First Food Truck event- the good & bad

Hey All! So after a year of building out our P30 we finally had our first food truck First Friday event here in PA. Everything was really great I cant complain. The crowd was overwhelming and steady. My question to you all- what suggestions do you have, all the way down to the type of order rack you may use, that may help with expediting orders. We may have been somewhat ill prepared in this area as the tickets were piling with minor confusion. 
Also, what is the best way to nicely have your customers form a line and not a crowded mob scene when at an event? 
Thanks All!

"What suggestions do you have, all the way down to the type of order rack you may use, that may help with expediting orders. We may have been somewhat ill prepared in this area as the tickets were piling with minor confusion"
 
Kinda open ended.....one question at a time.
I'll answer the last one....make a sign.

What's the current system as far as bodies & stations?

What's on the menu?

How many people are on the truck?

Who's doing what in terms of stations?

Does the order taker also do other tasks related to preparing the order (other than taking orders...drinks...money...packing?

Do you expedite by calling out orders...as well as posting tickets?

Whoever is taking order should have each order by number (or whatever alternate system) and should be constantly communicating what's left (needed) to complete an order...before getting too far ahead...by just taking orders...posting them...waiting...packing...taking more orders.

Calling out ticket 3. This that the other. Post. Working on ticket 3. Waiting on fries. How long for fries? Ok. Ticket 3 out. Pull ticket 3. Calling out ticket 4. This that & the other. Post. Working on ticket 4. Waiting on this or ticket out. Ticket 4 out. Pull ticket 4. Ticket 6 quick ticket fries only. Post. Fries out. Pull ticket 6. Back to ticket 5. Calling out ticket 5. This that & the other. Post. Working on ticket 5. Ticket 5 out. Ticket 7. No post. Soda only. Pull ticket 7. Ticket 8...

Some system where you can hear it...(get used to it) follow it.
(develop a system to answer the call simply to verify you got it)..slow down the traffic pile ups...while keeping it move. The expeditor has to be able to make judgement call by knowing what's working (how long it will be) and should be able to navigate back & forth to get whatever they can moved out...without always waiting for the line strictly by the number.

A standard system with the same order & words so no matter who is expediting (or who you might have to teach) it's always the same...no matter who is calling.

You just have to map out you own system...outline it...and write it up.

A rack is a rack.

When at an event the best way to handle the crowd is with the order taker outside with the customers. He or she is out there to take orders ,handout orders, crowd control for forming a line, directing the customers where to go to wait for the order. And the really good ones will even entertain the crowd while they wait for the order. It's really a work of art when done properly.

SAK5252


Hey All! So after a year of building out our P30 we finally had our first food truck First Friday event here in PA. Everything was really great I cant complain. The crowd was overwhelming and steady. My question to you all- what suggestions do you have, all the way down to the type of order rack you may use, that may help with expediting orders. We may have been somewhat ill prepared in this area as the tickets were piling with minor confusion. 
Also, what is the best way to nicely have your customers form a line and not a crowded mob scene when at an event? 
Thanks All!

For posting tickets I would tie a string between two nails.  Use binder clips to attach the tickets to the string.  You want to the tickets to be able to move down the string so put the string in the "open" part of the clip, not pinched on the string. Go to Hooters, they have the same concept.  Hope that makes since. Much cheaper than buying a rack from you local rest. supply store.  I would not get the type of ticket holder that you push the top of the ticket into. 
 
You cannot easily move them down as you remove tickets, and then they tear when you try to remove the ticket from the holder.
 
As for organizing the customers.  A lot of the time they will not see the sign or ignore it.   I would use retractable belt stanchions.

As for making your cooking system efficient.  It is kind of difficult if we do not what you are cooking and what kind of equipment do you use.
 
I have worked in restaurants for most of my working life.  And have run one for the last 5 years with my wife.  I love efficiency and would be more than happy to brainstorm with you.
 
Hope that helps

cue

SAK5252


Hey All! So after a year of building out our P30 we finally had our first food truck First Friday event here in PA. Everything was really great I cant complain. The crowd was overwhelming and steady. My question to you all- what suggestions do you have, all the way down to the type of order rack you may use, that may help with expediting orders. We may have been somewhat ill prepared in this area as the tickets were piling with minor confusion. 
Also, what is the best way to nicely have your customers form a line and not a crowded mob scene when at an event? 
Thanks All!

For posting tickets I would tie a string between two nails.  Use binder clips to attach the tickets to the string.  You want to the tickets to be able to move down the string so put the string in the "open" part of the clip, not pinched on the string. Go to Hooters, they have the same concept.  Hope that makes since. Much cheaper than buying a rack from you local rest. supply store.  I would not get the type of ticket holder that you push the top of the ticket into. 

You cannot easily move them down as you remove tickets, and then they tear when you try to remove the ticket from the holder.

As for organizing the customers.  A lot of the time they will not see the sign or ignore it.   I would use retractable belt stanchions.

As for making your cooking system efficient.  It is kind of difficult if we do not what you are cooking and what kind of equipment do you use.

I have worked in restaurants for most of my working life.  And have run one for the last 5 years with my wife.  I love efficiency and would be more than happy to brainstorm with you.

Hope that helps

 
The problem here in lies, I have been in a restaurant since I was 14 yrs old.  I know restaurants, but when working on a truck its a different animal.  Where are you going to store the retractable belt stanchions?  On the truck?  What if you get to a venue where you cant use them, its a sidewalk...Then they are stuck on the truck and in your way.  I have never seen them used for a food truck and I would not advise it personally. 

If my cashier badgered and nagged me like Sirloin suggests, the cashier would get hit. =^) I want them to print the ticket and send it back, announce the order --ONE-- time, then let us fill it. Don't need coaching and reminding, just the tickets. You decide what works for you.
 
Intelligent order taking makes a great deal of difference. We've found that in the customer's mind, the clock starts ticking when they place the order and you take their money--not when they get in line. Up to the time they order, they don't blame you if they have to wait because they are free to leave if the line to order is too long. But after you take the order they are captive.
 
So I lean hard on the cashier not to take more orders than we can turn out in 3-4 minutes. If the cashier takes orders as fast as the customers can say them, and 20 orders stack up, then those 20 people are going to be waiting a very long time before their food is ready and they are eventually going to get pissed off. Whereas if we don't take orders faster than we can deliver them, the customers perceive that everything is happening much quicker.
 
In reality you are producing the same amount of food in the same amount of time, but in the customer's perception the order was produced quickly because the time between placing the order and receiving it was short. It also makes for a far less stressful day for you and the staff.
 
I've never had customers who don't know how to queue up, can't help you with that. I would probably turn to orange cones. Here at Tamale Trolley we are big believers in orange cones.
 
Hoop

not saying this is the way but this works for us.....
I take the orders & money, get drinks, any minor stuff like cookies, chips, or say in the a.m. i'll handel things like oatmeal, biscuits and gravey as its right behind me..  or..i put the ticket in the window slot ( those sliding plexiglass windows never fit tight and i can put 4-5 tickets inbetween one) ,  a gal takes the ticket and tells the grill what is needed, then does what she needs to put onto it like maybe ,,toast, butter jelly, etc. put any condiment on buns or breads. she puts the order together ,wraps or boxes calls out the ticket number puts it out the window. on to the next one ...we do sometimes 100 customers in about 60 min.most of our b-fast are made to order cept sandwich's. but if they dont sell in about 30 min. there tossed, but believe me there sold...our lunch's are same way we do premake a few burgers for the "first wave" and will make soups of course in advance... 3 of us working, my wife and i start at 3A.M. helper comes in at 7