Mobile food trucks are all the rage these days, but many owners wonder if they can successfully evolve their enterprises into brick-and-mortar restaurants. As a well-respected custom food truck equipment supplier in Brooklyn, NY, Shanghai Mobile Kitchen Solutions knows that a thriving food truck can quickly outgrow its humble beginnings. Below, they offer some advice to entrepreneurs interested in providing their tasty wares within a restaurant setting.

How to Transition From Food Truck to Restaurant

1. Tackle Practical Matters

Create a business plan. This document allows you to organize your thoughts while starting your business, and it’s useful when speaking with investors about your restaurant. You’ll also need to consider which licenses you need, as the food service industry is heavily regulated. Next, you’ll need to bring together your capital. Opening a restaurant is more expensive than starting a mobile food truck business, so consider your funding, such as whether you plan on working with a partner or speaking with a lender.

2. Choose a Location

Location is key for any business. First, make sure that a prospective building falls within your budget. You also want to ensure that the neighborhood you choose is accessible to your customers. Look for a spot close to but not dead center in a popular area in town (as these locales will be far more expensive). Consult a real estate agent about finding the perfect location and a food truck service with knowledge about the regional market.

3. Select Equipment & Staff

In addition to allowing customers to pay for their meals without a hassle, a POS, or point of sale, system is a means of tracking profits and seeing just how much is spent on the items necessary to keep your business afloat (which includes everything from food to cutlery). Consider all your options before picking one. You’ll also need to select staff. You may want to go through an agency for reliably professional employees. Or, create detailed ads and post them to job sites yourself. Once you have some staff in place, set up a referral system to find new hires that would be a good fit for your restaurant.

As a supporter of mobile food trucks since 1979, Shanghai Mobile Kitchen Solutions is an essential resource for entrepreneurs in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and North Carolina. If you have questions about their product line and how it can benefit you, feel free to call (800) 253-4815. You can also learn more about their services, including food truck and custom kitchen design, by visiting them online.