It’s that time of year when the birds are out chirping, the flowers are blooming, and the weather is warm and sunny. In other words, it’s food truck season! And boy, are we excited! Because we can’t contain our excitement, we put together a guide to food truck events and food truck insurance so you can be ready for the upcoming season.
Let’s dive in!
FOOD TRUCK EVENTS
The type of events you attend can greatly increase or decrease your food truck’s profits. An event can range from a food truck rally to being hired for a wedding or other special event. In either case, an event that is organized well and highly attended can make a huge difference in your profit. An event that isn’t organized well or isn’t getting much traffic can be detrimental to your profit.
Here are some tips on how to spot a successful event:
- Reach out to the event organizers and ask about their experience with local events.
- Reach out to fellow food truck owners who have worked with this event organizer before.
- Yelp and other review websites are great tools for food truck owners when it comes to finding honest reviews about food truck events.
- Social media is a fantastic way to see if the food truck event is legit or not. See how many followers they have and how often they post about their events.
Some other ways to spot a successful food truck event are how easy it is to get in contact with the organizer, what permits the event requires, and how the event is promoted.
Some questions to ask when considering a Food Truck Event:
How is the event organizer promoting the event?
If the event organizer is relying on the food truck business to promote the event or is only using social media, be wary. A strategically promoted event has a better chance of bringing in more customers.
What other food trucks will be at the event?
Double-check the legitimacy of the event by contacting the other vendors or food trucks that are attending.
What is the expected turnout and how many food vendors/trucks will be there?
The perfect turnout for a food truck event can be anywhere between 200 to 300 attendees per truck. This is a great ratio because it helps your chances of making a profit from the event while keeping lines low, creating a more relaxed atmosphere for customers.
How much do the event organizers charge?
When attending food truck events, it is important to make sure you can afford how much the event organizers are charging. The standard is 10%, although it can increase depending on how large the event is. Another way an event organizer may charge you is through a flat fee. If that is the case, it may be smart to reach out to them via email and see if they have a refund policy in case of inclement weather or other cancellations that are out of your control.
While all of these questions are important to ask yourself, the most important one is what permits the event organizers require. A common requirement for food truck businesses is insurance. Many events may even require food truck businesses to have insurance.
Here at FLIP, we want you to make the most out of food truck season, that is why we offer a robust lineup of coverages. Our policies can include general liability, product liability, inland marine coverage, damage to rented premises coverage, and workers compensation insurance.
Let’s take a look at which food truck insurance coverage is right for you.
FOOD TRUCK INSURANCE
General Liability – Aggregate limit: $2M
General liability insurance can provide coverage for personal injury or damage to your property. This can include damage to your food truck or if someone claims to have gotten food poisoning from the food that you serve.
Product Liability – Aggregate Limit: $2M
You love what you do and love to make delicious food. But what happens if a customer gets a food-borne illness from something they purchased from you? This coverage can protect you in the event that ever happens.
Inland Marine Coverage – Aggregate Limit: $10,000
If you use an iPad as your checkout station or have other expensive transaction equipment, this is the coverage for you. Also known as Business Personal Property Insurance, Inland Marine Coverage could provide protection to those expensive pieces of equipment.
Damage To Premises Rented – Aggregate Limit: $300,000
Because you are a mobile food business, you move around a lot. That is why you need coverage that moves with you. This coverage can protect the space you rent. This space can vary from a farmers’ market to a food truck rally to even a spot on the street. What is important about this coverage is that many event organizers, like the ones talked about above, may require you to have insurance or require you to add them as an additional insured. This coverage protects both you and the event organizer.
Workers Compensation – Aggregate Limit: $300,000
If you have any employees, this coverage is for you. Through our trusted partner, Insurance Canopy, you can purchase worker’s compensation insurance.
PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS TODAY
Now that we have learned about how to spot the best event for your food truck and how you can protect your business, it’s time to take action and get prepared for the wonderful season ahead!
You can protect your business with food truck insurance in 4 simple steps:
- Sign in or create a user account on FLIP
- Begin the application process by filling out your information
- Select which coverages you would like included in your policy
- Purchase your policy and enjoy instantaneous protection
Protecting your business with food truck insurance not only gives you peace of mind but opens up a world of opportunity. Insurance allows you to attend more events, receive more business, and let your customers know that you are professional while boosting your credibility.
Protect your business today and get ready for a wonderful season of warm weather and delicious food!
