Start a food truck business: Tips and advice

Hicksville resident Kelly Kay said she was inspired to create wontons with creative fillings 12 years ago during a meal in Atlantic City. When she returned home, she said she experimented with different recipes, started selling her creations at farmers markets, opened a storefront in Massapequa and added a food truck to her repertoire in 2022. But getting a food truck on the road was no small feat, she said.

“So many people I run into think it would be great to start their own food truck,” said Kay, 37, owner of All American Wontons. “The perception is that it’s exciting and fun. And it is. But getting started is a challenge. And it’s also a lot of work once you get up and running.”

For those dreaming of starting a food truck business, Kay and other entrepreneurs warn that there is a long checklist of items to grapple with, including researching permit and license requirements, purchasing and outfitting a vehicle and planning a theme and a menu.

Pit master Larry Mondello, 44, of Cutchogue, started his smokehouse on wheels, Meat’s Meat, because he felt there was a lack of good BBQ on the Long Island food truck scene.

“I saw there were only a few BBQ trucks out there and thought I could do it better,” he said. He now has three mobile units in addition to a restaurant in Mattituck.

Mondello’s day starts early, he said, as food preparation and cooking take several hours. He then hits the road, serves, cleans up and gets ready for the next day.

“It’s not an easy job by any means, but you can make really good money following some easy steps,” said Mondello. “You need a small, well-planned menu, and you need to make quality food — fast. We can serve 600 to 900 people a day — we’re 30 seconds per customer. It’s really a numbers game. More meals equals more money.”

Mondello, who offers consulting services to potential food truck operators, said he has earned between $1,500 and $9,000 per day.

“You really have to love food and the hustle to do this,” he said.