Pop-Tarts Food Truck

Food trucks are a major craze in large cities. During lunch time, they line the streets, TV shows are dedicated to featuring trucks throughout the country and popular events known as “Food Truck Rodeos,” in which multiple trucks come together in a central location, are being held every week. I’ve worked in a crepe food truck and see the benefits of owning and operating one. The start-up and operational expenses are significantly cheaper than a traditional restaurant and you can serve a large range of customers by simply driving your truck to another part of town. Because food trucks are becoming more and more popular, it is important that a start-up food truck offers a unique style and/or type of food. In my particular food truck I will offer a well-known yet non-traditional version of the Pop-tarts.

My Food Truck
Everyone remembers pop-tarts from their childhood, but after you reach a certain age, the artificially sweet flavor doesn’t really appeal to you anymore. My pop-tarts would not only be healthier with fresh ingredients and customers would have the option of a whole wheat flour pastry shell, but there would be traditional and unusual flavors in sweet and savory options. I would target the brunch (breakfast and lunch) crowd but in attending events, such as farmers markets, fairs, and food rodeos, would open the business to a broad range of consumers.

The Food Truck Market
Currently, it is estimated that there are over 3 million food trucks in the US and nearly 5 million food carts. As the trend begins to grow, more are expected to hit the streets. Typical vendors offer food between $3 - $10 depending on the dish. If the food truck is popular, it can draw over 150 customers just during lunch time. If I sell just one pop-tart for $3.50 to 100 customers, I will make $350. However, it’s likely that customers order more than one and purchase drinks.

Costs
According to Entrepreneur magazine, starting a food truck can cost $30,000 to $60,000, the break-down being:
• Food trucks or “mobile kitchen” cost between $5,000 and $60,000. I would obviously opt for a smaller, more reasonably priced one.
• Licensing, registration and permit costs vary according to city, but I’ll estimate to be $400.
• In Chapel Hill, food trucks can park on sidewalks for free (under certain conditions) or pay for parking spots that are around $300.
• I estimate the initial costs of food supplies to be $500.
• If I hire someone to run the window at $8.00 an hour for 5 hours, it will cost $40 in labor costs per day.