Calgary Food Trucks Service

Calgary Food Trucks Service

Over the last few years, a new craze has popped up in cities all over North America – the food truck. Once just a hallmark of places like New York and Los Angeles, the food truck phenomenon has now spread to every corner of the continent, including right here in Calgary.
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Food trucks are the ultimate win for a sole proprietor that loves the business: portable, efficient, and on a small scale, they can quickly be moved to a new location as needed. But what happens when the “truck” part of the business starts to show more than the “food” side?

After all, a food truck still needs to be maintained and fixed every so often – perhaps even more so, since they’re running equipment like fridges, freezers, and stoves. And if your truck shows up to an event smelling like burning oil, leaking coolant, or shrieking with bad brakes, that will create an association with every customer – not for good food, but for low quality of care. That’s extremely detrimental to any solo business!

The solution to this is to keep up on your truck’s preventative maintenance – if you wait until you notice the problem, then chances are that potential customers have noticed it too, and steered clear. There’s no law about food trucks requiring commercial inspections (for now), but ignoring what’s under the hood won’t do you any favours in the long run. At least twice a year, bring your vehicle to West Tech’s shop (or we can come to you), and get all the fluids, belts, brakes, and other systems checked, so that you can take care of any problems before they get big enough to scare away sales. On top of the increased marketability, you’ll also have the better peace of mind, knowing that you – and your supplies in the back – are safe during transport to local hot spots.

The best times to do this maintenance are the spring and fall, when business isn’t overwhelming yet, and you won’t feel rushed through the process. This way, you won’t lose any money by bringing your truck in, and you know you’ll be ready for the summer slam of event-hopping that comprises the majority of income for most food truck operators. And afterward, as things slow down again in the autumn, any problems that may have started to form during the rush can be identified and fixed before they cause a headache during the next busy season.
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While it’s a different business model from many others, food trucks are still a business – and as with any major personal investment in one, it’s best to ensure it operates safely, efficiently, and to the quality that its client base expects. Don’t be stuck in the shop during a big festival or busy long weekend crowd because you forgot to top up your coolant, or replace your brake pads. A little preparation, and preventative maintenance, goes a long way toward keeping your truck where it belongs, out where the action is. And then you can focus on doing what you do best – creating great food for the people who want to support you!