10 Innovative Food Truck Menu Ideas to Generate More Sales
Looking for profitable food truck menu ideas that you can try? Worry no more; we’ve listed some that you can use for your food truck business.
Running a food truck has lower overhead costs than having a brick-and-mortar restaurant. It’s mainstream and is trendy among the 18 to 34 age range, per the National Restaurant Association.
To stir up the interest of this technology-driven age group, you can incorporate QR code menu software to streamline your food truck business.
This is convenient since they would only need their mobile device to place and pay for their orders; no more long queues at the counter.
This pay-at-the-table technology is efficient when catering to a large volume of customers, allowing you to serve more customers in a day.
To learn more about this online tool and food ideas for your food truck business, read further in this article.
Popular food truck menu ideas you should consider
Check out some of these food truck items that are appropriate for your target market:
1. Tacos
Did you know that Americans consume over 4.5 billion tacos annually?
With this whopping number, adding tacos to your food truck menu will surely benefit you.
The good thing about tacos is that they are designed for non-traditional ingredients and are highly customizable.
It’s a budget-friendly meal option because you can stuff them with something affordable like fish, rice, or veggies.
2. Burritos
This popular Mexican food is a good food truck item because it’s easy to prepare and convenient to consume; anyone can eat it on the go.
Moreover, you can customize burritos with numerous filling options. For instance, you can have all-vegan burritos, which would be a good deal for health-conscious diners.
3. Burgers
Burgers are a perennial staple for most food establishments, including food trucks. They’re affordable, easy to prepare, and don’t need complicated ingredients.
This item’s fast-serving nature explains why it is an excellent specialty. It’s a great food truck menu inclusion since it’s a grab-and-go item with room for creativity.
4. Grilled cheese sandwiches
This decadent food will never go out of style. It’s a go-to comfort food for many and is an excellent food truck item since anyone can grab it any time of the day.
They’re quick to prepare even during rush hours, and they’re already filling and satisfying despite having only a few ingredients.
5. Pizza
You can never go wrong with pizza. Offer a slice of pizza with various toppings like pepperoni and bacon. Also, add vegan options like mushrooms and spinach.
But if you want to establish a trademark on your pizza recipe, you can create your concept and play with different topping combinations.
6. BBQ
Barbecue is rated the most popular and profitable food truck item in North America. It sure is a crowd-pleaser with its tempting aroma when tossed on fire.
Offer meat types like ribs, pulled pork, brisket, or chicken wings and cook them with different herbs, spices, and seasonings.
And to delight your customers, serve these with a wide range of sauces.
Other top-selling food truck items
In addition to the savory and filling food truck offerings mentioned above, you can also delight your food truck customers with the following sweet treats:
7. Cupcakes
Cupcakes are easily portable desserts and a tempting offer for those with a sweet tooth.
Make your cupcakes stand out by offering different flavors. You may also consider gluten-free or vegan options to make it inclusive for those with dietary restrictions.
This sweet treat is often popular among Gen Z, who love taking photos of what they ate and uploading them online. Make your cupcakes appetizing at first sight to attract them.
If they like how your cupcakes look and taste, they’ll talk about it on their social media accounts. That’s a free promotion right there.
8. Ice cream
Ice cream is an all-time favorite. This top-selling food truck item is especially popular in spring and summer.
Selling them and other frozen treats like gelato and sorbet is great for your food truck.
Offer multiple options like ice cream sandwiches, sundaes, and dairy-free vegan ice cream. Also, provide different ice cream flavors and toppings for your customers.
Crowd-favorite flavors include vanilla, chocolate, and cookies & cream. And for the toppings, you can have marshmallows, rainbow sprinkles, and chocolate syrup.
9. Coffee
Coffee is another food truck favorite that is best to sell in the morning since that’s when people drink to wake their bodies up and start their day.
It may be bitter, but you can add milk, sugar, or honey to make it sweet.
This non-seasonal beverage item is a staple in the mobile catering industry since people consume it daily, regardless of the weather.
You can offer americanos, lattes, macchiatos, and coffee-based frappes. Serve them hot or iced, depending on your customer’s preference.
10. Smoothies
Smoothies are a well-liked food truck item, especially in an area filled with healthy eaters.
The versatility of smoothies makes them an excellent addition to your food truck drink menu, as it lets you cater to a wide range of clients.
Offer unique and delicious flavor combinations — fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds — to create a smoothie that meets their needs and preferences.
Types of food trucks
There are different types of vehicles that you can use for your food truck business. If you’re not familiar with them, you can refer to the following:
Step van
A step van is a good option for a business that requires more space. The length of step vans ranges from 12 to 30 feet.
Compared to compact vans, it has higher roofs and is more spacious, which is ideal if you have more people in your kitchen; you can freely move around.
You can maximize the area by strategically designing the space for storage, food prep, ventilation, and cooking equipment.
Whatever type of food truck business you have in mind, step vans are a wise choice that can meet your needs.
Cargo van
A cargo van is the cheapest vehicle option to purchase. It is also the smallest among other types of food trucks, making it sufficient for running a small bakery delivery business.
Small appliances like a convection oven, microwave, food prep table, under-counter refrigerator, freezer, and griddles or grills can fit in a regular cargo van.
Since it’s small, it’s ideal for outdoor events because it’s easy to maneuver, and you can park it in narrow spaces.
Box Truck
The box truck looks quite similar to the step van. The difference is that only a sliding door separates the box truck’s cab and body.
With this vehicle type, you can create a full kitchen set-up with all the appliances and other huge and heavy equipment.
Unlike the cargo van that can only fit small equipment and appliances, a box truck gives you more storage space to hold huge inventory quantities.
And on top of that, you can customize the van’s exterior based on your food truck concept, which can help establish brand awareness and catch people’s attention.
Bus
Did you know you can convert a bus into a food truck? One advantage buses have is they’re much cheaper compared to other vehicle types.
With its ample space, you can create a full kitchen set-up and mount advanced equipment for food preparation.
The drawback of buses as food trucks is that they’re hard to navigate in tight spaces, thus limiting the spots you can park and sell food.
Why Should Food Truck Owners Use a QR Code Menu
Running a food truck business is a lot of work, especially if you’re shorthanded.
However, you can operate more efficiently by incorporating technologies such as MENU TIGER’s digital menu software.
It has compelling features that alleviate common problems such as slow turning of tables, inaccurate orders, and miscalculated change.
Know the details about how digital menu software contributes to the success of your food truck business by reading the following:
Better customer data
Access to customer databases will give you a competitive advantage, and MENU TIGER can provide this.
This interactive QR code menu software can give you access to customer information like their name, contact information, and even their previous purchases and interactions.
You can use these data to improve marketing efforts and create special offers and promotions tailored to your customers’ preferences.
Provide essential food details
Creating a detailed QR code for food menu is essential for customers; it allows them to make informed choices.
MENU TIGER can help you with this. It lets you add descriptions to each menu item. You can then add ingredients and possible allergen content.
Some customers prefer seeing pictures of the menu items. With this software, you can add high-quality images to the menu.
This is more significant, especially for health-conscious people with dietary restrictions. It will help you avoid being in emergencies and putting customers’ lives at risk.
When you consider the well-being of your consumers, they will appreciate it and likely trust your brand.
Lesser wait-times
Longer waiting times to be seated and place an order can frustrate anyone, leading to customers leaving without purchasing.
In the Retail Industry Executive Survey, 75% of businesses revealed that they lost clients due to waiting times.
According to The American Express Global Customer Service Barometer survey, customers are willing to wait only 14 minutes before being served.
This implies how having fast and efficient services can retain your customers.
Here’s when a digital menu comes in. It can shorten customers’ waiting times since they won’t need to stand in long queues to place orders.
They only need to scan the QR code to access the menu, then order and pay conveniently from their smartphone.
This method is more efficient, allowing you to serve more customers in less time, boosting the overall efficiency of the business.
QR code menus reduce paper waste
Reprinting the menu every time you update the menu’s content — price, availability, description, and pictures — can add up to tons of solid waste.
Paper and paperboard materials constitute the greatest portion of municipal solid waste (MSW), according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 2018.
As a restaurateur, you can take part in putting an end to this environmental issue by incorporating technologies like digital menus.
With this technological advancement, you can create a food truck menu and edit its content anytime without reprinting new codes.
Indeed, it is a cost-efficient and environmentally-friendly food business tool.
Eliminate order errors
Catering to several customers during peak hours can be confusing. This is susceptible to errors, especially if you have limited staff.
But you can alleviate this problem with the help of a QR code-based restaurant menu, delegating tedious tasks to the technology.
Customers have complete control over the ordering process — they can check the items they’re going to purchase and even write a note about their orders — which likely reduces the probability of getting incorrect orders.
MENU TIGER: the ultimate tool for any food truck businesses
Offering worthwhile food truck menu ideas will help boost your profitability and even set your business apart from competitors.
Make your food truck business recognized with the help of MENU TIGER’s interactive QR code menu software.
This enhances the customer’s overall experience — from the personalization of orders to the automated settlement of payments.
Go to MENU TIGER and subscribe to our freemium plan today.
