Mobile catering unit

Carra23

Hope I've got the right forum for this query but I am just looking for some advice on a Burger/Chippy vans. Just recently I've noticed the amount of money I have blown over the last 3 years or so and I am not talking tens of thousands here but maybe 6/7 grand.

I am talking about money I borrowed from the credit union and stuff like that for things that weren't really essential and since it's dawned on me how much I have wasted I have decided to invest the next loan I get into something that will return the money. I don't plan on becoming a millionaire but just sick of throwing money down the toilet.

I noticed that ye can pick up chip vans 2nd hand fairly cheaply , ranging from as little as 4000 to 9000. Does any one know what's involved with such a business ? What sort of permits and insurance you need ? Do you need to have any formal catering training maybe HACCAP ? And most importantly if you spent 4000 on one how long before you would make your money back ?

Any tips or suggestion would be great. Thanks.

Carra23

jamiecoins

hey yeh u need some training and to pass inspections have different prep areas for meat/chicken so not to cross contaminate .all the inside has to be spotless and all freezers fridges etc be fully working i think u can find info on safe food.ie or google search it .it depend on ur profit where ur going to go to sell ,loan repayments etc before ur profit looks up

Carra23

jamiecoins wrote: »

hey yeh u need some training and to pass inspections have different prep areas for meat/chicken so not to cross contaminate .all the inside has to be spotless and all freezers fridges etc be fully working i think u can find info on safe food.ie or google search it .it depend on ur profit where ur going to go to sell ,loan repayments etc before ur profit looks up

OK thanks . I had googled a little bit trying to find info on permits and I checked Dublin City Council website but had no luck. Where will I get info on permits ? I mean if I find our an event is happening surely I cant just roll up in my chip van to sell burgers ?

jamiecoins

no u cant ud be breaking loads of laws lol.check this out and see if it helps

http://www.fsai.ie/

spongbob

nearly all events you have to pay in...

My friend paid 800euro addmission for a weekend event, a small enough motor bike rally. pissed rain the whole weekend didn't even make his addmission money back.

Fionn101

Hi Carra,

For event licences ring Dublin County council on 01 2223141 - very helpful and informative people.

MidlandsM

Tough game - ever wonder why there's lots of vans for sale and why they are cheap?

Run Forest, Run.

Bandara

Don't touch this business its impossible to make money in it.

I sold this 2 years ago, the cost to buy and fit it out was over 50,000 sterling, absolute state of the art van capable of doing any food type, sold it for €14,000 2 years later. And was DELIGHTED (head over heels delighted!) to get that price for it.

http://www.adverts.ie/84863/trucks-and-commercial/mobile-hot-and-cold-deli-van/

disaster of an industry

D Hayes

Hammertime wrote: »

Don't touch this business its impossible to make money in it.

I sold this 2 years ago, the cost to buy and fit it out was over 50,000 sterling, absolute state of the art van capable of doing any food type, sold it for €14,000 2 years later. And was DELIGHTED (head over heels delighted!) to get that price for it.

http://www.adverts.ie/84863/trucks-and-commercial/mobile-hot-and-cold-deli-van/

disaster of an industry

Did the pair of shoes clinch the deal?

wellboy76

Carra23 wrote: »

Hope I've got the right forum for this query but I am just looking for some advice on a Burger/Chippy vans. Just recently I've noticed the amount of money I have blown over the last 3 years or so and I am not talking tens of thousands here but maybe 6/7 grand.

I am talking about money I borrowed from the credit union and stuff like that for things that weren't really essential and since it's dawned on me how much I have wasted I have decided to invest the next loan I get into something that will return the money. I don't plan on becoming a millionaire but just sick of throwing money down the toilet.

I noticed that ye can pick up chip vans 2nd hand fairly cheaply , ranging from as little as 4000 to 9000. Does any one know what's involved with such a business ? What sort of permits and insurance you need ? Do you need to have any formal catering training maybe HACCAP ? And most importantly if you spent 4000 on one how long before you would make your money back ?

Any tips or suggestion would be great. Thanks.

Carra23

Dont just take advice from here mate. We just kitted out 2 trailers in the Wexford area on the back of another few that are going exceptionally well. Good luck with the venture if you decide to go with it.

MidlandsM

wellboy76 wrote: »

Dont just take advice from here mate. We just kitted out 2 trailers in the Wexford area on the back of another few that are going exceptionally well. Good luck with the venture if you decide to go with it.

Good to hear. Tell us more andf share your experiences?
Typical margins etc? admission cots to events? Enviromental Health requiremnts etc?

Carra23

wellboy76 wrote: »

Dont just take advice from here mate. We just kitted out 2 trailers in the Wexford area on the back of another few that are going exceptionally well. Good luck with the venture if you decide to go with it.

Good to hear that . I think for some one like me who would be spending €4000 grand on one as an alternative to blowing it on a holiday , its a good investment because I'm realistic enough to know it won't ,make me rich but over time(no constraints there) it will return the outlay. What sort of events do you trade at ?

Fries-With-That

wellboy76 wrote: »

Dont just take advice from here mate. We just kitted out 2 trailers in the Wexford area on the back of another few that are going exceptionally well. Good luck with the venture if you decide to go with it.

This post gives the impression that you're operating a mobile food business.

Its one thing to be involved in kitting out trailers for people its another to be out there operating a business from them.

If someone is doing exceptionally well it this area of the food business they must have excellent locations offering them stable income, or they must be a large operation that can afford to put trailers out there and cover operating costs until the pitch becomes profitable.

To the OP think long and hard before you part with your 4000e in my experience you won't get much for that kind of money. I wouldn't borrow the money on the back of advice received from people that have no experience actually running this type of business.