As a college or university foodservice director, you see them roll into position with an increasing presence every year. Food trucks on college campuses keep hungry students happy. Many schools are taking the lead and adapting this delivery model as an extension of on-site food services.
Whether you’re in charge of your school’s truck fleet or work with outside vendors, you know these mobile restaurants are becoming a permanent part of dining all across campus. While they successfully cater to student appetites, they also offer exciting opportunities for extending your in-house services.
10 Ideas Driving Food Trucks on College Campuses
Rolling diners and food carts on college campuses represent an evolution in foodservice that benefits both your operations and your student population. These 10 ideas are driving the trend in the right direction for your school.
1. You Don’t Have To Build Food Trucks
Every year brings an increase in the number of students you need to serve, but you can’t be sure of additional funds or space dedicated to expanding kitchens, cafeterias and dining halls. Affordable, mobile food trucks are workable alternatives to expensive remodeling and new construction.
2. Food Cart Parks Are Cool
Centralizing services in areas dedicated to mobile dining and food carts simplify the logistics of operating your fleet. Food truck and cart parks cater to students by offering casual alfresco options, multiple truck menus and on-campus convenience. It all adds up to a cool dining experience for them and streamlined operations for you.
3. Students Want 24-Hour Service
Successful school food trucks don’t need to run from dusk until dawn. They stay busy by offering late-night and early-morning dining options. This feeds students on the go as they juggle busy class schedules, and it also keeps them safely on campus during late evening hours.
4. They Relish New Food Twists
Students quickly get tired of the same menus in cafeterias and dining halls, but there’s plenty of room to cook up new ideas in a food truck fleet. Keep students coming back to the ordering window with new spins on old favorites like pizzas topped with healthy veggies or crepes wrapped around finger foods.
5. Casual Dining Is A Global Thing
Food carts on college campuses open up culinary horizons with quick takes on cuisines from around the world. Asian, Mexican and Mediterranean dishes are delicious examples of casual fare that can expand the variety offered through your school’s foodservice operations.
6. Veggie-Centric Attitudes Are Growing
Industry studies clearly show that students want nutritious choices at the table. Extend their dining options with healthy food trucks on your college campus. From black bean tamales to salads with hearts of romaine lettuce, veggie-centric menus appeal to students all across campus.
7. Swipe And Pay Works At The Window
Add extra convenience to school-run food trucks by allowing students to pay for orders with dining hall ID cards. It streamlines service especially during peak hours. Instead of making change, you’re making campus foodservice a little easier for everyone.
8. Trucks Add Flexibility To Catering
Colleges and universities with food trucks are always ready to feed the crowd. No matter where a school event takes place, you’re positioned to deploy and deliver healthy, crowd-pleasing fare. Flexible catering is just another advantage of food trucks operating as extensions of campus foodservice operations.
9. Food Trucks Look Good On Facebook
You’re always adapting to the latest technology, so elevate your services through social media. The students are there, and you can let them know you’re there too just outside the dorm. Facebook is a great platform for showcasing truck locations, new menus and seasonal specials.
10. A Fleet Can Launch Student Entrepreneurs
Students working on foodservice management degrees represent a natural pool of talent for your on-campus truck operations. Their initiative forms a solid base for staffing, cooking and maintaining food truck services. Include the option to earn degree credits, and you help inspire today’s students to become tomorrow’s entrepreneurs.
Proudly Supporting Your Operations
It’s your job to provide students with healthy dining options and a satisfying campus experience. Universities with food trucks are positioned to offer both to growing student populations, and we’re proud to support your efforts as well as your expanding operations.
You can count on us to round up fresh ideas and track foodservice trends that affect campuses across the country. We enjoy sharing our industry knowledge, and we value your input too. As one of California’s largest growers and shippers, Hitchcock Farms is at your service.
