Food Truck Customers Have No Reliable Way to Find You
14 posts across 4 communities in the last 60 days; 79% from r/foodtrucks.
“I'm coming to the exact same conclusion. I think most trucks haven't seen what this kind of marketing does yet. Pushing it to a brewery isn't a bad idea, but the issue is they only need one segment to send to. The point of my program was that each location a truck went to has…”
“They can't tell you anything because they have nothing. That's the point I'm trying to make. If you're good then you'll be capped business wise because there's such a huge need for actually good options. If someone is struggling then it's probably an issue that no consultant can…”
“this is the kind of thing that makes me actually want to download an app, not just scroll past another ad-ridden nightmare the commission-blind ranking is a bold move, especially for the indian market where every "review" site is basically a bidding war. i respect locking it…”
Several food truck owners are frustrated with inefficient marketing methods like word-of-mouth and a lack of discoverability. They express a desire for better digital solutions, such as an app, to improve customer reach and streamline operations.
SOURCES (60)
“it's bad. absolutely no indication of what you sell. and whatever you're doing with that logo there is not hitting at all. If i had to guess, you sell FRY'NQ and that looks like something i would type into a bot challenge prompt at a…”
“I had the same thought, and it was a planned future expansion....mobile detailers, mobile groomers, mobile mechanics, ect. People that want to get more business near the same side of town or in the same town. It's also why the name doesn't have "food truck" in it. So I can target those other markets. Honestly, I'm trying to assess where to go from here. I spent months building and debugging my current setup. I'm going to take a break for a few days and decide what direc”
“yeah fair, the per location segment is the actual product, I get it now. keep hoping on trucks, but there's a second customer that doesn't need convincing. I run a mobile detailing thing on the side. when I'm doing a car on a street thursday I want 3 more cars on that same street because the drive's already paid for. right now I get those by texting old customers one at a time like an idiot. your thing pointed at my calendar would email everyone near thursday's job and say &q”
“I'm coming to the exact same conclusion. I think most trucks haven't seen what this kind of marketing does yet. Pushing it to a brewery isn't a bad idea, but the issue is they only need one segment to send to. The point of my program was that each location a truck went to has its own segment, that way trucks aren't spamming customers that aren't even close enough to come. That's how it stays a notification in the customer's mind rather than becoming spam. Customers on”
“the shrug isn't your product man, it's who you're showing it to. trucks don't want to market, dude above literally called walkups the dregs. the person who wants your list is the brewery. they need a truck thursday, they want their regulars to know there's food, and they'd collect emails at the bar all day because it fills the taproom. sell it as the brewery's food truck alert and let them drag the trucks in. also 2600 people and 2400 a day off a dinner shift is not a”
“You have some really strong opinions considering you couldn't even figure out how to make walkup sales highly profitable. You may know catering, but you don't know shit about building a following or street sales. People absolutely search out trucks that built a strong brand. Why should anyone care what you have to say on things you failed at? Stick to catering, because you dont know a thing about followers or building a brand followers want to find.”
“I run a food truck in Colorado. We have a rotation of stops we keep going back to monthly. My biggest headache was people asking "when are you coming back?" and then not seeing my Facebook posts when we came back. I'd post the stop Facebook and the algorithm would show it to almost nobody. So I built an email notification system because customers asked for it. People sign up to get an email/text when we are back in their area. I put our weekly locations on our Google calendar, and”
i did $1248 in two hours tonight. that was a weak night for me.
“yep. NO ONE is literally finding out where you are to find you and buy from you. biggest fucking myth out there. this shit isn’t chef.”
“IMO, the hardest part was the business-psychology of the public. The fact that you need a "following" to make it sucks. I mean ... it makes sense, since you're food it literally on WHEELS that people need to "follow" you (lol) ... but it's something people with brick-and-mortar spots don't have to deal with. Nobody is asking us where we are today. Naturally, the physicality of food trucks are brutal ... everybody knows that's gonna be hard from the word go. Pe”
yeah it’s not your fault. i get it. it’s just that walkup sales suck.
“It's a grind but posting the food right before the typical lunch/dinner scroll is when it actually moves the needle.”
“That’s the slower way. It definitely works and is necessary but being proactive will lead to much more business than passively waiting for people to search. You should be in their inbox before they start searching.”
“This shouldn’t be that hard to understand. Having your direct competition open shop right directly between you and your customers act surprised you aren’t happy to see them is disingenuous at best.”
“Every business would be more sustainable if they could just show up when the crowds show up. Again, there is a niche. Providing food options at breweries, providing excess capacity at festivals, etc. But as a day to day competition for brick and mortars you're effectively freeloading off public infrastructure. "Overhead" is all the costs the brick and mortar business has to pay to be an anchor, which food trucks avoid but still benefit from. In economics it's called "rent-”
“Make up a few vouchers for free food from you. Give them to the owners of the places complaining and say it’s for yourselves and the staff. Introduce yourself too. people typically get the shits when their food sales drop from some random that opens close by. Also let them know that you’ll suggest THEM as the place to get good coffee nearby. Being reciprocal in this industry goes a very very long way”
“just saying that these jobs exist. my whole week coming up is slammed with catering jobs. i have zero desire to slug it out with walkup sales.”
yep. we all find our niche. have no desire to be the big events guy
“that i agree with but there is always a way to not be capped. unless you are such a big fish in such a small market.”
“They can't tell you anything because they have nothing. That's the point I'm trying to make. If you're good then you'll be capped business wise because there's such a huge need for actually good options. If someone is struggling then it's probably an issue that no consultant can fix.”
“the problem is to the guys pitching us. find some way to add value. don’t pitch me on how i can increase 10 covers an hour to 20 covers an hour doing a dead end business model.”
“and the reason i despise the sales calls is because they would do a lot better if they understood what makes us successful. hint: not walkup sales at a spot relying on people to go to you. it’s going to where there is captive demand. nothing is more captive than someone paying for your meals.”
Not sure why you’re getting downvoted. But you’re spot on.
“I only do walk-up. And I have been perfectly fine doing it. I’ve built a good following of people and they come every weekend. It’s different for everybody so don’t know why all the hate.”
“The walkup thing is so overrated, people act like its the whole business model. I help a friend with his truck sometimes and the money is always in the pre booked stuff. Nobody wants to depend of random foot traffic in Tuesday afternoon Most of these tech guys never worked a shift in they life, they see a line and think you are printing money but dont understand half those customers are just there cause the office ordered lunch. The margins on walkups are trash too once you factor the slow hours”
“Also, now that I think about it, it's cool your beta test is free but you should be paying operators to test your app honestly. Free QA? Went to school for comp Sci before I started cooking.”
“Anyone from Las Vegas and have any issues I’m just in the process of fixing up a food truck having made any big plans yet but I have an older truck and alowlu putting the money into it but want to know how tough the o elections are etc”
“I do! Pay people to do the marketing for you instead of AI and making it clear what the product is would be a great place to start”
“I just check social media or go to where i know they are or I walk around where I live and go to a food truck. I dont want another website to remember”
“OK, that makes a lot of sense it's kind of like another thing you don't wanna have to worry about”
“That’s actually really useful to hear. If social media has zero influence on whether you visit or return, what usually gets you to try a food truck for the first time? Word of mouth, seeing it while you’re out, Google reviews, events, something else? And once you’ve tried it, I’m assuming the food/value takes over from there?”