Are You Savvy Enough To Open A Street Food Business?

Are You Savvy Enough To Open A Street Food Business?

The market for street food has been something of a phenomenon in recent years. Visit any major city in the world, and you will find hundreds of stalls in just a few square miles. And if you fancy yourself as a bit of a dab hand in the kitchen, it’s easy to see the potential in a street food business. On the face of things, it’s cheap to set up, manageable to run, and people seem to be keen to experience new street food.

But let’s not kid ourselves – this is no easy route to success. Most street food businesses go under within a year or 18 months. And if you want to give yourself the best chance of making a go of it, there are a few things you need to know. Let’s take a closer look at some of those important points that could make the difference between success and failure.

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The right personality

First of all, the biggest question of all – do you have the right personality to be a successful street food seller? You will need to get on with people, and have a family that understands you will be working 6-7 days every week. There are early morning starts to consider, too, as the lunchtime market will often be your biggest opportunity. You will need drive, determination, and ability to work with figures – money will be tight for a while, and you have to ensure that your spending and prices are spot on.

The right idea

You need to think about what you are offering the public. But don’t get too carried away. The chances are that coming up with a weird and wonderful meal isn’t going to appeal to a broad audience – you will find that out when you realize everyone is walking past your stall and heading straight to the dirty burger van. The ideal street food is tasty, simple to make, and still allows you to make a profit. There is a chance that you will come up with the next big thing, of course. But at the same time, variations – or improvements – on a classic street food dish are often more likely to succeed. You need to ensure that the appearance of your truck or van is enough to entice customers too – it needs to have the right look about it. A friend of mine over in Canada recommended Brothers Fabrication in Calgary, AB as soon as I mentioned food vans, not realising that I was writing about it rather than having one myself!

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Think about the local market

Don’t underestimate the importance of solid research of the locations you intend to pitch at. You won’t be able to set up a street food location just anywhere and enjoy success. Let’s say you are targeting an area with a large Muslim population. It might be necessary to import halal food so as to maximize your market potential – no one will buy anything from you if you don’t respect local traditions! Similarly, turning up at an alternative festival expecting to sell hotdogs to a crowd that is 70-80 percent vegan probably isn’t a great business decision.

The law

Any food business is subject to food standards and regulations – including street food. Get used to starting up relationships with people from your local environmental health agency, as they will ensure inspections and checks wherever you are cooking. Don’t be tempted to cut corners here – not only can environmental health shut your business, but any bad publicity about being unclean will kill your popularity stone dead. So, always be aware of your responsibilities and hygiene regulations – and stick to them as if they were from the Bible. It is your responsibility to keep on top of the hygiene for your business, as this can make or break what you originally started. Plus, you don’t want your reputation to be ruined by something you could have easily sorted out. So if you’ve noticed something like a pest issue in your kitchen, it could be as simple as getting in touch with Pest Control Services to help eliminate the problem and get your business up and running once again. The earlier you resolve it, the better it’ll be for you in the long run.

Good luck with the street food business – let us know how it goes!

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