The Executive Suite: What Kitchen Equipment Is Needed for a Catering Truck?

Thursday, May 30, 2013

What Kitchen Equipment Is Needed for a Catering Truck?

A kitchen on wheels, or catering truck, can deliver food for special events or sell food on street corners. Mobile restaurants became trendy during the 2010 decade, but so-called "chow-wagons" were popular on military bases decades before that. If you're thinking of starting your own catering truck business, you should contact your local health department before purchasing equipment as regulations could impact your business

Things You'll Need

No matter what you sell at your stand, a cooler or refrigerator will be needed to safely store uncooked food. This equipment needs to be able to maintain temperatures below 40 degrees throughout the day. If you select a cooler, you will need to fill it with ice every day and move your food inside your home each night to prevent waste. A cooler can also be used to display and sell cold beverages along with your food.

Once you decide what kind of food you want to sell, then you can select the cooking equipment you need. Fryers can prepare food like corn dogs, french fries, onion rings or jalapeno poppers. Grills can be used to cook meals like kabobs, burgers, taco meat or chicken. Don't limit yourself to these common options, though. Mobile restaurants can sell slow-cooked barbecue, crepes, pizza and or even soup.

If you plan to cook your food to order, you will not need a warming station but that could result in slower service. To prepare for big lunch rushes, it might be a good idea to prepare a lot of food ahead of time and store it in a warming station at safe temperatures for as long as you need. A warming station usually includes heat lamps and a surface or tray where food can be stored underneath.

Many community health codes require running water inside of any food service business sp employees can thoroughly wash their hands. If your area requires this, you will need to install a hand washing sink, water heater and water hook-up line. If you have the room, you can include a water storage tank which will give you more freedom when selecting spots to set up shop. Consult a professional plumber when installing this equipment to ensure your water is safe.