GETTING STARTED IN THE BARBECUE TRAILER BUSINESS:
THE BASICS

Use the resources and links on these pages to find equipment, get ideas, read success stories, find tested business plans, and find all the info you need to start your successful and highly profitable barbecue trailer business.

Who doesn’t like barbecue? Tender smoked ribs smothered with sauce that drips down your chin is a traditional American favorite. The BBQ rage has even expanded to the point of large festivals where barbecue fanatics gather to show off their best recipes and compete for big cash prizes.

Even those who don’t arrive hungry will start to feel their stomach rumble when they get a whiff of your food coming off the smoky grill. A busy location can easily gross over $1000 per day, and more than a few have developed enough repeat business to more or less ‘park’ their trailer in a static location to operate more like a typical brick-and-mortar restaurant. Others prefer to keep their business a “weekends only” business, while others travel more-or-less full-time around the country to fairs and festivals; still others find a good location in a shopping center parking lot along a busy road, pitch a tent, throw out a few picnic tables, and operate thriving roadside ‘restaurants’ from their barbecue-pit-on-wheels.

There are a plenty of good locations, a few really good locations, and LOTS of BAD locations. The good news is that if your first location doesn’t do well, you can always move your cart someplace better! Obviously, you need to be in a place where there are lots of people.  Consider busy city parks, train and bus stations, school and university campuses, in front of “Big Box” stores, downtown (corner parking lots make an excellent choice for lunch-time business), the zoo, office and light industrial parks, near popular strips of bars and taverns, and more.

In fact, the profits to be made aren’t just from selling meals. Many companies or organizations will gladly pay you to show up for their event, earning you a profit before you even fire up the grill. Company picnics, family reunions, and car tent sales are all gatherings you should solicit.

A successful BBQ Trailer can be as simple a couple of cut-in-half steel drums mounted to a frame and axel. Even a custom-made barbecue trailer, put together by your local welder, doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive. But as your business grows, you’ll probably want to consider one of the many manufactured barbecue trailers which include all the bells and whistles: smokers, grill, refrigerators, sinks, and more. You can spend 5, 10, or 20 thousand dollars (or more!) on one of these professional behemoths, and if you’ve got the money now (or grow your business to the point it makes sense), you will find yourself with a high-quality BBQ, offering efficiency for you and a clean and professional appearance for your customers.

Barbecue trailers also don’t have to just cook ribs…hamburgers, sausages, and hot dogs for the kids will increase the choices available to your customers, your sales, and your profits. You’ll likely want to have a few side dishes cooking as well, like beans and/or rice, and cold goodies like potato salad or coleslaw.

If you’ve never owned your own business before, your first lesson here will be the basics of ANY business: Licenses and Taxes. The city, county, state, and/or federal government all want to make sure they will get their taxes, whether they be sales taxes or licensing fees. It’s extremely simple to find out what licenses you’ll need to get…simply call your local city hall, tell them you’re considering opening up a barbecue trailer, and they will be happy to let you know what particular permits you’ll need and who you have to see. Undoubtedly, a city or county health department will need to issue you a license, and it makes good sense to talk with these folks BEFORE you buy any equipment…they’ll let you know what standards your barbecue trailer must meet to be legal, and any foods that you may not serve. Since your trailer is a “mobile restaurant”, you may want to take advantage of gatherings outside of your local area. Be sure to talk with the permitting and health department officials in counties outside your own well in advance of operating your barbecue business there.

Use the resources and links on these pages to find equipment, get ideas, read success stories, and find all the info you need to start your successful and highly profitable barbecue trailer business.