Food Truck Ventilation - Here’s All that You Need to Know
Planning to launch a food truck? Well, you are not alone. The mobile food van industry has experienced some remarkable growth over the years and with the increasing trend to reach your customers instead of customers coming to you, the industry is predicted to enjoy more favourable market conditions in the years to come.
However, just like any other catering business, it is not all roses. Launching a lunch wagon comes with a bunch of regulatory implications apart from the challenges of steep competition and strict quality maintenance requirements.
If you are starting a mobile food business, it is essential that you first consider all the aspects and the requirements before making the leap. However, the good thing is, professional legal assistance, as well as loan facilities for a new roach coach, is not difficult to find.
How to start a food truck?
Begin with market research and planning. First, decide the place where you would like to serve. If you are planning to keep it fully mobile, decide the area you will prefer to cover. Always keep in mind, if you are planning to move, the regulatory norms will differ from one place to another and you need to keep a check on all of them.
Next, decide on the menu. Look for market saturation point for certain food styles and try to keep them out of your options. Decide on a menu that people would like to buy from a lunch wagon and not a dine-in restaurant. To start with, keeping your menu restricted within ‘food truck friendly’ foods can be a good decision.
Once you have finalized the menu, decide the commercial kitchen equipment you will need to run the business. The list will vary considerably depending on what you are going to cook but irrespective of the menu, you will always need a quality commercial exhaust hood canopy to run the lunch wagon safely.
Next comes the finance, insurance, and licensing of the business. We suggest opting for professional help to ensure minimum hassle and quick turnaround time.
Food truck ventilation – the importance
Ventilation is probably one of the most important considerations in running a food truck. When it comes to mobile kitchens, the ventilation system works at the core of it. It’s not possible to run any commercial kitchen without an exhaust hood canopy but when it comes to the lunch wagon, cooking in that limited space filled with smoke and vapour, is nearly impossible unless an efficient exhaust system takes care of it. It also helps to control odour. Apart from maintaining a proper environment the exhaust system also serves a bunch of other purposes.
The system sucks in oil and other particles that mix with the air during cooking, saving the truck and other appliances from grease accumulation which can seriously undermine the cleanliness of the truck. Grease accumulation will also damage the interior of your truck over time and greasy surfaces can even lead to safety hazards.
The ventilation also helps in maintaining the temperature within the truck and keeps the air clean from dirt and dust particles, thus preventing quick degradation of stored food and deposition of dirt on prepared food. It also plays an important role in reducing any kind of fire hazard.
So, now that you know why you should have a well-functioning ventilation system in your lunch wagon, here we begin with other considerations that you should keep in mind.
Regulatory concerns
- Before buying any commercial kitchen canopy for your mobile kitchen, first, consider any regulatory specifications set by the local council. Keep in mind that the regulations may change from one area to another if you are planning to do business in more than one location.
- Also, the position of the ventilation system in the lunch wagon is often regulated. The distance it should have from other appliances and the gap between the oven/burner and the canopy should be decided according to any existing norms or instructions from your supplier or local council.
- Some municipalities might even ask to include the fire suppression system within the hood itself. So, before making your purchase, check out the regulations in detail
Customized or pre-fabricated
- If you are looking for a food truck exhaust hood canopy in Sydney, Melbourne or Perth, the first thing you need to decide is, do you need a customized version to suit the needs or a pre-fabricated one will suffice?
- The customized versions are always a better fit as they are designed with the requirements of your lunch wagon in mind. But the customized ones may cost you a bit more and your exhaust hood canopy supplier might take more time to deliver it.
- On the other hand, the pre-fabricated variety suitable for food trucks, in general, might be a good fit for your requirements as well because these systems are designed keeping the basic lunch wagon specifications in mind.
Roof mounted or wall mounted
- For mounting the external exhaust ducts there are two options, you can mount them either on the side or on the roof of the truck.
- Some municipalities might have a specification regarding the mounting position as well, so consider that to start with.
- If you are planning to go for roof mounting, consider the height of any bridge that you must cross on the way because mounting it on the roof will naturally add to the height.
Simco Hood DH1800 is a high-quality stainless steel hood system, perfectly suited for food trucks using only electrical ovens and appliances. This ductless model eliminates the hassle of mounting the external exhaust pipes and gives high flexibility as far as mobility and placement are concerned because of the castor fitted, compact design. It is ideal to fit 3 to 4 electrical appliances of 8Kw max power each. It comes with a quiet motor and LED lights to give the truck interior an enhanced look.
Simco, one of the best commercial kitchen equipment suppliers in Australia, boasts of an expansive collection of premium quality canopies and exhaust hood systems that strictly meet the Australian standards and ensures maximum longevity. Keeping new businesses in mind Simco is now offering exhaust hood canopy for sale.
