Advice on Food/Catering Van Business

Shells Bells

Hiya,
I am hoping to set up a small food production/catering business and am looking at buying a food van but it seems the general consensus of a lot of the responses to similar questions on here are not to bother as the market is sewn up and very hard to get into. I was just wondering if anyone has any advice on how best to get off the ground with this type of business or any alternatives to a food van that I might not have thought of
Thanks,
Shelley

Chiorino

A lot of this comes from people who have bought food units thinking its a handy means to print money and get there nose put out when they don't become millionaires overnight.

It's true that it can be difficult to get started in some areas such as large events and festivals where the management companies have sub contractors they use regularly. The way to get started is small, initially. Look for some markets or festivals which might not be hugely well known or massively busy. You won't make a huge amount of money but you will get slicker at how you run your business which will stand to you when the bigger opportunities become available. It also allows you to, in essence, develop a CV of sorts, showing where and when you have traded which will make you more likely to pick up jobs at the larger event.

Gloomtastic!

If you're looking at a burger/chip van then you will probably have problems getting a pitch. If you are doing something different - oven fired pizza, smoking house then you might find a market.

goz83

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

If you're looking at a burger/chip van then you will probably have problems getting a pitch. If you are doing something different - oven fired pizza, smoking house then you might find a market.

There hasn't been a chipper van outside Donaghmede Shopping Centre for a good long while now. If the OP is in North Dublin, could be worth a look. Fat John seems to have fallen off the face of the planet.

duploelabs

Unless you've the capital rattling around to invest in the van, or a very special arrangement with your bank, you're going to find it very hard to break even let alone make any cash. The price of a fully-fitted van is a multiple of the lease of the same for a restaurant/cafe in D4/D6. Unless you do burgers and chips (very high margin) you have to find a decent spot in an established market to make your specialty foods sell, said slots are only really available if someone drops out, good luck to you if you want to make savory waffles or pho outside (as the previous poster noted) Donaghmede Shopping centre.

Gloomtastic!

goz83 wrote: »

There hasn't been a chipper van outside Donaghmede Shopping Centre for a good long while now. If the OP is in North Dublin, could be worth a look. Fat John seems to have fallen off the face of the planet.

Heart attack perhaps? :rolleyes:

goz83

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Heart attack perhaps? :rolleyes:

:eek: I hope not

He was a very globe like character though. Loved his grub no doubt.