The food truck phenomenon is taking over cities all across the US. From New York to LA, they are navigating their way to a street near you.

Running a food truck sounds easy: get some supplies, get some gas, serve up some food and drive off with the dividends.  In fact, the food truck industry is much more complicated and deserves the attention and consideration a regular bricks and mortar restaurant concept needs to run.  A business plan? You bet.  Menu design?  Absolutely.  Branding?  Vital to capturing- and keeping – guests.  Top food consultants developed the following list on some Dos and Don’ts for running your own Food Truck:

DO:

• Get Noticed. An innovative name, concept and logo will get you noticed from afar.  Get creative!   j
• Clean Your Machine. A clean, fresh-looking food truck will keep customers happy, and neighbors and authorities at bay.  From the counter to the grill to the wheel rims, make sure to sanitize and clean inside and out every day.
• Prep Please! Prep as much of the food as you can before you set out, but finish the items/meals in the truck before serving your guests so dishes are as fresh as possible. You should be able to do the scooping, icing, baking, reheating and even final cooking in the truck.
• Play Music. Create a fun, festive atmosphere inside your truck so patrons can hear the music. You want to attract them, not over take the neighborhood with your tunes
• Be Friendly. Even though you may be competitors, make friends with your fellow food truckers.  Exchanging information, swapping good spots and informing each other on the latest food truck regulations are crucial to your business.

DON’T:

• Overcharge. Remember: no matter how fabulous your truck looks, how convenient it is for your customers and how delicious your food is … you are still serving food out of a truck! Keep that in mind when creating your mobile restaurant business plan.
• Be Too Fancy. If your customers need a knife to cut their food, don’t serve it. The whole idea is ease and convenience. Keep this in mind while creating a menu.
• Be Pretentious. Sure, you may think your food is the best and your operating skills are unmatched, but keep in mind your not operating out of The Ritz. Focus on serving good food and creating an inviting vibe for your customer, not your ego.
• Neglect Your Permit. Make sure you keep your permits and all necessary paperwork up to date and up to code.
• Have Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen. Any food consultant will tell you to keep kitchen help down to the minimum. It is already a tight space, so hire chefs that can multitask, cook the food, plate it properly, and serve the customer with a smile.

Uber website mashable.com recently published a blog post all about the best practices for restaurants on Facebook.

More than ever, it’s integral that a brand understand how to use Facebook to successfully reach the more than 700 million people who utilize Facebook every day. Food consultants constantly weigh the options on how to best tap into this market.

Facebook has countless restaurants, hospitality and food & beverage companies all jockeying for exposure and attention on the site.  The goal, however, is to make sure your brand uses Facebook to your best advantage to make sure you are a step above the rest.   Some top strategies include:

Be Trustworthy … Facebook recently changed their privacy settlings policy and brands are no longer allowed to hide comments; rather, they want users to be able to share content and have open dialogues.  Big problem? No Problem!  Guests don’t expect perfection every time, but they do want to know you care and are listening.  Make openness part of your restaurant business plans. Don’t be afraid of negative comments. Instead use the comments to engage in a public dialogue with your fans/friends/consumers to show them that you are committed to improvement.

Be Seen … show-off a little! It’s okay, really. Food consultants suggest a multimodal approach to branding. Since a picture’s worth a thousand words, showcase images: from your delicious-looking appetizers to your devilish desserts, to the dining room at fun, full-capacity, or upload videos of chefs’ creations, list/define a few of your enticing ingredients, highlight great pr/press, display your iPhone app … Get creative and get out there.

Be Consistent … Food consultants agree that branding is what sets you apart. Use your mission statements, ideologies and overall brand aesthetic as tools to guide you in your Facebook persona.   Make sure that anyone posting or responding is aligned with your brand mentality: It’s important to bring personality to the brand, not necessarily promote the people who work there.

On October 21, VSAG Marketing Director Jennifer Motruk Loy, gave the Washington Business Journal initial details about the second Founding Farmers location. The Journal’s BizBeat blog published news of VSAG’s plans to open Founding Farmers in Park Potomac, MD next Fall. The Washington, DC location opened September 18, 2008 and VSAG has signed a lease in Park Potomac, MD with the goal of opening the new location around that same time in 2011. VSAG will continue to manage Farmers & Fishers, Founding Farmers in Washington, DC and at this new location. More news to come.

George Roche, baker, intellectual, colleague and friend

The entire VSAG family is sad today.  One of our team members passed away this week; he was far too young, and far too healthy, it came as a shock to us all.  George Roche was our friend, our colleague, our baker, our day trader, our international politico and our precious metals and minerals trader.  The straightest shooter around, George was always George, never scared to call ‘em like he saw ‘em.

I’ll miss George’s intellect, his dry sense of humor and his “Georgeness”– he lived life his way, and valued friendship, family and loyalty.  His love of politics and all things international/geo-political kept us communicating over the years even when we weren’t working together.

It’s shocking and it sucks.  I have no eloquence to describe it, I have no way to make it anything other than what it is, a devastating loss for his family, his friends, and a devastating blow for Hazel and her children.  But I do know that through the immense sadness we feel right now, we can already feel the smile that will come to our faces every time we think of George.  While it’s a loss for all involved, it is the universe’s gain to have George’s spirit racing around doing whatever it might be doing.  And with George, I can be certain it is something intriguing.

Every time I see a baguette for the rest of my life, I’ll think of George.  Every time I see an artisan bread oven, and steam escaping from the doors, I’ll think of George.  And too, when I read about a complex international political drama unfolding in some far corner of the globe, I’ll think of George and miss whatever interesting snippet he would’ve emailed me on the topic.

Godspeed dear friend; we’re appreciative of the time we had with you.

- Dan Simons

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I met George years ago after he had come out of working in a difficult labor union environment; he was rough, angry  and a top-down manager and leader. Together, we worked on leadership, communication, understanding and empathy.  At a time when most people are already set in their ways, George, at 40,  opened his eyes and got it.

Neil

Cambria Suites, a client that has worked with VSAG since they opened their first hotel, has just launched its 19th location in Oklahoma City.   We are proud to congratulate their success and the launch of this newly revamped brand, which features an all-suite concept with top-of-the-line technology and comfortable settings for any traveler. VSAG worked with Cambria Suites and parent company Choice Hotels International on the food and beverage concept, helping them to achieve their vision of a bistro-style restaurant.  We look forward to more openings from this exciting group—there are already three more slated for 2010!

VSAG Principal Dan Simons recently assisted some students from George Washington University (he’s an alumnus) in their reporting of the importance of green dining choices in the Nation’s capital.  Where else would they go to uncover the best practices and insider information, but Founding Farmers, the Greenest Restaurant in DC!  Enjoy this bit of video by Madeline Twomey and Juliette Dallas-Feeney, and learn a bit more about Founding Farmers’ leadership in the green dining movement.

Recently the new VSAG.com web site was named to the “Best of the Web” in the top Business > Business to Business> Hospitality Industry > Consulting web site category.   Building a good web site is like building a good restaurant – there are many components that must work in conjunction with each other for successful functionality, operations, content and aesthetics.   We’re proud to be recognized for the work we’ve put into evolving our site and for knowing we were able to accomplish those goals.   

Thai Chicken sauca

What’s one of the hottest trends in food these days?  Street food – but not any ordinary hot dog cart – today’s street food is driven by technology, great, unique foods and creative vision.  Ready to launch Washington DC’s most exciting new concept, VSAG announces the development of Sâuçá, a new concept in mobile restaurants.  VSAG has worked to develop the menus and processes behind owner Farhad Assari’s vision of bringing high-quality food to the streets.  International businessman, traveler, explorer and foodie, Assari has taken street food to a new level.  This very atypical restaurateur was inspired by the side street vendors in India, the old school food trucks in California, the railroad station vendors in Europe and the taquierias of South America, to create a new way to enjoy foods from around the world, with the convenience and fun of a serious kitchen on wheels.  The result is a great global gourmet experience with no reservations and no travel time!

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VSAG Principal Dan Simons, an alumnus of George Washington University in Washington DC, was featured in the university’s GW Today newsletter article “From the Farm to Foggy Bottom Restaurant.” The article praises Founding Farmers’ commitment to sustainability, eclectic menu, and unique cocktails, as well as details Simons’ role in Founding Farmers’ success.

Though he majored in international business at GW,  Simons says he realized early on that the restaurant business was for him. After working at the Exchange, Simons joined the local T.G.I. Friday’s his junior year and worked his way up to the company’s corporate training program by graduation. Read the rest of this entry »

VSAG Principal Dan Simons was quoted in the BusinessWeek article “Do-It-Yourself iPhone Apps.” Simons explained the iPhone app developed by Swebapps for VSAG restaurant client Founding Farmers. The free Founding Farmers iPhone app allows users to make reservations, view the menu, and even use the Wine Shake, a fun way to get a great wine pairing with a dinner selection.

Read the full BusinessWeek article, and be sure to get your free copy of the Founding Farmers iPhone app from iTunes!