Catering food trucks are currently one of the hottest wedding trends. They allow couples to provide their wedding guests with flavorful food and a one-of-a-kind experience without breaking the bank. To win the hearts and stomachs of couples looking to hire a wedding catering truck, it’s important to make your company’s services stand out. In this comprehensive guide, we provide you with details on how to start catering weddings with your food truck and capitalize on this lucrative industry.
Why Are Wedding Food Trucks Popular?
More and more couples are resorting to wedding food trucks rather than traditional catering services. While foodservice trucks make wedding receptions stand out, they also provide couples with a great way to cut down on food costs. Many conventional catering companies charge an average of $70 per person while the average price for a food truck is $15 per person. Mobile catering services help couples that want a big wedding but are on a tight budget save thousands of dollars.
How Can I Make My Wedding Food Truck Stand Out?
There are likely dozens of catering companies competing to cater weddings in your area. To thrive in this lucrative industry, it’s essential to get creative with your menus and services to fit each of your client’s needs. Below are a number of ideas you can implement into your business to make your catering food truck stand out from the competition.
Provide Different Levels Of Services
“What services does your catering company offer?” is oftentimes the first question brides and grooms will ask you when they want to learn about your business. To guarantee that your wedding services fit their needs, create different levels of services. Some couples are looking for full-service catering while others may only want entrees. Offering different catering plans increases the possibility for you to gain more clients and increase profits. Here are a number of wedding catering services and supplies your food truck can offer to ensure you meet every client’s needs:
- Beverages
- Appetizers
- Entrees
- Desserts
- Tableware
- Drinkware
- Napkins
- Decor
- Lights
- Tents
- Furniture
- Cake cutting
- Servers
-
Bartenders
Let Clients Choose Serving Supplies
A number of your clients will ask if they are able to choose the type of serving supplies meals are paired with. Providing them with a selection of tableware, napkins, and drinkware to pick from ensures that serving supplies complement the theme of their reception. For instance, if you typically serve meals on foam plates, giving them the option to upgrade to palm leaf plates or pinewood boats for an upcharge ensures you remain profitable while satisfying their needs. Couples will appreciate your flexibility and desire to make their wedding day special.
Create a Website
When couples are doing research on catering companies, they rely heavily on websites. This makes it essential for your website to include all the information potential clients may ask themselves when looking for a catering business that is right for them. Below is a list of pages your website should include so potential customers can easily understand the wedding services you offer:
- About us: Provide details on how the company started, what makes your business different, what your brand values, and why customers should choose your food truck.
- Contact information: Include your mobile catering company’s email, phone number, and location so clients can contact you if they have any questions.
- Gallery: Add photos of your food presentations, staff members, food truck, and events you’ve catered.
- Inquiry form: Allow customers to ask specific questions about their wedding online. Request for them to give you information such as their wedding date, time, location, and the number of guests attending so you can provide them with a quote or proper answer.
- Menu: Include information on all the appetizers, entrees, desserts, and platters you offer. Inform clients that menus can be customized for any event.
- Services: Inform customers of the different levels of services and foodservice styles you offer for weddings.
Use Social Media
Many of the couples getting married today grew up using
social media at an early age. They are likely using social media to
conduct research on different wedding vendors. To attract their
attention, it’s important to invest time into your social media
accounts. Upload photos of events you’ve catered, how you decorate your
food truck, and menu items you offer to develop a strong social media
presence. While it may sound like a daunting task to take photos of an
event you’re working on, it’s something that contemporary brides and
grooms look for when booking a catering company.
How Should I Prepare For Weddings?
Couples may decide to book you to cater their wedding up to a year in advance. While they may have signed a contract, there is still a lot that needs to be done before the big day. Keep in touch with your clients in the months leading up to the wedding so you can easily complete the following tasks.
Host Food Tastings
Clients will likely select a few dishes from your wedding menu to be
served during the cocktail hour and reception. Coordinate a tasting with
them so they can see how the dishes are plated and taste. During the
food tasting, clients will inform you of what they think of each menu
item and you will be able to make any adjustments to the final menu.
This ensures that you and the couple are on the same page and there
aren’t any menu surprises on the wedding day.
Know The Guest Count
When clients ask for a quote, they are likely giving you an estimated guest count before they’ve sent out wedding invitations. A few weeks before the wedding, contact the couple and ask them for the exact guest count. This will provide you with enough time to purchase ingredients and ensure you have enough food for everyone.
Obtain Necessary Food Truck Permits & Insurances
A number of wedding venues require food trucks to have liability insurance and all the necessary permits from the health department. This makes it important to contact the venue months in advance and ask what paperwork is needed so you have time to obtain all of the documents.
Figure Out Where To Park Your Food Truck
Many wedding venues have a designated area for mobile catering businesses to park. The location likely features plenty of space to fit a wedding food truck and provides trucks with access to electrical outlets. If the venue is nearby, take a trip to visit it before the wedding so you have an understanding of the space you’ll be working with.
Prepare Your Food Truck For All Weather Conditions
A couple of days before the wedding, find out if there is rain in the forecast. You will be able to contact the wedding venue and ask if they have protocols your food truck must follow. For instance, some venues may ask you to park in a specific location so you're closer to the wedding reception. You’ll also know if you need to arrive at the venue earlier to set up tents around your wedding truck to keep guests dry when picking up their food.
If you see that it’s expected to be hot the day of the wedding, you may want to attach an awning to your truck. The awning helps provide wedding guests and workers with shade to make sure they feel comfortable throughout the event.
Time To Start Catering Weddings With Your Food Truck!
Couples are now hiring food trucks for weddings more than ever. It provides them with an easy way to save on money while providing wedding guests with a unique experience. This opens up opportunities for your food truck business to expand its reach and increase profits. Just remember, wedding catering is more than just serving tasty meals. Couples also expect personalized services to fit their budget and vision. Be flexible and get creative so you can easily find success in your new venture.
