spacer Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 My family is about to move to Alabama, in about a month, due to my wife's promotion and subsequent pay raise. While I'm happy about it, and the fact that I have friends in Bama, it does put me in a position of trying to find *myself* something productive to do there. I really don't want to go back to OTR driving, as I love being near my family, but the only things I really know aretrucking, to a lesser extent flying, and having grown up in a pizza restaurant. I've toyed with the idea of returning to the latter (we made some DARNED good pizza), but sometimes you really don't have any idea what a location will be like until you've made the leap. This scares the dickens outta me.So, my wife and I have talked on occasion about operating a vending cart on the weekends for extra cash. I figured maybe I could run with it full time so I could make money and stay home. Then... I wondered about a mobile pizza joint. There are pizza carts being advertised for sale, and I've known a couple folks who make really good money with their various vending outfits (carnival and events, usually). Why not a classic Mack tractor, pulling a drop-deck trailer-cum-pizzaria? I think it'd be a hit at the fair, a natural for truck shows, and I'm thinking of a few places I could position it between events for day-to-day sales. I wouldn't *start* with the big truck. Probably just start out with a converted stepvan, but I'd love to use the profits to work on the big truck, get it all spiffy and ready for show. I just came up with this idea a few minutes ago, so please be gentle. I am familiar with the restaurant industry and the health department. I'm also familiar with the trucking industry (obviously). I'm looking more for ideas than kill-shots here.Heck, Mom still has all her recipes for the sauce and dough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAD DOG Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Cool Idea. Great way of combining two things you love together. If you already know both industries you should be able to make it work, like you say start out small and try it. Remember nothing ventured nothing gained, good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 My family is about to move to Alabama, in about a month, due to my wife's promotion and subsequent pay raise. While I'm happy about it, and the fact that I have friends in Bama, it does put me in a position of trying to find *myself* something productive to do there. I really don't want to go back to OTR driving, as I love being near my family, but the only things I really know aretrucking, to a lesser extent flying, and having grown up in a pizza restaurant. I've toyed with the idea of returning to the latter (we made some DARNED good pizza), but sometimes you really don't have any idea what a location will be like until you've made the leap. This scares the dickens outta me.So, my wife and I have talked on occasion about operating a vending cart on the weekends for extra cash. I figured maybe I could run with it full time so I could make money and stay home. Then... I wondered about a mobile pizza joint. There are pizza carts being advertised for sale, and I've known a couple folks who make really good money with their various vending outfits (carnival and events, usually). Why not a classic Mack tractor, pulling a drop-deck trailer-cum-pizzaria? I think it'd be a hit at the fair, a natural for truck shows, and I'm thinking of a few places I could position it between events for day-to-day sales. I wouldn't *start* with the big truck. Probably just start out with a converted stepvan, but I'd love to use the profits to work on the big truck, get it all spiffy and ready for show. I just came up with this idea a few minutes ago, so please be gentle. I am familiar with the restaurant industry and the health department. I'm also familiar with the trucking industry (obviously). I'm looking more for ideas than kill-shots here.Heck, Mom still has all her recipes for the sauce and dough. Well, I got to say straight off a "cum pizza" does not appeal to me at all. That being said; There are literally dozens of "push cart" vendors with many different types of food daily outside the Caterpillar plants and offices during the lunch breaks. So lucrative has been this business enterprise(s) the city fathers just have to have a piece of the pie. The permits, taxes, space rental, (public sidewalks) are all costly. Numerous vendors have deemed the enterprise too costly to continue citing the continuing battle to offset new overhead costs that appear yearly. Similar to your proposed endeavor: I have a customer that wanted his old F6 Ford truck rebuilt to pull his trailer where he vendors "kettle korn" at venues. This has been very lucrative and involves the complete family to operate. The truck actually garners much attention as it is near pristine with the exception of modern running gear. We took the truck completely apart, rebuilt and/or replaced nearly everything, had the grille, and headlamp bezels chromed while the local Ford dealership fitted a new 5.4ltr engine and automatic trans. A new polished stainless diamond stamped skin vendors/concessions body with hinged opening sides was installed and all supplies and copper kettles are carried inside a trailer towed behind. A pretty sharp looking outfit that does a lot of horse shows and state fair type celebrations. They must be making money cause they've been at it over ten years now. I think with the right mindset you can prosper. Be prepared for some long hours.Rob Quote Plodding along with no job nor practical application for my existence, but still trying to fix what's broke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deere Mack Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I hope the cum pizza is not a family receipe. If it has to be that way, I'm sure it would work well around the Auburn area! WIth that being said, what part of Bama you moving too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacer Posted March 27, 2011 Author Share Posted March 27, 2011 Birmingham....and I shoulda figured a bunch of ol' truck drivers would have a bit of fun with the language. D'oh! If it's as new as a '70s R model, I can see doing a straight resto. Something earlier may have to be a resto-mod as described above with newer running gear. The big question for me is going to be how I want to set it up. Either a straight truck with a fairly long wheelbase, enclosed area right behind the cab for the kitchen, and I thought about having a few feet out back porch-style for a brick oven for wood fired pizza. That'd really get the novelty fans salivating, and it's darned good pizza, too. (Mom's pizza dough recipe uses beer, by the way)The other idea would keep the truck usable for local travel, and could still be used as a tractor: Building the wagon on a trailer. Same setup, more or less.Yeah, some places have gotten mighty restrictive. Up in NY, the den of thieves have limited the number of vending permits that there's a multi-year waiting list. Folks are selling their permits on the black market for heaps of cash. Almost worth getting on the list as an investment, eh? I don't think the Birmingham area will be as bad, but I am gonna do my homework before moving in. I'm hoping, with the large number of satellite communities, that I can figure out which ones basically don't have any rules other than the State food safety stuff, so I don't have to drive around with a bingo card full o' permits... like driving OTR a few years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fxfymn Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 Go to a couple of fairs or places you think you might want to set up and talk to the vendors that are operating there. Ask them about permits, insurance, bonds, required training to handle food, etc. Everyone started out new once in their career, so most folks are willing to talk to a newbee even of it adds a competitor.Make a business plan and stick to it. Most small business's fail because of under capitalization. Do you have enough money to advertise and/or run a web page?Lastly, look around where you think you might want to operate and decide if your "dream rig" will physically fit into the space. Most fairs around here are pretty tight on parking space.One other operating area to consider is a local farmers market if they allow prepared food sales.Good luck! Go answer the American dream. Quote Money, sex, and fire; everybody thinks everyone else is getting more than they are! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deere Mack Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 "...and I shoulda figured a bunch of ol' truck drivers would have a bit of fun with the language."My wife isn't a truck driver and when I showed her your comment, she said gross. Anyway, welcome to Alabama! I'm from North Alabama but do a lot of bizz in B'ham. You've got a neat idea and if it would work, B'ham would be the place. Do your home work and good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Covert Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Go for it Pizza Mack! write the truck off as a business expense Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacer Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 Thanks for the advice. I've talked to a few vendors in various types of food, without giving up too much detail,and though Bama seems to be unusually strict in their food vending codes, there's nowhere near market saturation there.One fellow told me if I was selling really good pizza on the NASCAR circuit with a clean restored vintage truck, I'd make a killing. Hmm, maybe so, but so long as it's at least profitable I'm ok with it.As for space, I've been bouncing several configurations in my head, and one involves going back to a combination vehicle,leaving the trailer/restaurant in the vendor spot, while maybe keeping a reefer box on the tractor for the perishable inventory. ...and BTW... since I never know when my leg is being pulled...http://www.english-for-students.com/Preposition-CUM.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Thanks for the advice. I've talked to a few vendors in various types of food, without giving up too much detail,and though Bama seems to be unusually strict in their food vending codes, there's nowhere near market saturation there.One fellow told me if I was selling really good pizza on the NASCAR circuit with a clean restored vintage truck, I'd make a killing. Hmm, maybe so, but so long as it's at least profitable I'm ok with it.As for space, I've been bouncing several configurations in my head, and one involves going back to a combination vehicle,leaving the trailer/restaurant in the vendor spot, while maybe keeping a reefer box on the tractor for the perishable inventory. ...and BTW... since I never know when my leg is being pulled...http://www.english-f...sition-CUM.htmlLots of fun to be had with that one........ Proper english I know.Rob Quote Plodding along with no job nor practical application for my existence, but still trying to fix what's broke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fxfymn Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I hope you have been watching "America's Next Great Restaurant" on Sunday nights. Like most of these "reality" shows there is a lot of made up drama, but there is also a lot of valid information for anyone who is thinking about opening a restaurant.There is a road side barbecue vendor around here that uses the same plan you are thinking about for the truck and trailer. The reefer unit is on the truck and the cook shack is in the trailer. I never asked him, but I assume it's set up that way so he can fetch supplies with the truck. It seems to work for him. (Even though the truck is a Freightliner.)When I was working in Kodiak, AK there was a Mexican food truck that made the same route every day and even had a listing in the local yellow pages. She had a pretty big following and seemed to stay pretty busy, so it may be worth while to just get on a regular route and forget the fair/event circuit. Quote Money, sex, and fire; everybody thinks everyone else is getting more than they are! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacer Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 I hope you have been watching "America's Next Great Restaurant" on Sunday nights. Like most of these "reality" shows there is a lot of made up drama, but there is also a lot of valid information for anyone who is thinking about opening a restaurant.There is a road side barbecue vendor around here that uses the same plan you are thinking about for the truck and trailer. The reefer unit is on the truck and the cook shack is in the trailer. I never asked him, but I assume it's set up that way so he can fetch supplies with the truck. It seems to work for him. (Even though the truck is a Freightliner.)When I was working in Kodiak, AK there was a Mexican food truck that made the same route every day and even had a listing in the local yellow pages. She had a pretty big following and seemed to stay pretty busy, so it may be worth while to just get on a regular route and forget the fair/event circuit.I'm probably with ya on that last. While the event circuit might be pretty lucrative, I can only imagine it'd be a regulatory nightmare, not to mention the Ol Boys network that's probably making things hard on newcomers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deere Mack Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 I'm probably with ya on that last. While the event circuit might be pretty lucrative, I can only imagine it'd be a regulatory nightmare, not to mention the Ol Boys network that's probably making things hard on newcomers.We welcome new "comers"! I will agree though, I do know a lot of good ol boys. As long as you play by the rules its fair game. The rest is up to you! You never know, Obama might help you pay for some it or at least guarantee it with a good ol SBA Loan . You just never know... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacer Posted April 1, 2011 Author Share Posted April 1, 2011 We welcome new "comers"! I will agree though, I do know a lot of good ol boys. As long as you play by the rules its fair game. The rest is up to you! You never know, Obama might help you pay for some it or at least guarantee it with a good ol SBA Loan . You just never know...If I gotta ask a sleazy politician for help, I'll just go drive a dump truck for a living. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deere Mack Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 If I gotta ask a sleazy politician for help, I'll just go drive a dump truck for a living.I agree with your feelings toward politicians, but being in business for myself (with no gov. help or bailouts), I'll have to say with what your wanting to do, I think you'll make more money driving a dump truck. Thats a good honest living for sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacer Posted April 2, 2011 Author Share Posted April 2, 2011 I agree with your feelings toward politicians, but being in business for myself (with no gov. help or bailouts), I'll have to say with what your wanting to do, I think you'll make more money driving a dump truck. Thats a good honest living for sure!Yeah, maybe, but I've driven dump trucks. While I'm not really opposed to doing it, I do want to end up (at least eventually) doing something more interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fxfymn Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 I agree with your feelings toward politicians, but being in business for myself (with no gov. help or bailouts), I'll have to say with what your wanting to do, I think you'll make more money driving a dump truck. Thats a good honest living for sure
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