Finding Used Mobile Kitchens
A lot of people have been asking me lately about how they go about buying a used mobile kitchen. Questions I hear repeatedly are: What should I look for when buying a mobile kitchen? Is there some sort of guide for buying a used mobile kitchen? If you are thinking of purchasing one of these mobile kitchens, here are some things that you need to know first.
First of all, I’m sure you realize by now that you will have to lay down quite a bit of cash to purchase one of these kitchen trucks. Although prices will vary a lot depending on what your needs are, expect to pay a few thousand for the cheapest models that you can find and well into the tens of thousands for used mobile kitchens complete with all of the cooking accessories. Nevertheless, spending $20,000 on a mobile kitchen that can easily generate $80,000 of sales in a year is a smart investment. Some people never step up from the simple table with a popcorn machine, but a fully equipped mobile kitchen is capable of a whole lot more.
The second consideration that you need to think about is weather you want a mobile kitchen truck or just a mobile kitchen trailer. The difference between the two types is that a kitchen truck is one unit that you can drive around. The second type is a mobile kitchen in a trailer that you will need to attach to another vehicle to tow it where you want to go. In general, the trailers are usually cheaper, since they don’t have the truck attached to them, but they are best suited for certain situations.
A kitchen trailer is best for when you have a location where you can just park your trailer for extended periods of time. Examples of this are state fairs and festivals that last a few days or longer. Even if you are travelling a long distance from home, you can simply tow your mobile kitchen trailer to the site, detach the hitch, and you will have a truck available to drive around town or to a motel at night without having to take your kitchen with you!
If however most of your business is one day events like farmer’s markets and swap meets, a single mobile kitchen truck may be a better choice. When you consider the cost of buying the trailer and the truck to pull it separately, it often works out cheaper to just buy them both as one unit, and it is a lot easier to drive a kitchen truck around town than a vehicle pulling a trailer!
As for tips on actually looking for used mobile kitchens for sale, you might get lucky and find a reasonable one near you. If not, consider looking online for trucks available further away. Even if you have to fly somewhere to pick up a mobile kitchen at a great price and drive it home, it might be worth it if you have the time. The best places to look for them are on craigslist under for sale: businesses listings. There will always be some used mobile kitchens for sale since a lot of people try this business but lack the drive and perseverance to flourish.