Just like any business, the mobile food vending industry does have a science to it. There is a certain formula in order to succeed. Because there is a difference in working hard and working smart and if you put your head into it and get your math right you also increase your chances of doing well. This is one important advice that Chad of Dahlberg’s Local Taste of Paradise in Reno shared with us. He reiterated and proved how important a business plan is. You need to get your projections as spot on as possible and base this on hard data. For once they had their business plan; it just took them about six weeks to get the business up and running.

The plan to get a food truck has actually been brewing for the last six years, but raising a family took center stage. It was not until Chad got fed up with the 9 to 5 corporate job he had that they decided to jump into the deep end and as Chad puts it, they’ve been treading water ever since. “I said to my wife, we’re young and you only live once”. He wanted to have a little bit more freedom in his work life and wanted to spend more time with the family. Dahlberg’s Local Taste of Paradise (DahLTOP) is actually a family run affair, with Chad’s mother, brothers, sisters, and sister-in-laws all involved in the business. Chad is actually grooming his son to take over the business.

The Dahlberg’s have been involved in various food businesses in the past, the last being a snack bar they ran while coaching a local football team. They realized how well their Dahlbergers were selling and decided to transfer the business to a mobile platform. Aside from their famous hamburgers, DahLTOP serves breakfast treats all day from their trailer which is designed to be ‘Your Vacation on Wheels’. “We want our customers to feel like they’re on vacation and forget their troubles of the day. We are a fun bunch and are always excited and loud in the trailer”, shares Chad. They also have bacon dipped in pancake batter, grilled cheese dippers with a tomato soup dip, biscuits and gravy, Teriyaki chicken, and their best-selling fried mac & cheese balls served with ranch dressing.

When asked about his experience in buying the trailer on UsedVending.com, Chad shares “It’s good that the website is so detailed, you could look through everything and see what you really want. We got a turnkey business. When we got the trailer; we could have literally gone to the store, bought food, and parked on the side of the road if I had my permits and license”.

On expanding the business and getting a food truck instead of a trailer, Chad confides that they do have plans to expand. “Expanding could be lucrative, but it’s also a risk. You might be operating two trucks but earning the same as one truck with the added headaches. For the moment we would stick to the trailer we have and do what we do well. We have low overhead and rarely lose money as it is. Both trailers and food trucks have their pros and cons. If we had a food truck now maybe we would like to expand with a concession trailer.”

Chad also shares his advice in choosing events and lucrative locations. “At a non-food event, only about 10% of the attendees would eat at your food truck. Around 20% would eat if you are the only food concessionaire and the event is off the grid or it’s an event where spectators can’t leave for a long time. You can make good money on these kind of events. School events are also good and those with lots of kids, because kids love the concept of food trucks. Its nostalgic for the parents and the kids think it’s cool.”

Fried Mac & Cheese Balls

Chad also tells that food truck owners should know the demographics of the office buildings they target. What kind of industry the company is in, how many employees work there, what are their age brackets, and how much do they earn. Based on this you can decide on how often to go, what to serve, and how to price your items. Another lucrative business for them has been apartment complexes. The complex manager would just e-mail blast the 1,800 families there and they would do around 200 orders in two hours.

But do not saturate an area reiterates Chad, “I believe the most successful food trucks are the most exclusive or the hard to catch ones. You want to make your customers, want your truck”. Preparing food and running a concession trailer may not be rocket science, but it would help a lot if you plan properly and choose your target market well.  You can reach them at 775-336-7878 or follow them @DahlLTOP.