Should I buy an existing food truck or have one built?

These two paths give you different things. An existing food truck business comes with a vehicle and a trading history you can examine. A new build comes with a kitchen laid out for your menu and nothing else. Neither is the better choice for everyone.

What an existing business gives you

You can see the truck work, talk to customers, and read the books and bookings. You may inherit regular sites, event contracts, a social media following and the equipment already installed. Ask which of these the sale actually includes, and which depend on the owner personally. Ask what lies behind any reason for the sale.

What a new build gives you

A new build is planned around your menu, your staff and your workflow. Nothing is worn, and nobody else’s habits are in the equipment. The tradeoffs are time and trust. You wait while the builder works, you have no record of sales, and you must build a following from nothing. Plan for what you will do while the truck is being made.

Judging the builder or the truck

Whichever route you take, inspect before you commit. For a build, ask to see finished trucks, speak with past customers, and read the contract on delivery date, changes and what happens if the work fails inspection. For an existing truck, have a mechanic and a kitchen technician inspect it, and see the licences, insurance and maintenance records.

Questions to settle first

• Which parts of the existing business transfer to you, and which stay with the owner?
• Can the build be inspected by the local health authority before it is finished?
• How would you fund the months with no sales?
• Who inspects the work if the builder and you disagree?