Portland is dubbed America’s best city for food trucks
Food truck design is a science, both when it comes to food prep and creating customer experience. Recommendations spread like wild fire, and in Portland the buzz is constant about which food truck and food pod has the most happening in the best ways. Whether it’s coined a food truck, taco truck, or snack shack, there’s sure to be a mobile eatery to appeal to your tastes somewhere in town. In fact, in a recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce study, Portland was dubbed the best city for food trucks in America. And as an industry that accounts for $2.7 billion dollar in revenue each year, it’s important to understand what works and what doesn’t. That makes Portland a hot bed for food truck design as well.
Run a business, not a food truck
The biggest thing to know about running a successful food truck is that you don’t run a food truck. Instead, you run a business that happens to be a food truck. This means investing in branding and investing in good people. Customers will come back again and again when they have a great experience.
It’s not just about the food, it’s about the experience as well
Most of the food truck experience is all about the food, but the eater’s experience weighs in on the equation as well. And part of that experience is the visual appeal of your food truck. Why is the visual so experience? Because it gives the customer an idea of what their food experience will be. It can attract the right crowd and minimize the rest. And in Portland, home of the food cart pods, you have to stand out against a bunch of other food cards on the same block. From design, to service, to eats, personality matters!
Here are a few tips on food truck design to help you out:
Food truck design should be memorable
Create a catchy theme and follow it through from design to menu to style of service. Wrap your truck to match that theme. Create an A-board sign or two. Don’t be afraid of color. It helps you stand out from the crowd.
Food truck design should be unique
Everyone has a unique offering. Make sure you do too. Maybe it’s your name. Maybe it’s the way you greet new customers. It might be quirky names for your seasonal menu.
Food truck design should be helpful
Serve, serve, serve. When your customer is the most important person in the world, he’ll come back. She’ll tell her friends. Make sure your style of service matches what you sell and how you sell it. Make your menu easy to read. Educate all your employees so they know that service comes first as well. Offer ways for people to connect with your business on social media. Let every interaction be an invitation.
In a food world fueled by yelp reviews and online articles, make sure your customers remember who you are. With all the competition for food truck customers in PDX, it’s important to have a well-branded, attractive truck. Invest in good branding, follow a theme in your food truck décor, and make the experience memorable for your customers. If they remember you, they’ll be back and bring their friends, too! Let us help you design a memorable food truck vinyl wrap.