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WELCOME AGAIN 🚚
Hi! Welcome back to My Favorite Food Truck Newsletter!
The clocks went back this weekend, and it’s already getting dark before most of us finish the dinner rush. That tells me the holidays are close, and somewhere right now an office manager is typing “who can feed 40 people on December 18th?” into a search bar.
I want your truck to be the answer. So this issue is all about holiday catering: who books it, how to price it, and how to get your name in front of them before the calendar fills up. Last week we talked about keeping sales going in the cold. Think of this one as the other half of that plan.
Have you grabbed PARKED TO BOOKED yet? It’s our free Google Business Profile playbook, and you can find it on the Products Page.
Now, let’s meet this week’s Food Truck of the Week. He knows a thing or two about running a truck and a catering company at the same time.
🚚 FOOD TRUCK OF THE WEEK
Chef Ant’s Pit Stop: Navarre, Florida
His Story
Chef Ant (Anthony Turchia) grew up in Fort Lauderdale and has worked in commercial kitchens since he was 15. A few years in, he noticed food trucks starting to show up and thought the idea was genius: smaller space, lower costs, and the ability to go where the people are. He worked in higher-end kitchens with the dream of a truck of his own.
In 2014, he moved to Destin and started as a line cook for a local restaurant owner who took the time to get to know him personally. That owner worked five or six days a week and showed up at every event and every store. Chef Ant says he wanted to be like him.
In February 2026, the owner of The Meat Candy Truck was moving out of state and selling. Chef Ant already had a catering company and wasn’t sure how he’d handle both, but he wasn’t going to let the chance slip by. Almost eight months later, he says he’s giving the 850 “the absolute best version of Chef Ant.”
His Words
So to start off, I'm originally from South Florida, Fort Lauderdale. I've worked in commercial kitchens since I was 15 years old. After about 3 years in different kitchens, I noticed food trucks started to come about and always thought the concept was genius. Smaller space, more affordable, you're able to travel and don't have to be in one spot.
So I worked at many higher-end establishments with the dream of my own food truck one day. Fast forward to 2014, I packed my bags and moved to Destin, FL, where my uncle was the GM of P.F.Changs at the time on Grand Blvd. He got me a job until I started working for Chan Cox and his fantastic companies, The Wild World and the Craft Bar, where I started as a line cook and opened a few of his other Craft Bars.
One thing I'll add is I worked for a few other names with known owners (Chef Giovanni Filippone, The Aj's company, and Shunk Gulley on 30A). When I worked for Chan, I wanted to be Chan. I was only 23, and I had a lot of knowledge but needed to learn more; I wanted to know why, at his age, he worked 5-6 days a week, and why he was at every event, every store. It's something I have never experienced.
You usually never get to meet the owner or know him personally. Chan made the effort to know who I was. That's always stuck with me, along with the pride and passion he has for his companies. So I set out to get a food truck, pour everything he taught me and everything I learned from other past owners, and put it into something I can call mine. Around Feb 2026, "The Meat Candy Truck" was moving out of state and was getting rid of his truck, and I said This is my opportunity.
I have a catering company already and was nervous about how to do both, but I wasn't going to let this chance slip away, so I strapped up my boots and remembered Chan at work at 6-7 a.m. doing counts and inventory to make sure all the numbers were correct and getting stuff done. So here we are almost 8 months in, and I feel like I'm giving the 850 the absolute best version of Chef Ant.
I'm bringing local fresh ingredients, mostly from the good folks at Bailey's Produce in Pensacola, and my good buddy Darren at Costello's Butcher Shop, Deli, Fine Wine and Cheese in Pensacola, along with 2 amazing local bakers. I make a variety of BBQ sauces and jams that are very unique and part of my menu and also offered to buy. We are offering a selection of restaurant-quality food from a food truck. Everything is made from scratch, with love to fill your tummies and make you smile.
His Setup: A food truck, plus his own catering company.
Look at the spread!
Best-Selling Item: The steak burger. It’s a 6 oz burger ground fresh every week from a blend of 85% filet and 15% ribeye, cooked to order at whatever temperature you like. His bowl creations come next. He builds them with fresh produce and flavor combinations you won’t find anywhere else.
What He’s Nailing: Everything is made from scratch, and he buys local from Bailey’s Produce and Costello’s in Pensacola, plus two local bakers. He also makes his own BBQ sauces and jams, and customers can buy them to take home.
His Business Tip:
It’s easy to look at Facebook and TikTok and think, “I can do that too.” It’s a lot more work than just taking a video, and hiring someone can get expensive. My advice is to be your natural self. Be genuine; don’t put on a show. People like real and true, not AI and fake.
The Takeaway: Chef Ant is proof you can run a truck and a catering company side by side, and each one helps the other. The truck gets people tasting his food, and catering turns those people into booked events. Notice his tip, too. Last week Sip Fusion told us to show up as yourself, Vintage Vixens proved it with one lemonade reel, and now Chef Ant says the same thing. Three trucks, three states, one lesson. His sauces and jams also make nice holiday gifts for a catering client, so there’s another idea to steal.
🔗 Check out Chef Ant’s Pit Stop on Facebook and TikTok. His catering website is Chefantscatering.com. Give him a like and a follow!
📈 MARKETING PLAYBOOK
Holiday parties get booked in the next few weeks. Be on the list.
THE PROBLEM:
Most trucks treat catering like an extra. They’ll say yes if somebody asks, but they don’t tell anyone they do it. Meanwhile, offices, churches, and families are choosing who will feed their holiday parties right now. If nobody knows you cater, you never even get a call.
HOW TO FIX IT:
1. Build a one-page catering menu. Keep it short. Mobile Cuisine’s holiday catering advice is to keep your catering menu concise. Pick three or four items that travel well and serve fast, list a price per person, and set a minimum order. You can’t send a 40-item menu to an office manager who just wants to make a decision. mobile-cuisine
2. Know your numbers before you quote. Figure your food cost per plate, then add labor, fuel, and travel time. Set a minimum order and a deposit. A job that looks great on paper can lose money if you forgot the drive and the two extra hours of prep.
3. Reach out to the people who do the booking. Don’t wait for them to find you. Office managers, HR people, church event planners, realtors, and local businesses hosting client parties all need food. Send a short note like this:
Hi [Customer Name], I run [Your Truck Name] here in [Town]. We’re booking holiday parties for December, and I’d love to feed your team. I’ve attached a one-page menu with prices. Our calendar fills fast, so let me know if you’d like to hold a date. – [Your Name], [Phone]
That’s all it takes. Two or three sentences, one attachment, one phone number.
4. Make it easy to book. One phone number, one email, or one simple form. Put it on your Facebook page and on the truck. Every extra step you ask someone to take is a booking you could lose.
5. Lock it in. Take a deposit and put the basics in writing: date, time, headcount, menu, price, and where you’ll park. Also check your local rules for serving at a private location, since requirements differ from town to town. A quick call to your health department now beats a surprise on the day of the party.
🔍 CASE STUDY CORNER
Here’s how some other trucks use catering to keep the lights on.
Pizza Luca (New York): In a 2024 interview with Mobile Cuisine, the founder said he grew from one truck to a fleet thanks to catering gigs like weddings and office parties. His reasoning is that people are always looking to feed a crowd, and a truck gives them something a traditional caterer can’t. mobile-cuisine
Slow River Coffee: Mobile Cuisine also profiled this coffee truck, which has made a name by showing up at holiday parties, corporate events, and tree-lighting ceremonies, and the owner says small holiday gatherings keep sales strong. You don’t need a 200-person gig. A handful of small ones can add up. mobile-cuisine
Southern Smoke (Vermont): You met Brian Stefan in a past issue, when he bottled his barbecue sauce. Back in 2014, a Burlington paper reported that he used the cold season to refocus on office catering, delivering lunches to local offices and hoping to offer bigger buffet-style spreads to businesses. That was a while ago, but the idea holds up. When the street goes quiet, bring the food to the people who book it. sevendaysvt
⚡ QUICK BITES
📰 Industry News: Offices Are Already Planning
Most businesses will have an end-of-year party for their employees, and Mobile Cuisine says adding holiday catering can give your bottom line a real boost. Even if you’ve never done catering, offering it just for the holidays can create a new revenue stream. mobile-cuisinemobile-cuisine
💬 FOOD TRUCK MAILBAG (Q&A)
Q: “How do I price a catering job when I’ve never done one?”
A: Start with what a plate costs you to make, then add labor, fuel, and the time it takes you to get there and set up. That’s your floor. Then set a minimum order so a small job doesn’t cost you money, and ask for a deposit to hold the date. Your first quote might feel scary, but you can adjust the next one. A job you turn down for being too cheap is better than one you take and lose money on.
Got a question for next week? Reply directly to this issue!
🌟 YOUR TURN: TELL ME ABOUT YOUR BEST CATERING GIG
Do you offer catering? What’s the best gig you’ve ever booked, or the one that taught you the most? Leave a comment on this post or hit reply. If you’ve never catered and you’re thinking about it, tell me what’s holding you back. I read every response, and your story might show up in a future issue.
🚚 WANT TO BE FOOD TRUCK OF THE WEEK?
Your story could be next. Reply to this newsletter with:
Your best photos
Your logo
A short story about how and why you got started
Your best-selling menu item
Your social media links
Your biggest marketing tip or business lesson
Your first and last name
You’ll get a feature, a permanent backlink on my website, and a post you can share with your own customers.
🎁 SHARE & EARN REWARDS
Enjoying this newsletter? Send it to a fellow food truck, trailer, or pop-up owner. Share it with your friends too! You can earn a FREE scrubbie.
Let’s keep building, one parking spot at a time. 🚚
Rob West
My Favorite Food Truck Newsletter
