Starting any business can seem intimidating, especially in particular industries. For example, if you want to run your own restaurant, you need to be reasonably sure that it will last and that people will enjoy what you offer on your menu. The same thing goes for starting a food truck, although you won’t have to set aside as much to buy or rent a commercial building. 

On the upside, the sky’s the limit when it comes to what you decide to serve on your food truck. You can get really specific and hone in on a particular food item with several variations, like mini donuts. But if specializing in a single item doesn’t appeal that much, you can be more general and focus on one cuisine, like Chinese, Italian, or Indian. This last is especially promising because of the variety of dishes you can make and offer. That said, though, here are a few ideas to add a little spice to your customer experience.

Spend time decorating your food truck

When you’re parked next to other food trucks, one way to ensure it will stand out is to find some way to decorate. Taking a word or phrase in Indian and plastering it all over your truck may not be a good idea, but you could start with the color scheme. You could also spice up the order window so it looks interesting, or put up appetizing posters of the dishes on your menu set against colorful backgrounds that are sure to draw curious passers-by.

Whatever you decide to do, don’t forget to pay attention to what your competitors are doing, too. By doing so, you’ll get an idea of what to do and what not to do, because you’ll see what seems to be working and what doesn’t. 

Be choosy with your menu

You don’t have to serve the same dishes that other Indian restaurants or food trucks offer. In fact, it’s a good idea to see what they offer, so you can determine what you’ll want to include on your menu. For instance, you can focus on dishes from a different area that resemble the usual Indian food offerings in your area, but are different enough in taste that it’s a new experience for people who try them.

Keep in mind, though, that no matter how delicious, let alone interesting, certain dishes may be, they might not be very cost-effective to be on your food truck’s menu. Or maybe they’re very labor-intensive and so will take too long for the average customer to wait for. In light of that, it’s a good idea to keep things simple and stick to at least five and at most twelve food items, not counting drinks. 

When you do this, you not only make sure that everyone on the staff knows how to prepare each dish, but you also ensure that the focus is on getting the recipe right each time. Wouldn’t you be disappointed to order your usual drink at a cafe and find that it doesn’t taste like how you remember?

Try a new way of serving the food

If you can’t manage offering different dishes for whatever reason, then you can try finding a new way to serve the food or putting a new spin on the flavor in some way. This may take a while, as it needs to be something that works for your brand and makes your customers happy at the same time. For example, the idea of curry or chutney served as a crepe may be novel enough for some, but off-putting for others. If it doesn’t take away from the taste, though, it might work. 

Another way to offer customers something they can’t find anywhere else is to come up with your brand’s own special sauce or dip. You’ll want to make sure you’re using mostly the same ingredients as in other traditional Indian sauces or dips, but add something that isn’t usually found, or maybe change the ratio of ingredients to come up with a new flavor profile that customers will find interesting enough to get them to keep coming back.

Pay attention to trends

Keep an eye on developments in the restaurant and food truck industry so you’re ready to take advantage of emerging trends that can help you stand out. You don’t have to go with every trend that comes along, but if it aligns with your brand – with or without a little re-inventing – then there’s nothing stopping you from following that trend. 

For example, at one point, emphasis was on organic local food, and many food trucks concentrated on partnering with local farms to get their hands on fruit, produce, and other ingredients. While this trend has died down a little, it certainly won’t hurt to follow it, as this would mean fresher ingredients which would then lead to better-tasting food. 

So just keep your finger on the proverbial pulse of the industry and see which trends will work in your favor and which ones will be difficult to work with, or won’t build your brand in a significant way.

There are other ways you can spice up the experience, like using social media to engage with customers before they even get to your food truck. The good thing about the above tips is that you can work them into your preparations alongside such tasks as looking for a suitable food truck or concession trailer. As daunting as starting a new venture may be, just plan and prepare as best as you can and keep the above in mind, and your Indian food truck will be a success.

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