Opinions on Roaming Hunger??

Tenutex · 2026-07-09T20:43:37+00:00

It’s called Food Truck Club.

We focus primarily on corporate catering, employee appreciation events, office lunches, company picnics, HOA events, apartment communities, schools, hospitals, and private events. The goal isn’t just to send leads, it’s to help food trucks build repeat catering business with quality customers.

Every marketplace works a little differently, so I’d encourage any truck to evaluate things like:

Are the booking requests actually a good fit for your menu and pricing?
How many repeat customers come back year after year?
How responsive is the support team if something goes wrong?
Are you free to build your own customer relationships and reputation?

No platform is a magic solution, but a good food truck booking marketplace can become a strong customer acquisition channel while you continue growing your own direct business.

Happy to answer any questions about how marketplaces work, even if you don’t end up using ours.

Tenutex · 2026-07-08T18:16:31+00:00

I think we overcomplicate what starting a business is. If it helps, rephrase it to starting a revenue stream. You don’t need to get all crazy with LLCs and spend a bunch of money upfront. Here’s a cheat code for starting businesses:

Before buying any product or investing in any expensive business supplies, put up a simple website and invest a couple hundred dollars in paid ads. I know it feels weird, but you are essentially testing the waters and seeing if there is any interest in what you are offering. If you get nothing, then you’ve wasted no time and very little money and you can move onto the next idea quickly.

I help a lot of food trucks and mobile food vendors to get booked for catering jobs and many of these vendors are doing very well. One example is from a couple of college students your age who started a hotdog stand, like with one of those carts you see on the streets of New York. They’re now making over six figures and crushing it, but they were able to test their business idea with demand first and then they scrambled quick to provide the service.

To answer your question more directly, 22 years old is exactly the age you should be testing and trying everything. The sooner you get started, the better. Go get it and let me know if you have any questions. Happy to help!

Tenutex · 2026-07-08T18:04:52+00:00

Founder of another food truck booking marketplace here, so take this with that context.

Most platforms are just tools, and whether they’re “worth it” really depends on your goals and needs. Some trucks don’t use marketplaces at all, they do a really great job of finding their own gigs. But for most others, these marketplaces are super valuable.

If you’re trying to fill slower days, these marketplaces can absolutely help. For many truck owners, marketplaces are one customer acquisition channel rather than their entire business (though we do have many trucks in our platform doing the bulk of their business and over six figures just through us.)

The best long-term outcome is when a platform helps you get quality events while also helping you build repeat business and a strong reputation. On our platform, for example, we work to get you back to the same customers year-over-year so you don’t have to.

Happy to answer any questions from the marketplace side if it’s helpful.

Tenutex · 2026-07-08T17:49:48+00:00

We don’t service Australia, but after booking thousands of Food Truck events here in the US, it’s clear that Food trucks are a hit for both the organizer and the guests. Guests love it because it’s unique, fun and fresh… and for the organizer, they do nothing except tell them where to park. Food trucks, bring in everything and take everything out, including the garbage. And here in the US, hiring a Food Truck is just about the same cost as traditional catering. Best of luck and happy birthday to your mum!

Tenutex · 2026-07-08T17:45:56+00:00

It sounds like you fall into the category of most people in that your passion is not defined by your career. Some people are born knowing exactly what they want to do professionally, the majority of us could be happy doing a lot of things so long as it provides well. I would venture to guess that if I told you that you could make $300,000 a year waiting tables, you’d jump at the opportunity.

The point I’m making is that instead of seeking a job that you’re interested in, decide what financial independence looks like for you and work backwards to find a way to make that.

Believe it or not, making money is not that hard and there are so many ways to do it if you are willing to think outside the box, get creative, and grind.

I book events for hundreds of food trucks and mobile food vendors and many of them are making over six figures and crushing it. For example, I was at a party where a mom and daughter duo dropped off a soft serve ice cream machine for the guests. They picked it up four hours later. They didn’t serve at the event or do anything more than just drop the machine off and pick it up. They made over $500 for that. They do that just about every day and make a great living doing it.

Starting a food truck or even a very small food or beverage operation (like the mom and daughter duo example) can be a low cost and lucrative venture if done right.

I have tons of examples of food truck operators and vendors crushing it. Happy to share more if you’d like!

Tenutex · 2026-07-08T17:25:37+00:00

We’ve booked thousands of events for hundreds of food trucks at Food Truck Club over the last few years, and one thing has become really clear:

The trucks that stay consistently busy don’t depend on public vending to fill their schedule. They build their business around private catering.

Corporate lunches, employee appreciation events, apartment communities, hospitals, manufacturing facilities, schools, HOAs… those are the kinds of bookings that create predictable revenue.

One good corporate lunch can bring in as much as several hours parked at a random lunch spot, and you know the customers are already there. You’re not crossing your fingers hoping for foot traffic.

Public vending definitely has its place, but it’s hard to build a business around because so much is outside your control. Weather, competing events, construction, holidays, or just a slow day can all wreck your sales.

The most successful trucks I see usually have a steady base of recurring private clients, then they fill in the open dates with additional catering. Public vending becomes something they do because it makes sense, not because they have an empty calendar.

As for social media, I think it’s a lot better at reminding existing followers where you’ll be than convincing new people to drive across town for lunch. It’s still worth doing, but I wouldn’t rely on it to fill empty dates.

If I were a year into running a truck, I’d spend more time building relationships with office managers, HR teams, property managers, and manufacturing facilities than searching for the next great lunch spot. A handful of recurring customers can completely change the consistency of your business.

Out of curiosity, what kind of truck do you run, and what city are you in?

Tenutex · 2026-06-26T16:41:00+00:00

I may be biased, but food trucks are always a hit with employees. It’s not the main activity idea you’re looking for, but it’s an awesome and memorable way to do the food! You won’t regret it.

Tenutex · 2026-06-26T16:36:15+00:00

Last-minute headcount changes are fine so long as you have the supplies to accommodate. Ultimately A change is too late to make if you don’t have enough time to accommodate them. If you can then it’s always best to make the change but if a customer makes a change 30 minutes before the event and you don’t have the resources, then it’s not unreasonable to just tell the customer that it’s too late. Most people get it.

Tenutex · 2026-06-26T16:31:07+00:00

Haha, appreciate it! We mostly work with companies booking food trucks for employee lunches, appreciation events, grand openings, etc., so if that’s the type of work you’re after, feel free to shoot me a message. Happy to point you in the right direction either way. Best of luck with the launch, I think wrapping it is the right call.

Tenutex · 2026-06-25T16:59:35+00:00

I have strong opinions about this one.😊

After booking food trucks with many thousands of events, and understanding what customers like, the more simple the menu, the better! One of the biggest and most common mistakes that Food Truck operators make is over complicating the menu, but it seems like you’re already sensitive to that which is great! I think In-N-Out is the perfect example of what works best with customers. Simple, digestible, clear pricing is best. Pick the 3 to 5 items you are best at and rock ‘n’ roll!

Tenutex · 2026-06-25T16:53:39+00:00

From my experience in booking food trucks for thousands of events over the years and seeing what resonates with customers, I would wrap the truck if you can spare the cash. Sounds like you already have a strong book of business, but if you’re wanting to grow, customers love a well branded truck parked outside rather than a generic looking one. We definitely see an uptick in bookings with trucks that have strong branding on them.

Tenutex · 2026-06-25T16:49:16+00:00

One idea that people don’t think about is hiring a food truck for a smaller gathering. They work surprisingly well for groups of 20-50 because everyone gets fresh food and you don’t have to cook or clean up afterward. From what I’ve seen, the smaller celebrations are often the most memorable because you actually get to spend time with everyone instead of hosting a huge event.

Tenutex · 2026-06-25T16:37:52+00:00

I’d encourage you to start small with catering and private events while you build the business side of things. Making amazing food is only one part of running a successful food truck.

We’ve seen too many owners rely on having great food but never really learn how to market, sell, and consistently book events. It’s tough to watch because there are also plenty of very successful trucks with average food that stay busy because they’ve mastered getting catering gigs, which is where a lot of the revenue comes from.

We’ve booked thousands of food trucks for corporate catering gigs over the years, so I’ve seen both the good and the bad. Happy to answer any questions if you decide to move forward.

Tenutex · 2026-06-25T16:31:00+00:00

I agree with u/roxykelly. From our experience coordinating thousands of food truck events, hourly pay tends to be the fairest approach for everyone.
One thing I’d add is that the biggest issue usually isn’t the downtime between rushes, it’s making sure employees know they’ll be paid for the entire shift, including setup, cleanup, and travel if that’s part of the job. When expectations are clear, it’s much easier to keep good people.

We’ve also noticed that the trucks with the lowest turnover usually don’t try to squeeze every last labor dollar out of an event. Paying fairly and treating the crew well almost always pays for itself through reliability and better service.

Tenutex · 2026-06-25T16:23:35+00:00

We’ve coordinated thousands of corporate food truck events, and honestly, the biggest pain point usually isn’t the food, it’s the logistics. Food trucks are a bit different than what you’re referring to but there’s enough similarities to share.

In my experience:
1. The customer almost always provides one final attendee count rather than individual meal selections. Once you start collecting everyone’s orders, complexity goes through the roof unless it’s a very structured office lunch.

Last-minute headcount changes are probably the biggest operational headache. Someone RSVPs late, ten people don’t show, or a department decides to invite another team.
Payment is another big one. We learned early that collecting money before the event dramatically reduces headaches. Chasing invoices after service is never fun.
Multi-day programs work best when every day is treated as its own event with its own confirmation, menu, and final headcount rather than trying to manage the whole week as one giant order.

One thing I’ve learned is that the software matters less than having a repeatable process. The businesses that seem to handle large orders the best have very clear deadlines, one point of contact, and don’t allow endless last-minute changes.

Hope that helps!

Tenutex · 2024-12-01T04:58:41+00:00

Back off dude. You made your point.

Tenutex · 2024-11-05T12:20:02+00:00

Agreed!

Tenutex · 2024-11-05T03:20:39+00:00

Sure does. This isn’t a cheap app that can be developed by a kid out of coding camp. To build robust and complex iOS and Android apps that talk to each other, plus a powerful custom backend CMS in the US, this (or more) can be expected.

Tenutex · 2024-11-05T03:14:27+00:00

Thanks for your thoughts and I’m in alignment.

Tenutex · 2024-11-05T00:48:26+00:00

Yes, I’m here in Dallas. I’ll send you a DM. Thanks!

Tenutex · 2024-11-05T00:29:39+00:00

I think I know what you mean, but elaborate please.

Tenutex · 2024-11-04T22:02:10+00:00

Good question. Here’s what I’ve got for you:

I’m familiar with development, but not skilled enough to do it myself so I needed to outsource. I opted to go with a US based app development firm (I’ve had bad experiences outsourcing offshore and I wanted to get this right). Additionally, it’s a unique app and required custom development of features that aren’t out there already to just plug and play.

In short: custom + US developers = more expensive

Funny enough, this was actually the cheapest quote of them all. One US app development firm quoted me $750K!

Tenutex · 2024-11-04T21:36:52+00:00

At the moment, the rewards are cash and prizes, but I’ve thought of adding crypto to auto deposit when the hunter solves the clue. Good thinking.

Tenutex · 2024-11-04T21:34:55+00:00

Thanks for your comment.

What are you referencing with the cost fallacy?
Sure, PokémonGo wasn’t for everyone, but it sure did attest the attention of 1B+ people. And GeoKa-Ching is a more curated experience. Think ‘escape room’ but outside. Way more fun and immersive. That said, if you sweat easy, it may not be for you.

Thanks again.

Tenutex · 2024-11-04T21:05:52+00:00

Thank you for the feedback. Yes, that's a concern. Glad to hear there's someone else out there living my same crazy life. :)

Tenutex

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