How To Start A Food Service Cart Business

Learning how to start a food service cart business can be a big headache. The licensing requirements are almost as tough as they are for a regular restaurant. The benefit though is that while your prices are only a little lower, your overhead will be much smaller. This is because you won’t have to pay waiters, location rent and other fees associated with running a whole restaurant.

In order to start a food service cart business you will need:

• Food handler’s permit licensing
• A food service cart
• State licensing
• A business license
• A location

In order to start a food service cart business, you will need to:

1. Look into your licensing requirements. All states will require specific licensing for anyone serving food to the public. This is because there can be serious concerns with people contracting food-borne illnesses.  Your local government should be able to point you in the right direction. Another great resource for starting a food service cart business is your local small business association. They can help you put together a business plan and help you with all the licensing you need.
2. Research what type of food service cart you need. This will depend on what types of food you would like to sell. A small cart might be suitable for easy things like hotdogs, but a larger one will be needed if you plan on cooking burgers or larger items. A good business plan can help you decide what options are best for you. Some factors will be your budget, where you would like to sell food and what kinds of food you would like to sell.
3. Location, location, location. Deciding where you would like to put your food service cart will depend on a couple of factors. First, if you don’t own the land, you will have to get permission from the land owner. There may be a charge for rent or you could even work out a deal that will be commission based. All of this should be written up in a legal contract so there isn’t any confusion.
4. In addition, talk to an attorney about what types of insurance you should have. This will depend on how you would like to have your business structured and what types of assets you own. An attorney may also be able to help you with a rental contract for where your food service cart will be located. Ideally, you should have something like a lease so that your customers can count on you being at the same location.