With the increase in the extra-spending of youth, mobile lifestyle, cognisant consumerism, low expenses and food requirement on the horizon, the food van or truck model has become quite a passion all around the world.
According to the report, the food truck industry's future appears bright because of its projected revenue increases at a rate of 3.7 % in coming next five years. However, if these things continue to work out in this way, the industry total will climb to $1.7 billion, which is huge growth for a newly introduced industry.
If you are operating a mobile truck, it means you are in the mobile food business; therefore you need to work speedily and accurately. A point-of-Sale (POS) system specially designed for this sector will give you access to the data you require in real-time while keeping your customers happy and reduced wait times. Read on to find more about the same.
Benefits of Food Trucks Over Restaurants
- Food trucks require a less initial investment and that’s why considered as a high-profit business idea.
- There is a low operation cost i.e you have month-to-month bills, limited only to food, supplies, and gas. What’s more just need a small team, no demand for full staff and the rate of taxes will go down.
- Brick and mortar restaurant needs continuous maintenance like leaking pipes, electrical appliances, kitchen equipment. Whereas food trucks can perform well with a little maintenance and repairs from a different angle over time.
- Providing better food quality at a lesser price gives food trucks a significant interest among the consumers. It’s a pocket-friendly; thus satisfying customers with budget-friendly meals.
- As compared to restaurants and street vendors, food trucks provide healthier food to customers.
- Restaurants' business fails with their location. However, food vans are immune to this issue as they are mobile and you can select the location as per your choice. Make sure to opt for your location that is easily accessible for cars and vehicles in order to have a sound impact.
How To Find a Best POS System For Your Food Van
1. Outline Your Business Needs
POS System can be your basic need and simplicity is key for running a well-organized truck. However, while selecting your software, don’t do the mistake of getting too much simple. If so, you will miss out on astonishing, time-saving operations that can transform your business. Before moving ahead for purchasing POS system, consider these following questions-
- Do you have the skills to create invoices?
- Are you dependent on Wi-Fi in every location where you park your truck?
- Do you want to integrate a loyalty program for your customers?
- Should you give your employees check in or check out and track their orders?
- How would you like to communicate with your cooks -verbally or using the ticket system?
If your answers for the above questions is yes, then you must look for robust and high functioning restaurant POS like jiMenu that has been specially designed to use in food trucks.
2. Features Your Mobile POS Must Have
There are a lot of food van POS systems available in the market. Since it’s a huge investment for your business; so make sure to select the best one. Here is a list of key features that you must consider before making a final decision.
- Multiple Payment Methods
Earlier mobile food truck sellers were restricted to accept only cash transactions. This, in turn, reduces the business and limit the pond of visitors. But with the advancement in technology, the POS system permits you to accept cashless payments through online mode. As a result, the customer's base gets increases and moves them through the line at a pace; thus increasing turnaround.
- Hardware Requirements
While choosing a POS system, be sure to reflect on the hardware requirements for the software. For illustration, whether it includes a receipt printer and a credit card reader? Do you need to integrate extra hardware for your POS? All of these are essential factors to assess so that you get everything in your mobile food truck without investing in any additional equipment.
- Inventory Management
Having a POS system in your mobile food truck will help you to add, receive and make adjustments in your inventory. This will free up your time that you can use drawing attention towards more important business operations rather than stocks. This in-built feature you will provide you complete control over inventory so that you can easily reorder an item that gets finished. What’s more, you can even access sales data and determine how much exactly you require to order in the future.
Wrapping Up
The Food Truck industry can be unreliable and merciless to new arrivals. However, if you invest in a good POS system right out of the gate, you will have a significant leg up on your competitors. What’s more ,food truck businesses are fast-moving and difficult to manage. With jiMenu POS, you can make your business more productive, profitable and secure. From order, table and inventory management to reporting and payments, the jiMenu POS system can take your food van business to the next level.