Ever wonder what it takes to run a food truck? From dawn preparations to late-night cleanups, here's a glimpse into our daily routine from prep to service.
Michelle's alarm goes off while most of Denver is still sleeping. The first stop is our commissary kitchen, where we have all our equipment and ingredients stored. Here's where the magic begins.
Prepping food for a busy service day is an art form. We chop vegetables, marinate proteins, prepare sauces, and portion everything for quick assembly during service. Organization is key when working in a small space.
Shannon arrives around 7:30 to help finish prep and load the truck with everything we'll need for the day. Every container is labeled and stored in a specific place – there's no room for chaos in a food truck!
The truck is loaded, the generator is running, and we're off to our first location. Today we're setting up at RiNo Brewery for lunch and afternoon service. During the drive, we go through our mental checklists and confirm reservations and locations for the days ahead.
Once we arrive, we spend about an hour setting up the truck for service. This includes firing up the grill and fryers, setting up our POS system, and preparing our serving station. We also set out our signs and menus.
The lunch rush begins! Michelle works the grill while Shannon takes orders and assembles final dishes. The tight space requires a carefully choreographed dance – we've learned to communicate with just a few words or even hand signals when it gets really busy.
After the lunch rush, we take a short break, clean up, and prepare for dinner service. This is when we restock our station, chop more ingredients if needed, and sometimes make a quick run back to the commissary for additional supplies.
Round two begins! The dinner crowd is often different from lunch – more families and larger groups. We adjust our pace and offerings accordingly.
After closing up the service window, we head back to the commissary for a thorough cleaning of the truck and equipment. We also begin prepping for the next day, making lists of what needs to be ordered or purchased.
It's a long day on our feet in a small space, but the reward comes in seeing customers enjoy our food and return week after week. There's nothing quite like the satisfaction of serving a perfect dish from our little mobile kitchen.
Next time you visit our truck, you'll know just how much work went into that delicious meal you're enjoying!