What to Look for When Purchasing Mobile Kitchens
There are a few different types of mobile kitchens, and each one is built to serve a specific purpose. The main kinds of mobile kitchen are small food trucks that sell meals, tent kitchens that can be set up for events, and finally large modular kitchens that are enclosed in trailers. Let’s take a look at these three types and what each one is used for.
Mobile Kitchen Trucks
The most common type of mobile kitchen is the truck that is used as food vending business. You can find them on city streets, in company and construction parking lots, and in fairs and festivals. These trucks are great for running your own small vending business because you can drive them around to where they are most needed. Many people make good livings with these trucks, and in some cities people truly love them, standing in long lines for a simple lunch at one of these mobile truck kitchens. Read this LA Times article for information on this mobile food phenomenon. If this business sounds like something you want to get into, you don’t have to dish out the huge sum of money that a new truck will cost. Look for mobile kitchens for sale on Craigslist or the newspaper for a used mobile kitchen, which will be a fraction of the new price. When buying a used mobile kitchen truck, some sellers will want you to pay extra because you are really taking over their business. While this might add to the price, one advantage of doing it this way is that the previous owner will have already gotten the health and safety permits necessary to operate, saving you a bit of time, hassle, and red tape.
Mobile Kitchen Tents
Mobile kitchen tents are the type that you see on the grounds of county fairs and company picnics. Although you can buy them, most of these are rented from large rental companies. These tents are usually only used for short events because they can’t really be locked up like a truck or trailer can. Additionally, they are exposed to the weather. You can find a mobile kitchen rental in every larger city, and these tend to be cheaper than large kitchen trailers because you can pick up the equipment in a smaller truck or van and transport it yourself if you want to.
Mobile Kitchen Trailers
A mobile kitchen trailer is normally used for temporary meal preparation in places where normal kitchens are unavailable. Common uses are disaster stations, volunteer stations, festivals and fairs, and for use as a kitchen during renovations. Most people rent these kitchen trailers because the cost of setting up a new one is usually very expensive. Different types are available, with each trailer set up to do a specific task. You can choose from all inclusive kitchen trailers, freezer trailers, prep stations, and others. Some customers rent a few of these, place them side by side, and use them to feed hundreds, or thousands of people. Another important thing to know about kitchen trailers is that there are deep discounts available for long term rentals. This is because the delivery and pickup costs are so high. In many instances, it is actually cheaper to rent them for a month than for a few days!
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