This French Citroën would make a truly exotic food truck.
If you’re thinking about starting a food-truck business, you’re not alone. Grabbing a meal from a kitchen on wheels has swept the nation. Somehow a gourmet Cuban sandwich or Korean BBQ plate tastes better when delivered through a sliding glass window.
eBay Motors is on top of the food truck trend with many vehicles on tap, some of them already fully functional and others showing a lot of potential—and novelty value. A 1968 Citroën AX HY Van would certainly make a unique platform for grab-and-go nouvelle cuisine, n’est-ce pas? It’s here on eBay Motors. In this case, when customers say, “Pass the Grey Poupon,” you’ll be ready to oblige.
The Right Truck Is Crucial
What type of vehicle makes the best food truck? That depends on the realities of your business. How many people do you plan on serving daily? How many people will work in the truck? With three chefs and a cashier, a VW van may be too small.
A Ford Transit Connect is a fully equipped coffee truck ready to dole out the espresso.
Are you going to prepare food on the truck? Some municipal health codes don’t allow preparation or storage of food on board, so you’ll need to work out of a commercial kitchen—and won’t need as much prep space on the truck. If you plan to slice, dice, and cook on the truck, you’ll need to make sure all your equipment is up to code. Sinks, for instance, sometimes have regulated sizes.
The equipment you’ll likely need includes a hand sink, drain boards, grease trap, water heater, fresh and grey water tanks, exhaust hood and fan, stove/grille/fryer, interior lighting, non-slip flooring, ordering window, refrigerator, and freezer/prep space.
And the truck itself is crucial. According to FoodTruckr.com, “You should take your time choosing the best food truck for your business. If you’re looking at food trucks and not getting that special feeling that you’ve found ‘the one,’ hold off a little longer until you find a vehicle that fits both the needs of your business and the dream you’ve been envisioning along the way.” The website also suggests connecting with a local food truck owner and asking if you can see the inside of his or her truck—and find out what’s working and what’s not.
Lots of Options
Interior of a Thai food truck
The Thai truck includes a ready-to-go wok.
Assuming you’ve done your homework, you can start shopping for the perfect truck on eBay Motors. If the Citroën isn’t your thing, and your area is ripe for some piping hot artisanal coffee, how about this espresso maker on wheels? The Ford Transit Connect comes with a Quamar M80e grinder, Cummins Onan QG 5.5-kilowatt generator, fridge, hot-water heater, glass-door cooler, and a stainless countertop. “Great condition and ready to work,” the seller says. “Start a coffee shop on a budget!”
Already set up for a complete Thai food menu is this 1999 GMW step van, with 102,000 miles on it. It’s only been used “a couple of times,” the owner says. It’s got a double fryer and wok range, a gas griddle, the necessary hoods, a steam table, hand sink connected to a 33-gallon water tank, fire suppression system and more. There’s even a 200-watt stereo to keep the staff entertained.
It’s selling cupcakes now, but this Mercedes-Freightliner diesel could get rewrapped for tacos, Thai, or tabouli.
Drive in style in a 2004 Mercedes-Freightliner Sprinter 3500 diesel, with a brand-new turbo. The refrigerator and generator have recently been upgraded, too. The kitchen has some “minor cosmetic wear,” including “dents and dings.” But the truck is getting a lot of use. “We have received many invitations to put this truck into events that are so high paying we can’t refuse,” the owner says. “Therefore, we will not be able to part with this vehicle until the end of the summer.”
A pizza truck built from a fire engine will grab attention and customers.
Want to grab attention? Consider a novelty vehicle such as this truck that looks like a street car.
To attract attention, you can go exotic. School buses are often put into service. Or for the flavor of wood-fired pizza, how about an actual fire engine with an al fresco kitchen? The 1990 Pierce Arrow open cab now listed on eBay Motors has been in business making pizza for a year and a half at festivals, church events, weddings, and block parties. According to the seller, the truck is “totally ready to start making pizza from day one.” It has a Blodgett 961P oven, a True 60-inch pizza prep cooler, a 16-inch dough rolling table, and Hobart dough mixer.
Interior of the street-car food truck.
How about a food truck disguised as a street car? Underneath the skin, of course, it’s a truck, built by Chance in 1991, and has a rebuilt engine and electric system. “This unique vehicle generates a buzz and people love having it to cater events,” the sellers say. They’re getting out of the business to run their bricks-and-mortar restaurants.
There are usually about 100 used food trucks available on eBay, plus the mechanical parts to keep them on the road. Start your engines and bon appétit!
See Food Trucks for sale on eBay.
