Have you thought about selling alcohol from your food truck? After all, consumers spent a total of $253 billion on alcohol alone in 2019. Who wouldn’t want to get a piece of that action?
But how much could you really profit from selling alcohol from your truck? Well, there a number of factors that can determine whether it would be profitable or not, which we will address in this short guide.
Here are a few things to consider if you’re thinking about selling alcohol from your food truck.
Legal
Each state, county, and city has different rules regarding the sale of alcohol. Typically your first step would be to decide whether you’re just going to be selling beer and wine or hard liquor and mixed drinks too. It’s usually easier to get a license for just beer and wine.
You’ll then fill out the appropriate paperwork and applications from your local alcohol board. You will need to have a business plan ready to show the alcohol board how you plan to use your license. Then all that’s left is to pay the fees.
The steps in this process vary by location, so it may be slightly different in your city.
Location, Location, Location
Where your food truck sets up shop can have a lot of weight in your decision to add alcohol to the menu. If you mainly frequent areas that are family-friendly venues, alcohol will probably not have a great return value.
However, if you plan on selling at tourist attractions, nightlife hotspots, or at event venues offering alcohol can be a gold mine.
Menu Options
Before deciding what type of alcohol you want to sell you’ll need to think about your menu a bit. Or consider adding some menu items to pair well with the types of alcoholic beverages you have chosen.
There are certain foods that don’t go with certain drinks. A gorgeous merlot probably won’t pair very well with a hotdog. But a great beer can really complement a fresh slice of pizza from a pizza oven.
Storage for Selling Alcohol
Next, you’ll want to think about the storage you have available on your truck. Will you be able to keep full inventory at the appropriate temperature? How much space will that take away from storing other essential items, like food ingredients? This could have a huge impact on your decision whether to sell alcohol. Your truck just might not have the room.
Competition
Is your competition already selling alcohol? This can cost you customers and sales if you’re behind on the trend.
If they’re not, this can give you an edge over the competition. You can get a leg up on a new customer base and build a reputation early.
Learn More With Us
We hope this short article helped give you some perspective on selling alcohol from your food truck.
Wanting to branch into alcohol sales but just don’t have the room? Contact us for a free quote on an upgraded food truck that will meet your needs.
Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!
Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.
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