Includes index.

1. From hot dog wagons to bustaurants -- History of mobile food -- Goin' mobile : your options -- Food kiosks -- Food carts and concession trailers -- Food trucks -- Gourmet food trucks -- The mobile catering business -- Bustaurants -- Your customers -- 2. Planning a business -- Marketing -- Customer service -- Multitasking -- Food knowledge -- Creative -- Repair skills -- New media skills -- Stamina -- Number skills -- Business goals -- Part-time business -- Full-time business -- The business plan -- 3. What's on the menu? -- Planning your mobile menu -- Menu ideas -- The basics -- Gourmet delights -- Ethnic favorites -- Desserts -- Beverages -- Buying your food and ingredients -- Wholesale food distributors -- Manufacturers -- Local and regional suppliers -- Greenmarkets and farmers markets -- Food cooperatives -- Shopping clubs -- 4. What's off the menu? -- Carts -- Kiosks -- Food trucks -- Mobile catering trucks -- Bustaurants -- Retrofitting -- Where do food trucks and carts sleep? -- Taking care of your vehicle -- 5. Can I park here? : licenses, regulations, and points of sales -- Application process prerequisites -- Business permits -- Vehicle licensing -- Zoning, parking, and other considerations -- Location -- Scouting around and staging -- 6. The work environment: commercial kitchens, cleaning, and hiring help -- The commissary or commercial kitchen -- Health and safety first -- Cleaning -- Vehicle presentation -- Hiring help -- Hiring a chef -- Interviews -- Rules and policies -- Taxes -- FICA -- 7. If you park it, they will come--or not : marketing, promotion, and pricing -- What's in a name? -- Searching for business names -- Registering your business name -- Vehicle design -- Concept -- Vehicle wraps -- Logo -- Menu design -- Social media -- Websites and phone apps -- Web layout and design -- Online presence -- Marketing and promotional ideas -- Customer relations -- Public relations -- 8. Mobile event catering -- Catering business fundamentals -- Know your market -- Setting up your menu -- Marketing ideas -- Professionalism -- Catering contracts -- From setup to cleanup -- Food transport -- Catering from your vehicle -- Specialty services -- 9. The all-important costs -- Business startup costs -- Insurance -- Legal and financial -- Operating costs -- Growing pains -- Volume -- Pricing principals -- Profit margin -- Making money -- 10. Finding funding -- Do the math -- Funding -- 11. Franchising -- Pros and cons -- Franchise brokers -- Licensing -- Franchising your business -- Savvy entrepreneur -- 12. Moving on -- Selling your business -- Proper valuation -- Sales price -- Finding buyers -- Appendix : food truck resources -- Agencies and business associations -- Other business websites -- Business books -- Small business software -- Internet business resources -- Glossary.

OCLC WorldCat Holdings