Equipment for a minibus for a snack bar. Autocafe on wheels is a profitable low-budget business

Consumers are known to be greedy for new ways to satisfy their needs. One of them was a cafe on wheels - this is a cheap and relatively quickly paid off way to create a profitable business. Such cafes have appeared in almost every city, but the niche is still ready for new establishments. It’s not difficult to open one - the main thing is that you have a competent business plan for a cafe on wheels at hand.

Summary

Why are cafes on wheels so popular among budding entrepreneurs? The relevance of this business lies in its mobility. You will not be aware of such problems as unfavorable location and low traffic, which becomes a reason for concern for the owners of stationary cafes. On weekdays you can be near business and student centers, at intersections and in parks, on weekends you can move to entertainment areas, on holidays you can be close to the crowd.

True, these advantages of business can only be used in cities with a population of 500 thousand people or more. In cities, opening less is simply pointless. But even in large cities with a large number of tasty places, do not rush to visit everywhere. Your buyer audience needs to form, so choose one or three areas and settle there, and if the flow of buyers decreases, try feeding people in other places. And don’t forget about the seasonality of this business - in this regard, it is worth developing separate menus for warm and cold weather, but in winter there will be fewer buyers in any case.

Cafe services on wheels: preparation, serving and delivery of food, catering for private and municipal events.

Stages of preparation for the operation of a cafe on wheels:

• Developing the concept of an establishment, writing a plan (you can use our example of a business plan), analyzing the market, determining the relevance of the establishment, choosing the main points for trade.
• Selection and equipment of transport.
• Selection of equipment suppliers and its purchase.
• Registration of a cafe on wheels and obtaining the necessary permits.
• Conducting an advertising campaign.
• Hiring and training of workers.

The target audience

The audience of cafes on wheels includes the core of the middle class and its least affluent part. He wants delicious ready-made food from a cafe, but in a stationary establishment the markup on dishes is high or he simply doesn’t want to sit there. It is also worth focusing on young people, especially students and schoolchildren. The demand for cafes on wheels appears among that part of the population that is constantly on the move and in business. She has to snack on the go - there is no time for a full meal in a stationary establishment. And lunch there is more expensive.

A food delivery service of this level does not have analogues in every city. Even in comparison with budget canteens and supermarkets with ready meals, cafes on wheels win. It's closer, and the small line moves quickly in the open air. Often the visitors to cafés on wheels are random passers-by or those who went out for a smoke break, so the design of the van should be attractive.

Opening instructions

Before dealing with the practical issues of opening, a businessman will have to deal with paperwork. Cafes on wheels have a special relationship with legislation. On the one hand, no one can say that the point of sale is in the wrong place, because it is not stationary. On the other hand, any catering establishment must be connected to sewerage and water supply, so in some cities the administration simply will not allow a cafe on wheels to open. But, if there are other such establishments in your city, then there is a way to open your own cafe. If not, check this point with the administration.

The operating procedure is as follows:

• Select the legal form and taxation system. An individual entrepreneur using the simplified tax system is best suited.
• Your OKVED code is 10/56/22.
• Obtain the appropriate permit for your activities.
• Get permission from the SES. To do this, you need certificates of conformity for equipment, contracts for disposal and cleaning.
• Get permission from the fire department. You will need a copy of the van's registration certificate.
• Enter into an agreement with the supplier.

You need to be prepared for problems with the ground. Somewhere, like in Moscow, entrepreneurs buy permission to use land for several months. But there are no guarantees that you will renew it later. This leads to the problem of obtaining a loan.

Menu development

First of all, you need to decide whether your establishment will buy ready-to-heat dishes from a stationary cafe or restaurant or prepare simpler food on site. In the first case, there will be more choice and fewer competitors. But the finished menu comes to you with a markup, so it will be possible to increase your income only through a network of cafes on wheels. And the buyer does not expect intricate options from the van.

Let your menu include snacks and drinks, and, if possible, main courses. You can specialize in one type of food - shawarma, hot dogs, pizza - or offer a wide range of treats up to 6 dishes, as well as their variations. A tiny van kitchen may not be able to handle more than that. And the chef must be highly qualified to know and skillfully prepare a dozen different dishes. As snacks, you can offer sandwiches and sandwiches, pastries and sweets, fast food and dishes of national cuisines.

Choose drinks according to the season: hot and spicy in winter, cool in summer. But always leave the popular ones on the menu, excluding alcohol (your cafe will not have the size of its retail space to sell it). If you want to serve foods such as pancakes, grilling and barbecue dishes, purchase equipment of the appropriate capacity. In general, focus on similar points to understand how to reach your audience.

Technical base

The most important equipment for a café on wheels is the wheels themselves. This could be a trailer, a van or a camper. It's best to buy the latest options. The problem is that after six years they will require expenses for repairs. “Kupava” and “Tonar” make these, but you can also purchase an already furnished establishment. If you decide to equip the cafe yourself, match the size of the equipment to the size of the room. And most importantly, do not forget to screw all the furniture to the floor. The amount you spend on equipment is the cost of opening a cafe on wheels from scratch.

Staff

A cafe on wheels does not require a large staff. A driver (he can also be assigned various technical responsibilities), a cook and a cashier are enough. Be serious about hiring a driver: he must be experienced and know the city well. If the driver is careless or makes the wrong parking location, the business will suffer losses or get into trouble with the law.

Don’t forget about an outsourced accountant who will manage your affairs. This will cost approximately 5 thousand rubles per month. Below is a table of personnel costs.

Marketing plan

In fact, a cafe on wheels is an advertisement in itself. It travels around the city, showing off in the most crowded places. But some of the services of such an establishment are worth special advertising: catering for private events, food delivery directly from the van to be cooked in front of the client. Use media and advertising catalogs as an advertising platform. In addition, leaflets will be effective.

As a way of promotion, you can use participation in city festivals. Typically, the administration agrees in advance on catering for such events. Don't forget about special promotions: discounts on your birthday, your sixth coffee for free, and so on. Maintain a public page on social networks. Since there are many young people among your audience, affiliate programs will go off with a bang.

Financial plan

It is also worth considering the periodic costs of repairs and maintenance of vehicles. You need to budget about 40 thousand rubles a year for the maintenance of a used car. Our business plan for a cafe on wheels with calculations shows that the weighted average income will be 270 thousand rubles per month, if we count on 30 people per day and an average bill of 300 rubles. There are more visitors in summer, fewer in winter. This gives 3,240 thousand rubles per year. Well, the profit of a cafe on wheels for a month is approximately 40-50 thousand rubles.

And finally, the profitability of a cafe on wheels. If we divide profit by revenue and multiply by 100%, we get:

(50,000 / 270,000) x 100% = 18%.

The relatively low profitability is explained by high operating costs and a low markup compared to a regular cafe. To increase profitability, it is proposed to sell related consumer goods to increase the average bill, develop the brand and recognition of your company in order to increase the margin without the risk of losing clientele.

Prospects and risks

There are enough growth opportunities: stable conditions for development, audience interest in new types of cafes. The owner of such an establishment has the prospect of opening his own chain. The main audience of cafes on wheels - the lower middle class - is constantly growing, so the popularity will increase.

But business also has many risks:

• Increased competition.
• Tightening legal standards for public catering establishments.
• Insufficient population of the city.
• The reluctance of the city administration to allow the café-on-wheels format to develop.
• Unfavorable weather.
• Lack of capital due to banks' refusal to cooperate.

It is especially important to study the situation with similar establishments in your city and region in order to understand whether this market is suitable for your city. If there are few young people in it, as well as student centers and city holidays, if the city administration does not welcome cafes on wheels, you should not count on easy money.

Eventually

The cafe on wheels project does not require large start-up costs: 1,370 thousand rubles is a relatively small investment. You don’t need to rent premises for a café on wheels and purchase a large batch of equipment - you are limited to a small van and a modest set of equipment. Monthly costs of 213 thousand rubles are fully covered by the profitability of the business - 270 thousand rubles per month.

We calculated that the net profit of a cafe on wheels will be about 50 thousand rubles per month in the first two years of operation if you serve 900 customers every month. The profitability of a café on wheels is not that great, but by quickly gaining the necessary experience, an entrepreneur has every chance of growing his business. All that remains is to manage profits wisely in order to soon feed the city with the help of a network of cafes on wheels.

• Location is everything to us!
• Land question
• Which franchise to choose
• OKVED code
• Staff
• Suppliers
• Which taxation system to choose for registering a business when opening a snack bar
  • • • Similar business ideas:

When talking about food trucks, we primarily mean mobile kiosks, carts and auto-buffets. For the most part, it is “mobility” that attracts many beginners to this business. It didn’t work in one place - nonsense, the snack bar on wheels moves to a new retail location without much difficulty. Small investments in business, a relatively “easy start”, low market saturation and a large selection of franchising solutions make street fast food on wheels a very attractive business...

Kitchen on wheels where to start

Before planning the placement of a point and drawing up a menu, you need to go through competing food service outlets and look at the range of their products. As a rule, it is not very wide, but includes various delicious foods and baked goods. You can offer visitors:

• Shawarma
• Hot dogs;
• Pizza
• Samsa

Hot dogs and shawarma are always in demand. It will be good if you can offer a wide range of hot and cold drinks. You can also open a snack bar, for example, in the format of a pancake or national cuisine. If you decide to work as a franchise, you will already be offered a ready-made set of dishes.

Basic concepts of fast food on wheels

What types of eateries are there and which one is best to open? Snack bars can be quite varied in format. There are mixed-type eateries that sell a wide range of fast food: pies, donuts, pancakes, hot dogs, etc. Or a snack bar can be based on one product: pancakes, pie, donut, dumplings, tea, grilled chicken and shawarma.
The type of products sold depends greatly on the location of the eatery. For example, in residential areas of the city, it is more advisable to open grilled chicken or dumpling eateries for those who do not have time to cook at home. But on central streets and train stations this type of product will not be in demand, since it is not possible to consume chicken or dumplings on the go. Pies, shawarma, pancakes and hot dogs - this is what is best sold to “pedestrians”. At the same time, in residential areas, pies are not so good, since most people prefer to eat nutritious food at home.

Location is everything to us!

A lot in this business depends on the location of the outlet. The assortment, design of the diner, and polite staff will not play the same role as the right location. It happens that a snack bar in one place earns several times more than a similar point 50 meters away.

If you plan to open a 24-hour retail outlet, then the issue of choosing a location becomes even more important. For such a point it is necessary to have a continuous flow of visitors at any time. The best option in this case is to locate the diner near the highway. In this case, the main clients at night will be taxi drivers and young people.

Land question

You should start a “snack business” not by purchasing equipment, but by agreeing on the location of the point. Just because your cafe has wheels does not mean that it can park in the same place as regular cars and freely sell fast food. Such an action will certainly attract the attention of regulatory authorities, district administration and police officers. An administrative fine may be imposed for such a violation.

To avoid such persecution and gain a foothold in one place, you should contact the owner of the land with a request to rent a trading place, or obtain the appropriate permission. If the land plot belongs to the municipal authorities, then regarding rental issues you should contact the city (municipal) property management committee. As a rule, it is this department that deals with concluding lease agreements. In addition, the administration’s trade department can present you with a layout diagram for non-stationary retail facilities, that is, those places where it is possible to place such facilities without any “administrative delays.”

How much money does it take to open a food truck?

The advantage of such a business is relatively low start-up costs, in contrast to opening a stationary catering outlet. A canteen or trailer equipped as a snack bar will cost an entrepreneur no more than $20,000. The supported version will cost even less - from $10,000. Plus, some costs may go towards creating a corporate identity for the eatery, organizational expenses (business registration, approvals and permits) and purchasing the first batch of products.

Which franchise to choose

Opening a franchise business will help reduce the risks of a bad start. In some cases, this may turn out to be a slightly more expensive solution, but a businessman, opening under the wing of a well-known network, receives a lot of advantages. Firstly, you don’t need to worry about the design of the outlet, equipment, technology and range of goods sold - everything is provided by franchising.
Secondly, the franchise company will train your staff absolutely free of charge, give recommendations on how to increase the income of the diner, and will support your business in the future. Thirdly, by opening under a well-known brand, you begin to sell a well-known product that does not need to be further promoted - the consumer already knows what he is buying. Therefore, there is an almost complete guarantee that your point will be profitable, all that remains is not to make a mistake with the location. The only disadvantage of working with a franchise network can be described with this phrase: if you use someone else’s brand, be so kind as to work by its rules!

OKVED code

After purchasing a car buffet, you must register your business activity (individual entrepreneur or LLC) with the local tax service. When filling out the application, you must indicate OKVED code 55.30: “activities of restaurants and cafes,” which also includes the activities of eateries.

As a tax system for a snack bar, the special regime most often chosen is UTII, which sounds like “imputation” in business language. This is the most profitable type of taxation for a given business and the amount of tax largely depends on the area occupied by the facility (and it is usually small) and the mitigating coefficient k2 established by the regional authorities. The auto buffet itself, since it is a vehicle, must be registered with the traffic police.

What documents are needed for a car kitchen?

After registering a business and installing a snack bar, the facility will need to be approved by regulatory authorities, namely Rospotrebnadzor and Pozhnadzor. To approve the operation of a snack bar, Rospotrebnadzor must provide: an agreement for disinfection, an agreement for cleaning clothes, an agreement for examining ventilation systems, an agreement for garbage and solid waste removal. In general, for general information, you can study SanPiN 2.3.6.1079-01 - “Sanitary requirements for public catering organizations.”

Staff

To ensure the smooth operation of one eatery, the employment of at least two sellers will be required. Work schedule - 2 through 2. It is better to pay wages according to the principle of salary + percentage of daily revenue, but not less than a fixed amount (for example, at least 400 rubles per shift). Thus, staff motivation increases significantly.

The image of the ideal snack bar worker: a woman between 30 and 50 years old with at least 5 years of experience in catering or retail. Finding such a person is not easy, but it is such employees that make the diner truly successful.

Suppliers

A separate issue is the search for food suppliers for the snack bar. As a rule, some time after the opening, suppliers will make themselves known. Depending on the type of fast food, these may be local producers. For eateries in the “grilled chicken” format, the main suppliers are local poultry farms, for the “snack and pie” format – local bakeries. In addition, you can order semi-finished products (for example, puff pastries, pancakes), and bake the finished product directly at the point of sale.

How much can you earn at a snack bar?

You shouldn’t expect a lot of income in the first months of operation, since the point is still just gaining a regular clientele. It is also not recommended to set high prices and engage in dumping. Ideally, prices should be slightly higher than at the next counter with grandma, but lower than at McDonald's.

A well-promoted outlet with good service has revenues of up to $600-800 per day in the spring and summer. In winter, income drops somewhat, since eating “fast food” in cold weather is not always convenient, so many people prefer to eat in stationary establishments.

As for competition, you shouldn’t be afraid of it. Wise businessmen reason like this: “You don’t need to be afraid of competitors, you need to analyze them.” In general, street fast food has one feature. When a snack bar is located near well-known food chains, for example “Kroshka-Kartoshka” or “Stardogs”, revenue does not fall, but on the contrary, it increases. This is where the “food zone” effect comes into play, when the consumer knows that in such and such a place you can quickly have a snack. And therefore all the eateries in such places have a high income.

Step-by-step plan for opening a diner

Before drawing up a business plan, you need to understand the features of a food truck on wheels and how it differs from restaurants and cafes. First, decide on your pricing policy, since you will have to work with low-income people: students, schoolchildren, public sector employees. Secondly, do not skimp on the quality of products - find good suppliers. The next step is choosing the location where your establishment and vehicle will be located. After this, you need to start purchasing equipment and recruiting personnel. About the work of snack bars on wheels.

The fast food business is very profitable. Hundreds of entrepreneurs, including newcomers, have already appreciated this. But in order not to make large investments at the start, you can choose a slightly different area - mobile fast food. This format of public catering in Russia is not yet “famous” for high competition, which means you have a chance to carve out your niche in the market. Fast food on wheels as a business is considered highly profitable - investments with consistently high demand for the dishes offered can pay off in just six months.

Our business assessment:

Starting investments – from 300,000 rubles.

Market saturation is average.

The difficulty of starting a business is 5/10.

Mobile fast food can hardly be called a full-fledged catering establishment. In mobile stalls, people only buy “quick” food so they can go about their business again. The format of a mobile retail outlet can be different.

Analyze your local consumer market. If in the business part of the city and on busy avenues there are no food trucks at all or in limited quantities, you can start your own business. It is better to plan the opening for the spring - there will be greater demand, and you will be able to recoup an impressive part of the investment in one summer season. How to open a fast food on wheels? What nuances will an entrepreneur have to sort out in order to start a business?

Where does a business on wheels start?

Start implementing a business project by finding the “right” vehicle. An ordinary truck, of course, will not work here - you need a special van designed for a cafeteria. Moreover, it is more profitable to find just such a car, otherwise it will take a significant investment to “remake” an ordinary car. There are many companies on the market that sell and rent vending trailers - there are plenty to choose from.

To minimize investments at the start, you can not purchase a van for personal use, but rent it. In the future, when things get better, just buy the vehicle.

Perhaps the only drawback of this direction is the need to obtain numerous permits from state inspectors. Register your activity and register with the tax office. To prepare all the documents, you will have to wait at least 3-6 months. The “establishment” preparing to open will be inspected by sanitary and fire services. The local authorities of Rospotrebnadzor will have to approve the menu and recipes.

And don’t forget that a fast food car on wheels is still a car that needs full legal registration - it is subject to registration with the traffic police, a technical inspection and obtaining compulsory motor liability insurance.

It also doesn’t hurt to think about the design of the outlet. Let the van attract customers not only with the pleasant aromas of freshly prepared food, but also with its bright design. This way you will create your own “brand name” - who knows, maybe soon you will expand your network of mobile coffee shops.

If there is a financial opportunity, it is better to involve a professional lawyer in “paper” matters - there are important tasks to be solved, which will be problematic for an ignorant person to understand.

Choose a business direction

The business plan for fast food on wheels must necessarily include an item dedicated to menu development. The amount of revenue will largely depend on the range of dishes offered. And here it doesn’t hurt to analyze the activities of competitors - what they sell, what customers are more willing to buy from them, what service they offer.

Mobile fast food can specialize in selling only one dish, or it can offer customers a full range of “fast” food. Our compatriots prefer the following menu:

• shawarma,
• pizza,
• hot dogs,
• pies,
• pancakes,
• confectionery.

It would be great if the mobile cafe would additionally sell hot and cold drinks - there is always a demand for them.

When developing the menu, pay attention to the franchisors' offers. A fast food franchise on wheels will save the entrepreneur from developing the concept and design of the future establishment - all data is provided by the parent company. But there are few offers of this kind on the market, they cost a decent amount, and the rules of cooperation are sometimes simply impossible to implement. Therefore, it is sometimes financially more profitable for a novice entrepreneur to open an establishment from scratch.

Be prepared for the fact that inspection authorities will periodically visit your fast food trailer. Everything here must be kept clean and tidy. And the highest demands must be placed on purchased products for cooking! If representatives of sanitary services reveal any violations during an inspection, the sale of fast food on wheels will be suspended. To avoid this, use products only from trusted suppliers - this is clearly not worth saving. It is better to establish connections with local food factories and vegetable sellers - then you will not have to overpay for the delivery of “raw materials” from afar.

Location of the outlet

Buying a mobile trading kiosk for fast food is half the battle. Now it’s time to decide on its location. And here, too, a number of problems are possible. Even though your cafe will be on wheels, you can’t just stand anywhere on the side of the road and start serving people “quick” food! You will need to “settle” somewhere.

Mobile fast food carts and food trucks must be installed in accessible areas. Sleeping areas are not your option. Here the dishes will not go out as quickly, which will significantly reduce revenue.

A fast food van on wheels can be installed:

• close to major markets,
• on the territory of large shopping centers,
• at train stations,
• in the business part of the city,
• on busy streets.

Many entrepreneurs change their location during major city holidays, installing a fast food car in amusement parks and squares. On one such day you can make a month's income.

To install a mobile stand at the selected location, obtain permission from the local city administration or from a private tenant. You will enter into an agreement with the specified rental amount for the plot. Experts advise not to enter into a long-term contract for the use of land at first - it is important to first understand whether there will be a decent income in a particular place. If you fail, you can always move to another place.

RV Equipment Costs

Equipment for fast food on wheels can be purchased inexpensively. The exact list of necessary kitchen equipment, utensils and appliances will depend on the chosen specifics of the business. In any case, it is quite possible to meet even 200,000 rubles.

As a rule, a fast food machine is equipped with the following equipment:

• microwaves,
• grill ovens,
• coffee makers and juicers,
• cooler,
• heated counters,
• fridge.

If you do not have sufficient finances, you can think about purchasing used equipment. But be careful when choosing it - sellers may simply be selling illiquid goods.

To work with kitchen equipment, you don’t have to look for experienced employees - even beginners can handle the tasks. Hire at least two sales associates to work shifts. Please note that each employee must have a health certificate!

How much can you earn from a food truck?

To buy a fast food van on wheels and all the necessary equipment, you will need at least 1,000,000 rubles. If you rent a vehicle, the starting investment can be reduced to 300,000 rubles - the best option for beginners!

Do not expect huge profits in the first months of operation - the auto shop will gain popularity gradually.

When setting up a business, pay attention to pricing. The cost of the dishes you offer should not exceed the level set by your closest competitors! Customers will not buy expensive hot dogs if there is a diner with more attractive prices literally 100 meters away.

In mid-May, a street food van “1983” appeared in St. Petersburg. Its creators, student Vlad Kyaune and designer Sasha Bratchikov, repaired a 1983 Volkswagen Transporter themselves for several months and set up a mobile cafe in it, and then began working on the streets, despite the lack of permits. The Village asked Vlad about how to turn a rusty wreck into a trendy small business.

VLAD KYAUNE
cafe creator
in the 1983 van

Buying a van

The story of street food interested us last summer, when interesting street food projects began to appear in St. Petersburg. Of course, the cart was one of the most striking. We even wrote to them for advice, but they did not respond. By September, my partner Sasha and I had already started putting together a stand, but we had a lot of technical questions: how to attach wheels, how to make a stand. Then it got cold, and we decided to wait, dragging the rack into the garage. Around the same time, we read about the guys from Vladivostok who made a trailer with burgers and steaks. They also inspired us a lot, and we started thinking about a trailer, but realized that it would be expensive.

In the end, we decided that the ideal option would be just an old van. They started looking for it on Avito and quickly found the option we are currently working with. It cost 40 thousand rubles. It had a working engine and was generally looked after. But the fact that this van does not cost a million rubles comes back to us with enviable regularity. But now we are well versed in the structure of the car.

At first, we tried to carry out all the repair work ourselves, and we even succeeded in some things. We spent every evening in the garage, but the process took a long time. Now that we had a lot of other things to do, we began to put the van in the hands of craftsmen.

Equipment

From the very beginning we bought a coffee machine, grill, refrigerator and coffee grinder. Now we have added a deep fryer, a slow cooker and a toaster. It all comes down to an electrical problem. You need to either pull it from some site or install a generator. We have a three-kilowatt generator, but it’s only enough for a coffee machine and coffee grinder. Our friends at the ice cream truck " " have a five kilowatt generator. If we exchange them, then we will live and finally be able to drive around the city, and not look for friendly sites! This is one of the key issues for us now.

Work areas

The first time we left at 5 am on a day off to the Griboyedov Canal. It’s clear what the audience was like at that time. We sat in the van for half an hour and were afraid to get out. In our case, it was impossible to simply open the door and quietly start selling. We still have problems with the van door: the two of us take it out and put it next to it, it’s a whole performance. In addition, it was necessary to get a generator, place it near Nevsky and turn it on. In the end, we did it, stood there for half an hour or an hour and sold a couple of bagels with coffee. This was enough to get some first experience.

The next couple of days we stood on the Promenade des Anglais, it was also quite sluggish there, but we began to receive the first feedback. At that point, we ran into a problem that is still with us today: people were mostly taking pictures with the van rather than buying food from us. But of course it’s still nice. Those ten bagels that we sold in a few hours helped us think through how everything should be arranged inside the van and organize the food preparation processes.

The first time we were fully loaded was at “Restaurant Day”, when we first stood in Contour, and then in “Fligel”. Then they sold everything. Then they started writing to us with suggestions. One of them is from the Novo-Isaakievsky business center, where we now get up on Wednesdays. They have a very nice courtyard that fits a van well. We also rented a place in the “Fligel” cluster - there you can stand in the courtyard. Although it’s opposite a garbage dump, it’s quite comfortable. The rent cost 30 thousand rubles, but we scraped it together. But we immediately understood what the cost of food should be and how much we could charge. Now we are also feeding artists who came to the opening of an exhibition at the Street Art Museum. This is our main source of income for now.

Work permits

All street food projects are divided into two types: legal and semi-legal, when someone from above “helps” and organizes a safe place on the street for money approximately equal to the cost of renting a small space. In August there will be a period for submitting applications to the city administration for approval of street kiosks, carts and vans. In a good case, this approval takes six months, and it is almost unrealistic that they will agree on something for you. This is what we will do. True, in this case we will be allocated a fixed place, but this is still not what we want.

In principle, we can already work with the documents that we can do - tax registration and health records. The main maximum fine that we face for this is five thousand rubles, but there are a number of additional sanctions for the lack of a toilet and violation of the rules for the location of equipment. We stood on the Promenade des Anglais on May 9, the police drove past and even stopped. We tried not to look in their direction. But in the end it passed.

Menu

At first we sold bagels, since we were mainly involved in the van itself, and not in food - we are not cooks in general. For the first two weeks, we bought all the ingredients by the gram, and then assembled them and reheated them. But it is impossible to build a business in this format due to the high cost of the product, so we decided to develop the kitchen ourselves. We try to cook ciabatta, sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers. At the moment we have not yet come to a clear menu. The final version will definitely be capacious: several sandwiches, one soup and drinks. This will save time and not lose quality.

We decided to make the menu accessible, so we don’t earn much yet. Now we have no goal of receiving a salary, all the money goes straight into business. The next profit will go towards a generator and door repairs. We also want to have a rain canopy and large speakers so that we can turn on music and drive around the city.

photos: Dima Tsyrenshchikov

Buying food on the street is nothing new for our compatriots. Today this is gaining new popularity. It’s convenient for people to grab something to eat on their way to work or even home. Fast food on wheels is a retail outlet that allows you to make people's lives easier and tastier. The owner, having such a van, can make good money from it.

• How much money do you need to start?
• How much profit can the owner of a mobile retail outlet expect?
• Step-by-step plan for opening a fast food restaurant on wheels
• Necessary equipment
• Where is the best place to place mobile fast food?
• What documents are needed to open
• What taxes does a food truck owner have to pay?
• Features of fast food trade

How much money do you need to start?

The threshold for entering this business. Despite the fact that every city probably already has similar retail outlets, you can always make your mobile cafe special, give it a “zest” that will attract customers specifically to you. Fortunately, the world of cooking is wide and multifaceted, so there is always an opportunity to stand out with a special dish.

How much profit can the owner of a mobile retail outlet expect?

The estimated profit of a fast food drive-thru depends on various factors. The following indicators play a special role:

• product quality;
• presence of competitors;
• location of the outlet;
• production cost;
• professionalism of the staff;
• tax regime.

The average profit of a mobile snack bar, which is well known to members of the target audience, will be $3,000 per month. It is calculated as follows. The number of real buyers is 70 people per day. The average check amount is 2.5-3.5 dollars. This means daily revenue is $175-245. If you work daily, then you will have a gross income of $6,300 (for the calculation, we took average revenue of $210). The total costs of your business, taking into account taxes and force majeure, will not exceed $3,300, that is, the net profit of the outlet is $3,000/month.

Step-by-step plan for opening a fast food restaurant on wheels

Necessary equipment

If you are planning to open such a business, then first of all you need to buy a van for preparing and selling fast food. It is equipped with special equipment that will ensure the storage of food and ready meals, as well as cooking. By the way, it is not at all necessary to purchase it immediately; part of it can be rented. Today there are ready-made auto-buffets on sale. Their price is about $20 thousand, and a used trailer can be bought for half the price (We also recommend reading: “”)

Where is the best place to place mobile fast food?

The next step is choosing the location of the cafe. It is desirable that there are no similar retail outlets or large supermarkets with culinary departments in the area. Such food is in demand among students, so it would be a good idea to open a fast food restaurant on or near college campuses. Visitors and travelers also snack on the go. If you manage to rent a place near train stations and bus stations, it will be a real success. To register a land plot for rent, you will need to contact the local city property management committee. This is the authorized body of the municipality, which concludes lease agreements with entrepreneurs. Businessmen who have gone through this procedure are advised to draw up papers for a year, and then extend their validity if necessary.

What documents are needed to open

Since our cafe is a public catering facility, permits for activity must be obtained from Rospotrebnadzor, the fire service and the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station. There you need to submit pre-concluded contracts for the treatment and disinfection of work clothes, ventilation system equipment and waste removal.

What taxes does a food truck owner have to pay?

Even at the stage of registering this line of commercial activity with the Federal Tax Service, you need to select a code (according to the all-Russian classifier of various business lines) and a taxation regime. Mobile fast food belongs to the category with the code OKVED 55.30, and the “softest” taxation system for a mobile snack bar is UTII (single tax on imputed income).

Important point! Decisions regarding UTII (including the question of the types of activities for which it can be used) are made by local authorities. Therefore, it is possible that your city does not provide UTII for fast food, and you will have to choose between the simplified tax system and taxation on a general basis. As a rule, the latter option is problematic in terms of maintaining documentation, preparing reports, etc. This means that in such situations you need to write a statement about choosing the simplified tax system (you must choose a formula for calculating the amount of tax: 6% of profit or 15% of revenue).

Features of fast food trade

Pizza is rightfully considered the “queen” of fast food cafes. In an establishment of this format, it is important to correctly calculate the yield of a portion of a dish so that it is convenient to prepare and serve to customers. A dish closer to our compatriots is chebureks and dumplings. If you buy a grill, you can immediately fry the chicken and sell it only “from the fire.” Pancakes, pies, donuts, and even . Remember, this establishment should attract as many customers as possible. Prices for all dishes should be low. They will pay off due to turnover, which will ensure constant demand.

Here are some advantages of a cafe on wheels:

• There is no need to rent premises for;
• The good thing about a mobile kiosk is that over time you can always move to another, more profitable location;
• Relatively small starting capital;
• There is no need for communications to the kiosk. They are usually already equipped with everything necessary except electricity.

Cafes on wheels usually work either around the clock or more than 8 hours a day. To ensure such a schedule, several workers will be needed. They must not only be able to operate equipment and cook, but also be polite to customers. Staff salaries should directly depend on sales.

If you can offer customers tasty, safe and inexpensive food, then the success of such fast food will be ensured. This business will always be profitable, even during severe economic disasters in the country.