So what is a commissary for food trucks

Posted by Damian Roberti on May 20, 2022

So what is a commissary for food trucks

So what is a commissary for food trucks and also food truck commissary requirements? Do you need to have one? Well, in this video from Food Truck Freaks, we're gon na dive into the varieties of different commercial and commissary kitchens that are available, and if they're actually needed in your area, we're gon na dive into that right now.

All right. So welcome back, food truck freaks. It's D Roberti, founder and CEO of food truck freaks. We are our food truck, a brand new entrepreneur channel for two.So definitely hit the subscribe button. And if this information gives you an advantage and helps you out, definitely give us a thumbs up. We hope that this information will help you get your food truck started. So now we're going to dive into this question that we had from our other YouTube channel, which is marketing food online. We had a food truck video that someone requested to ask about commissary kitchens. They were starting a food truck business in their city and county, but they weren't sure if they needed to have an actual commissary attached to their food truck as their base of operation, as it's sometimes called in the food truck industry.

So what is a commissary for food trucks

So we're going to dive into the variety of different commercial kitchens that are out there. Believe it or not, there are different types and also different ways to rent them. So what exactly do commissary kitchens entail? So, commissary kitchens are well established commercial kitchens where caterers, truck operators, and even some restaurants use to create particular foods in those kitchens. They're licensed, they're insured kitchens. They have pretty much every piece of equipment that you would need, and then some storage areas and so on. So there are various sorts of commercial kitchens. So these are a variety of commercial kitchens to select from. So you can find which one meets your demands and fits your budget. I'm going to go over a variety of them in the following. One, food truck businesses use what's known as "shared commercial kitchens." This is a unique type of kitchen. This is an ideal operation for novice food truck proprietors or operators who are searching for a low-cost cooking facility.

Now, with multiple food trucks, caterers, and even pop-up chefs, can rent these types of kitchens at the same time. And these kit companies share the space and are usually given specialized storage units and even storage rooms in time periods to utilize the kitchen because the rent is spread among numerous different companies, such as caterers and food trucks. It actually reduces the overall cost. So shared commercial kitchens are an advantage, but coordinating schedules among different chefs and different companies is another. That's the challenging part because there are a lot of food trucks that are using it at the same time. There could be potential chefs that are looking for the same timeframe. So shared commercial kitchens are great for lowering costs, but they're a challenge when it comes to scheduling. Food truck businesses can also use a commercial kitchen. So this is just a standard private kitchen and may be the best option for your company.

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So what is a commissary for food trucks

If you require specialized equipment or extra time and room to work, you can take the entire lease in a private kitchen, which means that you have complete access and do not have to share the area. As previously stated, shared commercial kitchens with anyone else are advantageous because they can be used as a central hub to prepare all of your food before sending your trucks out every day.These are ideal operations for businesses with several food trucks or even multiple locations. You won't have to worry about your kitchen becoming cluttered with unnecessary equipment or supplies because when you rent an actual commercial kitchen straight from the manufacturer, it is yours. There's nobody else in there. You do what you need to do in this certain period of time. And you're done renting a private commissary kitchen. On the other hand, it is far more expensive and may not have the options for a tiny food truck or even a food truck for yourself.

Number three, food truck businesses can also tap into, believe it or not, renting a restaurant's kitchen. Yes, renting a restaurant's kitchen during off hours is an option that's actually available in a lot of restaurants. Look at this as an additional form of income. Plus, it serves two purposes. The food truck operator can definitely tap into the space and the equipment, and the restaurant can, of course, make some extra money on the side as well. This is a good compromise between a shared and a private kitchen space, because you will have the entire space to yourself at a lower cost than renting an entire kitchen or your own kitchen. So you'll also know exactly when to use the kitchen because the restaurant's hours are specific. This is actually a great idea, guys, because it can tap into an off-hours timeframe where there won't be anyone else there but you, so the other thing you have to consider is that a restaurant may not provide some amenities that other commercial kitchens may have as well.

So what is a commissary for food trucks

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Number four, non-traditional sources of commercial kitchens Now this is really unique. You might also look at other spaces that rent out kitchens. Now this could be a church. This could be social clubs, schools, retirement homes, or even all have licensed kitchens, believe it or not, with commercial grade equipment. And these establishments may be prepared to rent out their facilities during off-hours. These nontraditional sites, such as renting a restaurant's cooking space, are excellent methods to save money on rent while obtaining access to large commercial equipment and the kitchen itself. But they won't have as many facilities. And as for amenities, commercial kitchens may not have certain types of equipment that you're looking for as a food truck operator. use of a commissary kitchen instead. So why do food truck owners opt for commercial kitchens? Now, here are some reasons: The number one kitchens in the commissary are convenient.

Food trucks are small, normally cramped. You don't have a lot of space and you can't make prepping that easy. It's become very challenging with the small space, especially when numerous chefs are moving around at once inside the food truck. So commissary kitchens are larger, allowing chefs to spread out while preparing their food. More equipment can be stored in a wider space, like a commissary kitchen, right? Most food trucks have limited space in their kitchens, but commissary kitchens allow access to a wide range of kitchen appliances and devices. Renting a commercial kitchen is also something that is cheaper in the long run than buying a brick and mortar space. So, if you bought an entire commercial kitchen and wanted to use it while keeping it for yourself, that could be a huge undertaking.Now, the other thing that I think about is that in a lot of states, legally, it's unlawful to make food inside of a food truck in various cities and counties across the US.

So what is a commissary for food trucks

So find out specifically if your city or county even allows you to prepare the food inside of the food truck, that may be something that is illegal. And of course you don't want to get fined for that food truck entrepreneurs in certain areas must prepare their food specifically in a commercial kitchen and create what's known as a base of operations. So what are the benefits and drawbacks now for renting a commercial kitchen? So consider how much space and time that you'll be spending in the common space in your area when deciding whether or not you need to rent a commercial kitchen and whether it's appropriate solution for your food truck. Next up, you got renting a commercial kitchen at the best option. If you can share the business space without being overcrowded, it's normally less expensive to actually rent a kitchen based on how often you will be using it per month or even weekly renting by the hour is the most expensive option.

So if you're able to find a place, make sure you can try to do it either by the month or every week, always plan for future and estimate how much money you will need each month. Now this is something that's tricky when you're running a food truck business, but trying to project it, how much time you'll need in your commissary kitchen, based upon how much you're renting. It can really tap into and degrade a lot of your profit margins. Do you require the services of a commissary kitchen even? So how can you figure out if you need to use a commissary kitchen in your local area, it will involve a little bit of homework and a little bit of, of research to find out whether or not the food trucks in the city that you're in are governed by laws that make sure that you have to have one, because in some cases you don't, you can actually, don't have to have it as a home base of operation.