As entrepreneurs whose livelihood depends on pleasant outdoor conditions, food truck owners know the importance of being prepared for the heat. All around the country, even as the days shorten and the nights cool, fall harvest festivals, outdoor music events, farmer's markets and state fairs still find themselves caught out in the sun.
Fall is a great time to park a rolling gourmet kitchen near these events and bring in new customers and regulars. But not every venue provides a shady corner for vendors, and many (think farms and ranches) lack even a single tree in the vicinity. An awning is helpful, of course, for those customers at the front of the line, but providing cool areas for those waiting in line is very difficult, especially when every inch of space inside the truck is already spoken for with appliances and ingredients.
Cool-Off does offer great options for shade structures, but without the room to store them, or a permanent place for a cabana, misting fans are another excellent option.
The
misting fans made by Cool-Off are the perfect way to draw in hungry fair-goers, who are looking for delicious food with cooler options. Check out the ways that a portable misting fan lets your truck draw the crowd.
1. Choose your product.
Cool-Off offers several options of misting fans, including the portable varieties with their own reservoir, as well as high and medium pressure misters. If you have a regular spot to park, and you know it provides access to a water line, the high-pressure fan is the best option, with the most professional look. But for the truck on the go, always looking for new opportunities, the portable fan, which can be filled up ahead of time, provides the same cooling effect with more versatility.
2. Consider the weather.
Fall can vary so tremendously from day to day and town to town as far as temperature and precipitation are concerned. In the south, states such as Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and Tennessee are likely to see another month of extremely warm temperatures consistently. In the west, however, states like Arizona, New Mexico, west Texas and parts of Kansas and Colorado have high temperatures during the day but cool ones at night. Western states are also extremely dry. The use of a misting fan does wonders for cooling off participants in a semi-arid environment, acting immediately as a swamp cooler.
3. Location.
On a hot day, be sure that potential customers can see the cooling option you are providing them with your Cool-Off misting fan. Make it clear from the main walkway that waiting in your line will be the most comfortable option for them. And we all know that
the longer the line, the better the food.
4. Stand Out.
Being in the food truck industry is a good place to be right now, according to
The Economist, with consumers demonstrating more and more willingness to purchase food. But that also means more and more competition. The truck that was previously the only one on the block now sees competition from numerous others. Using misting fans to stand out and draw in the crowd is a great way to stay ahead of the curve.
5. Plan Ahead.
Even if your area's summer season is wrapping up, plan ahead for next year's soaring temps. Consider purchasing your misting fan now, so that on those surprisingly hot days of early spring, you are drawing and cooling off the crowds.
At Cool-Off, we are the experts at beating the heat while living the good life. Check out our products and our blog to get more great ideas.
