Show Notes:

Introduction

In this interview, Tim (Food Truck Insight) sits down with the founders of a rapidly growing waffle truck business to unpack how they scaled from one college-side truck in 2021 to 16 trucks across multiple markets—and why they built a software platform (now called Bitebuddy) to manage the operational complexity that comes with expansion.

Purpose of the video:
To share a real-world scaling story (including what didn’t work), and introduce a practical ops system for food truck owners who want better scheduling, event tracking, and profitability insights.

Key Themes & Highlights

How the Business Started: Hockey → College → Waffle Truck

• The founders met through college hockey, bonding as teammates and friends.

• A class assignment (create a fictional business) sparked the concept: a waffle truck.

• They turned the “school project” into a real business by buying an ice cream van and converting it into their first truck in 2021, while still full-time college students.

Scaling Fast: The Chicago Move & “Making It Real”

• Their second truck launched in 2022, expanding into Chicago (run by Billy’s brother).

• Moving into Chicago “handcuffed” them in a good way—it forced the business to work because real life costs (rent, payroll, responsibilities) were now attached.

• They’ve since expanded to multiple markets, including:

  • Chicago (HQ/support team)

  • Boston

  • Pennsylvania (including a brick-and-mortar location in Scranton)

  • Phoenix

  • Charlotte

  • Plus markets they’ve tried and repositioned when needed (Texas/Virginia mentioned)

The Reality of Expansion: Some Locations Don’t Work

• They acknowledge a key truth: not every market or setup works long-term.

• When a location underperforms, they move trucks instead of giving up.

• The mindset is persistence + adjustment—treating setbacks as part of the process, not the end.

Why Waffles Work: A Focused Menu + High Throughput

• Waffles are the “base layer,” with customizable toppings:

  • Sweet: Nutella, peanut butter, fruit, cookies, sugars

  • Savory: chicken & waffles and sauces

• The ordering experience is intentionally interactive (“paint your own waffle picture”).

• Speed and simplicity are core to the model:

  • Built for one-person shifts

  • Record: 156 waffles in one hour (by a seasoned operator)

• They build their trucks themselves and have standardized the build to optimize efficiency.

Trucks vs Trailers: Expansion-Driven Choice

• They deliberately chose trucks over trailers for scalability:

  • Avoids requiring managers to have a tow vehicle

  • Simplifies deployment across markets

• Tim notes trailers can be cheaper and easier to tow if a truck breaks down, but the founders’ model favors rapid rollouts and operational control.

Supply Chain: Consistency at Scale

• Waffles are now sourced pre-made to ensure consistent quality and portioning across markets.

• Waffles are supplied via a Belgium-based manufacturing connection (with investors involved).

• Centralized vs local supply:

  • Branded items (cups/plates) planned to ship from HQ (Chicago)

  • Ingredients like fruit/chicken sourced locally per market

Operations & Scheduling: Why They Built Bitebuddy

• Growth created an ops problem: too many tools, too many spreadsheets, too many subscriptions.

• They built a platform for themselves, then opened it to others:

  • Scheduling + staff shift details (addresses link to maps)

  • Invoices + payments

  • Payroll/staff management

  • Event database with contact info and performance history

  • Event feedback scoring (parking, organizer quality, vibe, etc.)

  • Photo uploads for marketing content

  • Collaboration between trucks (subbing events, partnering, referrals)

Pricing: $79/month (no per-truck scaling mentioned in the interview).

Tracking Profitability by Event (The “Why We Built This” Part)

• Bitebuddy is built to answer: Was this event worth it?

• Tracks cost inputs like:

  • Food cost (receipt scanning + serving-cost learning over time)

  • Travel costs (mileage, gas estimates)

  • Truck depreciation (based on value entered)

  • Optional generator fuel/propane usage

• Tracks revenue:

  • Private events: invoice amount is known in advance

  • Public events: revenue is entered post-event (until POS integration is built)

• POS integration is planned but not fully implemented yet.

Private Events vs Public Events

• Their goal is to prioritize prepaid/private events for predictability and margins.

• They still do public events to fill the calendar—especially in slower months (e.g., January).

• Tim raises operational requirements some counties have (two-person staffing, food safety handling), and they note they haven’t run into that yet.

Community Mindset: “Better Food Trucks = Better Industry”

• They originally offered the software free at an expo because:

  • If other trucks run better operations, clients are more likely to rebook food trucks in general—benefiting everyone.

• Tim echoes this: food trucks can compete while still collaborating, and a healthy ecosystem helps the category grow.

Actionable Takeaways

• Scale with structure: Rapid growth is possible, but only if operations are built to support it.

• Standardize what you can: Menu, truck buildouts, and processes create speed and consistency.

• Track events like a portfolio: Keep contacts, performance notes, and profitability data so you book smarter next season.

• Don’t quit after one bad market: Repositioning can be the difference between failure and momentum.

• One-person models require engineering: Speed comes from layout, workflow, and menu design—not hustle alone.

Recommended Resources / Links

• Bitebuddy (platform mentioned in the interview): bitebuddy.tech

• Related tools referenced for comparison: Toast, Clover, QuickBooks, Slack, Jolt