What is the cost to hire a food truck for a party or wedding?
Most food trucks charge a hire fee of around £400 to £600. This is the minimum amount food trucks must charge to serve at events. This will increase with more food trucks and premium menus.
For their basic menu package, prices per head can start at around £7-11
The price of a catering van can be affected by many factors. The date is one of the most important factors. For example, a Saturday lunchtime in February can be more expensive than a Sunday lunchtime in summer.
The type of food you choose (e.g. Full-on BBQ vs. Mac’n’cheese), type of food truck (simple pimped up van vs. bespoke burger van) and distance from event.
These are our top tips to keep the cost down when you book a food truck.
You should limit the time between each serving. While you might like to allow your guests to graze from noon until dusk, this will likely come with additional fees.
Local caterers are a great choice. This keeps travel costs low for the team and also supports local businesses.
Choose a simple menu. Two or three menu options should suffice to cover all bases while keeping costs low and food waste down.
Tell your mobile catering service your budget. They will then suggest a menu that fits your needs.
You might consider increasing the amount of portions. Many caterers have fixed costs for every event, such as staffing, travel, and power. This means that the per-head price can drop quite a bit when you increase the number.
What is the longest time street food vans can serve food at weddings and events?
The type of food served by food trucks will affect the length of their service time. It can take more time to prepare pizzas for a large group than noodles that are already cooked.
Food trucks typically take around two hours to feed 100 people. This would allow guests plenty of time to order their food and then collect it from the van.
This is often possible if you need the food for a longer period of time. This will likely result in a higher staffing time and a slightly higher charge.
Always include the serving time when you get a quote from a food truck catering company. If you are clear about this at the beginning, they may be willing to extend their standard serving time for an additional charge.
What number of people can a food truck serve?
It varies from truck to truck depending on the food they serve, their experience and how they manage their processes.
An experienced caterer could offer paella to guests where each order is identical. They could also serve more than 200 people per hour for a lunchtime event, such as 11am-3pm. This could allow them to serve 800 people. A food truck that offers a wide variety of wraps could serve only 15 people an hour.
If you’re looking to serve large groups
We recommend that people who have a food truck offer a simple menu. Also, a food option that can easily be ‘grab’n’go’ would be a good choice. A street food caterer with experience serving large groups and who has the right processes and procedures to ensure that there is minimal queuing is a good choice.
We have served hot dogs at large events like the NFL and are very familiar with how to serve large groups quickly. It is all about great staff, simple processes, and simple menus!
What number of street food trucks do I need for my event?
It may appeal to you to have food trucks at your event, creating a festival atmosphere. This gives your guests the opportunity to choose from a wide range of food options and caters to all dietary needs.
The downside is that the more food trucks you have, the more expensive it will become. Most trucks have a minimum set-up fee. However, if you have many guests to serve, it might be a good idea to rent multiple food trucks.
We suggest that you limit the number of meals per van to 50. If you have more than 150 guests, or want multiple portions, then having several food vans may be an option.
Some food trucks, including ours, can also be used. You can easily feed a few hundred people at an event while offering different menu options to guests.
We recommend 3x savoury and 1x dessert food vans depending on the number of attendees. Make sure that there are no overlaps in the food and enough choices for vegans and gluten-intolerant guests when choosing your food van. You can also consider having a lighter option for guests who are more conscious about their health, and a heavier dish for those who have a larger appetite.
Food truck companies often work together so it’s worth asking them if they have any recommendations for other food trucks that could be paired with them.
We recommend one food truck per 150 people if the event’s duration is less than 2 hours.
Are you required to pre-order food when hiring a food truck?
A great thing about hiring a van to cater your event is the fact that they don’t require you pre-order each guest. Food trucks are generally not required to request guests’ preferred meals, unlike formal catering.
Most often, when guests hire a food truck for the day, they can choose their favorite menu item.
This is great for many reasons. It saves you a lot of time and allows guests to choose what they want.
It is worth checking the specific requirements of the food truck that you want to book. Some food trucks require you to provide numbers for vegans/veggies/gluten-free and letting them know before hand of any specific dietary requirements your guests may have.
What is the average time it takes for a food truck to set up at an event or wedding?
While most food trucks can be set up in around 30 minutes, many people like us prefer to take about an hour to prepare.
Some food trucks, like those with large fryers or wood-fired ovens, may need to be there earlier than others to allow them enough time to fire up everything!
It is worth asking about the set-up times for food trucks if time is a concern.
To quickly set up for surprise birthday parties, we have done it in 20 minutes.
You can ask for the food truck to arrive before your guests arrive. However, it is a good idea to let them know that this is possible.
We can send you a free menu and quote if you’re looking for a food truck caterer who will impress your guests.