Building Your Mobile Kitchen: A Guide to Food Truck Design

The first step in designing your food truck is to decide your products and menu. Conceptualisation is an important factor in the food truck design process. Which food items do you want to sell? Who is your target audience? Are you targeting a specific age group? These points will help you plan the overall layout, interior, and exterior of your food truck. Be a little creative – you can decide on a theme based on the type of cuisine you wish to sell.

Decide Vehicle Type and Size

Once you have your business plan ready, you can decide on the type and size of the vehicle. Depending on your menu, think of all possible equipment you will need and their weight.

You will need things like fuel, water, and LPG bottles. Don’t forget to account for the staff as well. All these factors will impact the type of truck you’ll need. After gathering this information, consider things like where you wish to operate. This is important to figure out the space needed for parking.

Choose the Right Equipment

No matter how simple or complex your menu is, you will need various equipment in place. Generally, this includes refrigerators, grills, deep fryers, ovens, sinks, and more. You can add or ignore a few appliances depending on the dishes offered. Deciding this in advance is helpful when planning their arrangement within the kitchen. Plus, you’ll have to get power and water supply accordingly. So, spend some time on this if you don’t want any last-minute changes to the food trailer design.

Prepare a Well-thought-out Layout

After deciding on the basic equipment, the next step is to plan a carefully designed layout. While doing this, you should consider things like floor space, covering and ventilation. Additionally, you’ll want to decide the locations for prep counters, storage areas, and where to serve customers.

Choosing an appropriate height for the trailer is essential as your customers will be ordering from ground height – think of making it convenient for both you and them. So, when preparing a layout, it’s best to map out the process flow because the height of your service bench matters. Also, the interior of a food truck is usually compact. Hence, you should also consider workplace safety. A well-thought-out space ensures a better experience.

Plumbing and Electrical Fixtures

You need to consider the power supply required to operate the machines you want to use. Additionally, the food truck design should also include a proper plumbing system. Discuss your requirement for water tanks, waste disposal, electrical outlets, generator compartments, etc., with the manufacturer. They’ll know how to design a truck that meets your requirements and also complies with local regulations.

Focus on Branding and Signage

If you want your remote kitchen to stand out in a crowd, creative branding and signage are the way to go. Get an expertly designed vehicle wrap to attract the attention of the crowd and inspire them to come check out your menu. An eye-catching signage is sure to engage customers.

Set a Maintenance Schedule

Regular maintenance will ensure your food truck’s durability. Cleaning the workspace and checking appliances frequently provides immense benefits.  You should take a day out of your schedule to perform this task once in a while. This will also ensure that you have a safe environment and that all safety as well hygiene standards are met.