CREATIVE FOOD CART IDEAS

In a previous article, we talked about how to start a food cart business. One of the steps is to come up with creative menu ideas for your food cart.

Indeed, the food you sell can make a big difference in generating a healthy revenue and ensuring your success. Wherever you are planning on setting up, check out what others are selling on their carts. See what is there and what is popular. There really are two options. Either come to the street with something different, or do it better.

Sometimes it's hard to get started and know what kind of menu to offer, so today we will discuss some diverse cullinary ideas to get your wheels turning and your sales rolling.

Our top 10 food cart ideas

1) Chicago-style hot dog

If you've ever been to Chicago, you've probably tried a hot dog from a street vendor. Chicago-style hot dogs are very particular. It starts with an all-beef frankfurter on a poppy seed bun. Then come the 7 toppings: Yellow mustard, white onion, pickle relish, a dill pickle, tomato, pickled sport peppers and celery salt. Notice there was no ketchup in there? That's a no-no.

2)  Panucho

A panucho is similar to a taco, but it is a food specialty that comes from a particular region of Mexico, the state of Yucatán. It is two tortillas with refried black beans between them that are then deep fried. The panucho is topped with lettuce, pulled turkey or chicken, tomato, pickled onion and avocado. An optional fiery habanero hot sauce puts the finishing touches on these delicious treats.

3) New York Pretzel

Visit Times Square to have a New York pretzel served from the heated drawer of a food cart and you'll see why it is on this list. They are famous and delicious. It is a huge soft pretzel made with grains, honey and butter and dipped in an egg wash, then topped with salt and served straight out of the warmer. New York pretzels are infamous and you can offer a dip of hummus, mustard or even guacamole.

4) Bao buns

Bao buns have started to become rather trendy around street food carts and they are a great idea. They are delicious, fluffy, sweet and soft. It is somewhat akin to a doughy version of a dumpling. Inside you can put many things. The most common is pulled pork, however you can put beef, chicken, vegetables or even fish in them if you want to. All in all, bao buns are a delicious fare to vend.

5) Crepes

Crepes may not be the first thing a street food vendor would think of. We get it. It wasn't first on this list either. However, when you make them nice and thin in true French style, they make for a delicious streetside treat when you fill them with strawberries or bananas and chocolate. You can even make a savory crepe with meats and cheeses. All in all, a flexible and tasty fare that is sure to delight your customers.

6) Souvlaki

You don't have to go to Greece to know what souvlaki is. They are similar to kebabs, except that kebabs originally came from Turkey and are considered a Mediterranean dish. Either way, souvlaki is great fare to vend from a mobile cart. It doesn't take long for the skewers with little cubes of chicken, beef, lamb or pork (something you won't find on a proper kebab) to grill. Wrap them in pita, top with tomatoes, onions and tzatziki sauce and you have an authentic Greek treat.

7) Jambalaya

New Orleans is famous for a lot of interesting cuisine and one of the most popular is Jambalaya. It might not look like much when you first see it, but you've got to try it. Once the word gets out, you'll be the talk of the town. The ingredients are fairly simple and inexpensive. Chicken, sausage or seafood, mixed with peppers and other vegetables, spices and rice. The only thing with jambalaya is the time it takes to prepare and cook. It is best to prepare it beforehand and warm it up when you're mobile.

8) Steak tips

Who doesn't like a bowl of steak tips served with rice or a nice dipping sauce? If you're from New England, the answer is probably that everyone likes them. Get a nice piece of sirloin or flank steak tips, cut them into bite-size pieces and sear them on the grill. Finish them off with a nice garlic butter. Or, you could make them Korean BBQ style by marinating them in Korean barbeque sauce and pan-searing them the following day. In either case, we bet the thought of vending steak tips is making your mouth water, nevermind your customers.

9) Churros

Though they originate from Spain and Portugal, churros are now very common in Mexico. Put some nice choux pastry dough into a piping bag with a star tip and squeeze it into hot oil. Once they're a golden color, you can cover them in sugar or cinnamon and even serve them with a chocolate dip. Served hot, churros are a fluffy treat that is cheap to make and delicious to eat.

10) Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Almost everyone in the USA, especially the Carolinas, knows of pulled pork sandwiches. You would slow cook and shred the meat the day before, but fortunately it keeps very well when it is refrigerated overnight.  Put it on a soft, sturdy bun with barbeque sauce and you have a very tasty grab-and-go pulled pork sandwich.

Of course there are other ideas as well, such as the hamburger, pizza, donuts, bagels and salads, but let's face it. They're not really that creative and you can buy them anywhere. The trick with this type of food is that if you're going to do them, you will want to make them better than everyone else. If you make the best burger out there, give it a try! If you can make a Neopolitan pizza with the best of them, bring them streetside!

The truth is there are many creative food cart ideas out there. It's a world of culinary diversity that is only limited by one's imagination. Hopefully we have gotten your wheels turning, and when you are ready to put one or more of these menu items on a food cart, you know where to find us.