Start a food truck business: tips and advice

Hicksville resident Kelly Kay said she was inspired to make wontons with creative fillings during a meal in Atlantic City 12 years ago. When she returned home, she said she experimented with different recipes, began selling her creations at farmers markets, opened a store in Massapequa and added a food truck to her repertoire in 2022. But getting a food truck on the road was no easy feat. she said.

“So many people I meet think it would be great to start their own food truck,” says Kay, 37, owner of All American Wontons. “The perception is that it is exciting and fun. And it is. But getting started is a challenge. And it’s also a lot of work once you get started.”

For those dreaming of starting a food truck business, Kay and other entrepreneurs warn that there is a long checklist of things to grapple with, including researching licensing requirements, purchasing and outfitting a vehicle, and planning a theme and a menu.

Pitmaster Larry Mondello, 44, of Cutchogue, started his smokehouse on wheels, Meat’s Meat, because he felt there was a lack of good barbecue in the Long Island food truck scene.

“I saw there were only a few BBQ trucks and thought I could do better,” he said. He now has three mobile units next to a restaurant in Mattituck.

Mondello’s day starts early, he said, because preparing and cooking food takes several hours. Then he goes out, serves, cleans up and gets ready for the next day.

“It’s definitely not an easy job, but you can make a lot of money by following a few simple steps,” said Mondello. “You need a small, well-planned menu and you need to make quality food – quickly. We can serve 600 to 900 people per day – we are 30 seconds per customer. It really is a numbers game. More meals means more money.”

Mondello, who offers consulting services to potential food truck operators, said he makes between $1,500 and $9,000 a day.

“You really have to love food and the hustle and bustle to do this,” he said.