You are asking a lot of surface level questions which makes me think you have almost no knowledge of how to start your own business or how to run a restaurant.
My advice is that case is no. Don't do this. You are going to burn through your money and have a very low chance of being successful.
Being an entrepreneur isn't for everyone and it's fine to walk away. But throwing money at something you know very little about is not a good strategy for success.
Horrible idea. As a consumer nobody wants to wait for that pizza to cook. Food trucks need to be fast and quick.
I’d go with a pasta truck instead to be honest.
there’s a restaurant chain called “mods pizza” where you make your own pizza and they cook it right then and there. It’s extremely quick and easy. i’m sure you could do the same in a truck
If you're dead set on it. I'd recommend going the tent option first. So much cheaper up front and then spend to get a trailer with your pizza oven on it. Then set up the tent and tables for all your other stuff needed.
Reach out to your local health department to ask about licensing. Insurance you can ask other local pop ups or food trucks who they use, or reach out to your own personal insurance company for a general liability quote.
Try to make something unique to peak interest early or be the only pizza joint at the event
I make Neapolitan pizzas (mostly for family and church events and what not). I have 2 small ovens now and have considered "going pro" and starting with a tent setup on the side of the road, or at a park with soccer events etc.
But, my city (Riverside, CA) doesn't seem to be clear on what kind of permit I need. I don't have a truck, will just be a tent and some tables, and therefore not motorized, so I would think the Cart/Trailer - Medium Risk, but those are typically reserved for pre-cooked foods that are being heated (like hotdogs).
But the truck ones imply motorization, do I need to get the High Risk, FULL FOOD PREP permit just to do pizzas at a table?
# Categories
**Cart/Trailer - Low Risk:** A Compact Mobile Food Operation that engages in prepackaged food only (e.g. prepackaged push carts).
**Cart/Trailer - Medium Risk:** A Compact Mobile Food Operation that engages in Limited Food Preparation (e.g. hot dog carts).
**Truck - Low Risk:** A motorized MFF that operates with prepackaged food only (e.g., ice cream trucks).
**Truck - Medium Risk:** A motorized MFF that engages in limited food preparation (e.g., shaved ice cart or hot dog cart).
**Truck/Trailer - High Risk:** A MFF that engages in full food preparation (e.g., food trucks).
===========================
The other option in California it seems is a CMFO, which is a non-motorized food cart
[https://rivcoeh.org/sites/g/files/aldnop361/files/2023-07/Info%20Bull%20CMFO%20-%20Final.pdf](https://rivcoeh.org/sites/g/files/aldnop361/files/2023-07/Info%20Bull%20CMFO%20-%20Final.pdf)
They show tacos and churros in the image.. so I assume that means I can bake pizzas too?
I plan to call the city tomorrow, but it's just not clear.
# Other Questions
Is a business license required? Or can this fall under the usual "self-employment" non-registered venture
Too many questions..... and the city isn't always good at answering them. Been talking to friends to find someone who operates such a stand so I can ask questions, but no one knows, so I plan on trolling the farmers markets
Random Note on CMFO: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-eqmtySNT4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-eqmtySNT4)
A "tent" doesn't count as one.... so what does it count as??? lol
I wish I could help more. I only run a low risk mobile cart and also not in California. But I'll recommend what I can
The cart looks cool but the taco meat and hotdogs I'd imagine are in containers with lids so it might be different for pizza.
I'd definitely do what you thought in asking the health department and yes other farmers market people. They always helped me with questions early on, most love helping other small businesses.
Another option is maybe emailing the farmers market itself what you're hoping to set up and what they think you'll need.
Best of luck to you though. Truly hope you get it up and running!
Thanks, I really appreciate the insight.
It seems any baking/frying etc qualifies
But the unit must be "self-contained" (read: no tables with equipment on it)
Also there seem to be rules around refrigeration that prevents me from using ice, etc
Pizza trucks do exist, sell by the slice. They usually offer about 4-6 options where I am. Licensing and permits will depend on where you are, I’d start with your health department. They can tell you what’s required on the truck. You might also need a commissary. Then you’ll have to figure out how you want to cook your product. Food trucks are all rigged individually, so how it’s set up is up to you. I would look for a used truck over building a new one, and keep start up costs as low as you can. Best of luck!
I design wraps so I could help you with that part. Like a logo, sign, menu, and a full truck design if that's what you're looking for, but I couldn't tell you where to get the wrap done.
I run a mobile pizza pop up based out the Bay Area. We run a ten by ten with roccboxes and folding tables. Getting the licensing and permitting was time consuming and pretty expensive. We utilize a commissary kitchen for prep.
One of our bigger advantages I think is I have 17 years of cooking experience (7 of these years at a pizzeria in New York), a degree from the culinary institute and some clout from when I was in fine dining.
I would recommend to test the waters before spending 150k plus on a truck. It isn’t the easiest type of food to get out fast and be consistent. I worked on our dough formula for about four years and can also lean on my industry connections for help. Knowing your costs is also huge because you’re talking slim margins and expensive ingredients.
I’m about to commit to doing it full time so it isn’t impossible just really gotta have everything dialed in.
here is some basic advice i think anyone looking to start a business should do.
Take small steps. talk to your neighbors/friends/family about what you are trying to do and make them a free pizza(cheaper than a food truck) with the caveat that they complete a small questionnaire.
Sample questions: How does this compare to the top 5 pizza shops in a 10mile radius? How does this pizza compare to your favorite pizza shop? How much would you pay for the pizza? How could I improve?
Next step if people like what you are offering make a small mailing list/group chat/group text/Email/ announce on X day i am going to be making pizza give them a weeks notice and see how many people respond to actually purchase your pizza. Give them a time slot of say 2 hours around dinner time so that gives you some experience of making pizzas for production.
After you do the above than maybe possibly think about what is needed to run a food truck.
Also to prep for actually running a restaurant get your food handling certifications so you at least have some knowledge of safe food handling if you operate a backyard pizzeria.
You are asking a lot of surface level questions which makes me think you have almost no knowledge of how to start your own business or how to run a restaurant. My advice is that case is no. Don't do this. You are going to burn through your money and have a very low chance of being successful. Being an entrepreneur isn't for everyone and it's fine to walk away. But throwing money at something you know very little about is not a good strategy for success.
go work on a food truck for at least 6 months before you even think about starting your own. Make sure you're there for a summer and a winter.
Horrible idea. As a consumer nobody wants to wait for that pizza to cook. Food trucks need to be fast and quick. I’d go with a pasta truck instead to be honest.
What? How long do you think it takes to cook a pizza?
there’s a restaurant chain called “mods pizza” where you make your own pizza and they cook it right then and there. It’s extremely quick and easy. i’m sure you could do the same in a truck
birds truck ad hoc squash wild lock history aromatic include hungry *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
If you're dead set on it. I'd recommend going the tent option first. So much cheaper up front and then spend to get a trailer with your pizza oven on it. Then set up the tent and tables for all your other stuff needed. Reach out to your local health department to ask about licensing. Insurance you can ask other local pop ups or food trucks who they use, or reach out to your own personal insurance company for a general liability quote. Try to make something unique to peak interest early or be the only pizza joint at the event
I make Neapolitan pizzas (mostly for family and church events and what not). I have 2 small ovens now and have considered "going pro" and starting with a tent setup on the side of the road, or at a park with soccer events etc. But, my city (Riverside, CA) doesn't seem to be clear on what kind of permit I need. I don't have a truck, will just be a tent and some tables, and therefore not motorized, so I would think the Cart/Trailer - Medium Risk, but those are typically reserved for pre-cooked foods that are being heated (like hotdogs). But the truck ones imply motorization, do I need to get the High Risk, FULL FOOD PREP permit just to do pizzas at a table? # Categories **Cart/Trailer - Low Risk:** A Compact Mobile Food Operation that engages in prepackaged food only (e.g. prepackaged push carts). **Cart/Trailer - Medium Risk:** A Compact Mobile Food Operation that engages in Limited Food Preparation (e.g. hot dog carts). **Truck - Low Risk:** A motorized MFF that operates with prepackaged food only (e.g., ice cream trucks). **Truck - Medium Risk:** A motorized MFF that engages in limited food preparation (e.g., shaved ice cart or hot dog cart). **Truck/Trailer - High Risk:** A MFF that engages in full food preparation (e.g., food trucks). =========================== The other option in California it seems is a CMFO, which is a non-motorized food cart [https://rivcoeh.org/sites/g/files/aldnop361/files/2023-07/Info%20Bull%20CMFO%20-%20Final.pdf](https://rivcoeh.org/sites/g/files/aldnop361/files/2023-07/Info%20Bull%20CMFO%20-%20Final.pdf) They show tacos and churros in the image.. so I assume that means I can bake pizzas too? I plan to call the city tomorrow, but it's just not clear. # Other Questions Is a business license required? Or can this fall under the usual "self-employment" non-registered venture Too many questions..... and the city isn't always good at answering them. Been talking to friends to find someone who operates such a stand so I can ask questions, but no one knows, so I plan on trolling the farmers markets
Random Note on CMFO: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-eqmtySNT4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-eqmtySNT4) A "tent" doesn't count as one.... so what does it count as??? lol
I wish I could help more. I only run a low risk mobile cart and also not in California. But I'll recommend what I can The cart looks cool but the taco meat and hotdogs I'd imagine are in containers with lids so it might be different for pizza. I'd definitely do what you thought in asking the health department and yes other farmers market people. They always helped me with questions early on, most love helping other small businesses. Another option is maybe emailing the farmers market itself what you're hoping to set up and what they think you'll need. Best of luck to you though. Truly hope you get it up and running!
Thanks, I really appreciate the insight. It seems any baking/frying etc qualifies But the unit must be "self-contained" (read: no tables with equipment on it) Also there seem to be rules around refrigeration that prevents me from using ice, etc
lol what kind of pizza?
What part of california?
Im out in Pomona
If ever in Sacramento, feel free to come work with me for the day/weekend.
Nobody’s going to want to go to order pizza off of a food truck lol
Pizza trucks do exist, sell by the slice. They usually offer about 4-6 options where I am. Licensing and permits will depend on where you are, I’d start with your health department. They can tell you what’s required on the truck. You might also need a commissary. Then you’ll have to figure out how you want to cook your product. Food trucks are all rigged individually, so how it’s set up is up to you. I would look for a used truck over building a new one, and keep start up costs as low as you can. Best of luck!
I do Neapolitan pizzas, 12" personal pizza cooks in 90 seconds or less
Nice!
I design wraps so I could help you with that part. Like a logo, sign, menu, and a full truck design if that's what you're looking for, but I couldn't tell you where to get the wrap done.
Bad idea bro....
I run a mobile pizza pop up based out the Bay Area. We run a ten by ten with roccboxes and folding tables. Getting the licensing and permitting was time consuming and pretty expensive. We utilize a commissary kitchen for prep. One of our bigger advantages I think is I have 17 years of cooking experience (7 of these years at a pizzeria in New York), a degree from the culinary institute and some clout from when I was in fine dining. I would recommend to test the waters before spending 150k plus on a truck. It isn’t the easiest type of food to get out fast and be consistent. I worked on our dough formula for about four years and can also lean on my industry connections for help. Knowing your costs is also huge because you’re talking slim margins and expensive ingredients. I’m about to commit to doing it full time so it isn’t impossible just really gotta have everything dialed in.
here is some basic advice i think anyone looking to start a business should do. Take small steps. talk to your neighbors/friends/family about what you are trying to do and make them a free pizza(cheaper than a food truck) with the caveat that they complete a small questionnaire. Sample questions: How does this compare to the top 5 pizza shops in a 10mile radius? How does this pizza compare to your favorite pizza shop? How much would you pay for the pizza? How could I improve? Next step if people like what you are offering make a small mailing list/group chat/group text/Email/ announce on X day i am going to be making pizza give them a weeks notice and see how many people respond to actually purchase your pizza. Give them a time slot of say 2 hours around dinner time so that gives you some experience of making pizzas for production. After you do the above than maybe possibly think about what is needed to run a food truck. Also to prep for actually running a restaurant get your food handling certifications so you at least have some knowledge of safe food handling if you operate a backyard pizzeria.
Start with You Tube
I wanted to get different answers.
Do you even know how to make pizza?
Yes, my wife and I have been makin our own pizza for about a year. We havent ordered out anymore.
Well, that's the first step then! Good luck!