Street trading pays the bills. Private hire is where a food truck makes a margin. A single wedding can be worth a week of market days, which is why losing those enquiries to slow replies hurts so much.
The problem is that private hire enquiries need far more information than "are you free on the 14th".
Step 1: capture the date and check it fast
Availability decides everything. Enquirers contacting several traders will book whoever confirms the date first, so an instant answer about availability is worth more than a polished quote three days later.
Step 2: capture guest numbers and service time
Guest numbers drive food quantities and staffing. Service time matters just as much: feeding a hundred people over four hours is easy, feeding them in forty minutes between a ceremony and speeches is a different operation.
Step 3: capture the location and access
Field, car park, garden or city street. Can a vehicle that size get in, is the ground firm, is there a gate width limit, how far is the parking spot from where guests will be. These questions prevent the worst outcome, which is arriving and being unable to trade.
Step 4: capture power and water
Some trucks are self-sufficient, others need a hookup. Asking early avoids discovering at eight in the morning that there is no supply.
Step 5: explain pricing honestly
Per head pricing, minimum spend, travel charges and whether a deposit holds the date. Publishing a minimum spend filters out enquiries that were never viable and saves both sides time.
Step 6: capture it in conversation
SpideyChat for food businesses asks these questions at any hour and captures the full event brief.
Enquirer: Are you free on 14 June for a wedding? Assistant: The availability page shows which dates are currently open, and 14 June is listed as available. So the team can quote and hold it, could you share roughly how many guests, what time you would want food served, where the venue is, and whether there is power on site?
Step 7: hold the date properly
A deposit is what turns an enquiry into a booking. Explaining the deposit, what it secures and the cancellation terms gives enquirers confidence to commit rather than keep shopping.
Corporate and festival work
Office parties, product launches and festivals need different capture: invoicing, insurance documentation, risk assessments and pitch fees. Having a separate route for business enquiries makes the trader look ready for that work.
Insurance and paperwork
Venues and councils often ask traders for public liability insurance, hygiene ratings and risk assessments before confirming. Having these ready, and saying so on the website, reassures event organisers that the booking will not fall apart a week before the date.
Menus for events
Event menus differ from street menus: fewer options, dietary requirements gathered in advance, and often a fixed package. Publishing event menus separately prevents confusion.
Weddings specifically
Wedding enquiries follow the patterns described in wedding and celebration enquiries for restaurants and bridal and event bookings that need careful capture, and venues coordinate suppliers as described in AI receptionist for wedding venues.
Day to day trading
Alongside events, the daily location question never stops, as covered in where is the truck today and other questions traders answer.
Getting started
Publish availability, minimum spend, event menus and what you need to know, then capture briefs at any hour. Try SpideyChat on your own site, or read about capture on the features page.