Creating Your Food Truck Mission Statement

If you already have a food truck mission statement, and each of your food truck staff members knows what it is, and can repeat it from memory…FANTASTIC!!! Please disregard this article as you’ve already done your work. Now if you happen to be the remaining 95% of the food truck industry, you might want to read on.

A mission statement is a business tool that should be considered as important as your food truck business plan. It captures, in a few succinct sentences, the essence of your mobile food business’s goals and the philosophies underlying them. Equally important, the mission statement signals what your food truck business is about to your customers, employees, suppliers and the communities you operate in.

Creating Your Food Truck Mission Statement

Answer the following questions to help you to create a verbal picture of your food truck mission statement:

Why are you in business? What do you want for yourself, your employees and your customers? Think about the spark that ignited your decision to start a mobile food business. What will keep it burning?
Who are your customers? What can you do for them that will enrich their lives and contribute to their success?
What image of your food truck business do you want to convey? Customers, employees and the public will all have perceptions of your company. How will you create the desired picture?
What is the nature of your menu and services? What factors determine pricing and quality? Consider how these relate to the reasons for your business’s existence.
What level of service do you provide? Most vendors believe they offer “the best service available,” but do your customers agree? Don’t be vague; define what makes your service so extraordinary.
What roles do you and your employees play? Smart leaders develop a leadership style that organizes, challenges and recognizes employees.
How do you differ from your competitors? Many food truck vendors forget they are pursuing the same dollars as their competitors. What do you do better, cheaper or faster than other trucks or restaurants?

Your mission statement should reflect your food truck’s special niche in the community.

Here is an example to help you fuel your creativity:

“Food Truck, LLC is an energetic, imaginative mobile food truck company aimed at offering high-quality, moderately priced, occasionally unusual foods using only local and natural ingredients. We view ourselves as partners with our customers, our employees, our community and our environment. We aim to become a regionally recognized brand, capitalizing on the rapid growth and popularity of the mobile food industry in the {insert your location here} area. Our goal is moderate growth, annual profitability and maintaining our sense of humor.”

Here is The Burnt Truck‘s (Orange County Food Truck) mission statement:

“To bring distinctively upscale taste to the streets of Orange County without all the fuss and nonsense of a high-end restaurant.”

Keys to Creating Your Food Truck Mission Statement

You must involve your key staff members in writing it. Set aside enough time to allow everyone to chime in. Brainstorm, and then begin to sort through what works and what everyone is passionate about.
It must be no more than a concise paragraph that reflects what your food truck is all about.

The Bottom Line

Once you’ve decided on a mission statement, it’s best to let it ferment in everyone’s minds, and then revisit it in a week or two. If you still feel it’s what your food truck is all about, then it’s time to share with your entire staff. Every staff member on your team should know your mission statement by heart.

Do you have a food truck mission statement? We’d love to hear it. Share them in the comment section, our food truck forum or social media. Twitter | Facebook.