety of customers with this on your menu.
Mac 'n' cheese
Mac 'n' cheese is another staple, like grilled cheese or pizza. Not traditionally the healthiest, but often the tastiest option, you'll find this is easily adaptable, too. You can make it healthy with veggie-based pasta and you can jazz it up with seafood. You can even "veganize" it with vegan cheese. Your options are limitless.

How many items should be on a food truck menu?
Even knowing what the most popular food truck menu items are may not simplify your decision-making. Maybe you feel more overwhelmed than ever about how you should craft your menu. Here are a few tips for how you pare down your menu ideas.
Offer only essentials
The more specific your menu, the more essential every item on it is. Keeping your menu limited to only the most basic dishes, especially if you're adapting a restaurant's menu, can help reduce your choices.
Selling fewer items allows you to rotate out less popular items or sell new things as a weekly special. Reliable food helps people understand your brand and spread the word about your cuisine.
Rule of thumb
Most food trucks sell 5 to 12 items. These can vary based on how you wish to plan your menu, which could be based on how you source your food or choose to market. Sticking to a set menu streamlines purchasing, prep, marketing, and cleanup. And it keeps tight budgets in check.
Quality over quantity
Focus on the quality of the food you sell. If you make a grilled cheese, you want solid toasting bread. If you put bacon on loaded fries, make sure it's thick and flavorful. Quality ingredients stand out far more than selling tons of food. If you invest in quality, your customers will invest in your food.
What's a good food truck menu?
A good food truck menu follows a few rules. These help your truck stand out, cut costs, build customer interest, and grow your business.
Explore menu psychology
Avoid dollar signs on truck menus or your menu board. Customers should focus on your menu items and their descriptions, not the price. Customers often spend more this way.
Use bracketing to offer the same dish in two sizes. This makes customers feel like they're getting a good deal for more food at a slightly higher price.
Highlight special dishes
Put the most important menu items in the upper right-hand corner. It's the first place the eye goes. Plant your signature dish here for recognition and memorability.
Keep it clear and readable
Don't use columns of menu items. These force customers to compare prices, encouraging them to choose less expensive items. Suppose you can price items the same. 
Make your board easy to update, so customers recognize new foods, specials, and their options. If you want to try new dishes and experiment often, this can help.
Readability is important, too. Make sure you proofread your menu. Avoid fancy fonts and calligraphy anywhere outside of a logo or branding.

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Which food truck apps should you use for your business?
Customer making contactless payment at food truck

Running a food truck isn't just about making food. You're not only a chef; you're a business owner. And as a business owner, you have certain extra responsibilities. You likely lack time to complete all these responsibilities, as most small business owners do. Your typical workload might include:

Budgeting, payroll, expenses
Inventory upkeep and maintenance
Marketing campaigns
Customer feedback
Recordkeeping
Food prep and sale

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Where do street food carts go each night? And how clean are they?
Business owner writing menu for food cart

Overnight parking and cleaning are often overlooked, but they're very important aspects of operating a food truck business. Without an area to store your food truck, you're looking at expensive insurance and lots of inconveniences. Most cities have commissaries with secure parking specific to this need.
You can deep clean, sanitize, and refuel at commissaries, too. If you're not worried about having enough space for upkeep to follow the health codes for your food truck, you also risk the future of your business. Not complying with regulations and ordinances is usually expensive with fees and fines and can result in license and permitting revocation.
Read on to learn all you need to know about these critical operational aspects of owning a food truck. Next time, you'll be prepared when it comes to parking and cleaning your food cart.

Where business owners put their food carts at night
Food trucks don't operate 24/7. That means they need a place to sit overnight. Experienced food truck owners know the best place to park is a commissary, which is somewhere you can fuel up and sanitize your truck. Here's a breakdown of the best places to park overnight.
Indoor parking
Your best parking area is space dedicated to larger vehicle indoor storage. This likely comes with a rental fee, but you're paying for more than parking. You're likely investing in decent security and protection from weather incidents.

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