“Hit the road Mac”

A Mac and Cheese Food Truck Business Plan

Danielle Selden
Fall 2012
Food Service Management

Owners Contact Information:

Hit the Road Mac
Danielle Selden/John Crivello
206-679-2247
danielle.selden@bastyr.edu

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1: Executive Summary

Chapter 2: General Company Description

Chapter 3: Products and Services

 Sample Menu
 Standardized Recipe

Chapter 4: Operational Plan

 Design/ Layout
 Equipment List
 Equipment Specifications
 Initial Food Order
 Start-up Budget

Appendixes
 Appendix A- Design/Layout
 Appendix B- References

**Part II of this business plan will discuss staffing, estimated salaries, job descriptions,
marketing, income statements and budgeting - To be completed Winter 2012

Copyright ©Hit the Road Mac/ Danielle Selden.INC. All Rights Reserved 2
Chapter 1:

Executive Summary:

Hit the Road Mac is a one-of-a-kind food truck specializing in homemade, creative
varieties of macaroni and cheese. In addition, we will be serving healthy vegetable side
dishes, sweets, and non-alcoholic beverages. Besides operating as a full service food
truck, Hit the Road Mac will be offering catering services as well. It is our goal and
commitment to source and use local, organic, and sustainable suppliers whenever
possible. Hit the Road Mac would like to be known for their sustainable practices, good
hearty food, and friendly people. Danielle Selden and John Crivello, Partners, Hit the
Road Mac, Inc.

Chapter 2:

Company Description:

Hit the Road Mac is a niche macaroni and cheese food truck located in Seattle, WA. Our
line of services include a rotating on-location food service and specialty catering services
including but not limited to: private parties, weddings, bat mitzvahs, corporate events,
luncheons, TV/film production catering, sporting events, and concerts.

Mission Statement:

To serve the most delicious, sustainable, local macaroni and cheese available in the
Seattle area. To sustain a culture of wholesome good food to be enjoyed by foodies and
those who respect the craft of good macaroni and cheese.

Business Philosophy, Business Growth, and Profit:

At Hit the Road Mac we are committed to sourcing as many ingredients locally and
organically as we can, while still providing the public with affordable pricing options.
The quality and care of ingredients is very important to Hit the Road Mac, thus, fostering
close relationships with local and statewide vendors is the core of our operational plan.

Our success lies in maintaining a local cliental that supports the mission of our business,
to serve the delicious, sustainable, local mac n cheese. Our customers are those who love
good quality, well crafted homemade mac and cheese. Fortunately, today’s food truck
market is growing fast and is one of the latest trends in street food cuisine. Those food
trucks with niche offerings prove to be most successful, which is why it’s important to
Hit the Road Mac’ to provide a narrow menu, while staying true to their vision - good
homemade mac and cheese. Our target audience is first, those lovers of mac and cheese.
Secondly, the creativity of our mac and cheese dishes also pulls in the “foodie” customers
who enjoy unique flavors. Lastly, the goal of maintaining organic locally sourced
ingredients remains very important to Hit the Road Mac’s customer base.

Copyright ©Hit the Road Mac/ Danielle Selden.INC. All Rights Reserved 3
Challenges will meet any food service company, and it’s important that Hit the Road Mac
remains ahead of the game. Our philosophy is to remain true to our mission, stay
competitive in our pricing, and continue to develop good tasting macaroni and cheese.
Hit the Road Mac is also equipped to adjust any part of their business plan to meet the
current demands of the market. Food allergies and food preferences remain an important
avenue in Hit the Road Mac’s menu development moving forward. As our company
grows, the addition of more food trucks is possible, and potentially a storefront location if
the market calls for it. The demands of a faster paced American culture and the slow
growing economy is a perfect environment for fostering food truck growth. People are
seeking more inexpensive food options and are often pressed for time, for that reason, Hit
the Road Mac is committed to satisfying this current need.

As a partnership, owners Danielle Selden and John Crivello bring a diverse background
of strengths and experience to the table. Danielle Selden has a Master’s Degree in
Nutrition and Dietetics from Bastyr University, in addition to over 10 years of experience
in the food service industry. Danielle formulates the recipes from scratch and designs the
menu options. John Crivello, an intelligent businessman with a background in a fortune
500 company, maintains control of the operational and business sectors of Hit the Road
Mac. Combining the knowledge and expertise of both owners is what will allow this
partnership to be a success.

Chapter 3:

Products and Services:

Hit the Road Mac is a one-of-a-kind macaroni and cheese food truck owned and operated
solely by Danielle Selden and her fiancé John Crivello. Total business employees: 4
people, including the owners and 2 service employees. Location and hours of operation
will vary monthly and weekly, as we are a mobile food service operation. Our website:
www.hittheroadmac.com, under “Where are we?” will have our calendar of events, which
details hours of operations, locations, and events each month. Traditionally, we will be
open 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) for lunch hours 11-3pm and dinner 4-9pm
depending on location and events. Weekends and some evening will be reserved for
catering events. Customers can also follow-us on our twitter and our facebook page (Hit
the Road Mac Seattle Food Truck) for specific location and hours.

Our business model is primarily focused on the food truck’s daily food service
operations, based on the monthly location schedule (or until we have a concrete
schedule). In addition, catering services are available. Interested parties can email the
owners directly for more information and pricing.

Style of service is a casual sustainable picnic atmosphere. Customers will be greeted by

friendly staff, inviting food, and welcoming décor. Hit the Road Mac will provide a
limited number of chairs and tables based on location of the food truck, and some

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facilities will provide seating. Bright colors, such as Tiffany’s blue, bright orange, white,
and light gray will be displayed on the food truck, website, and marketing materials.

Hit the Road Mac will offer a menu entirely based around scratch made macaroni and
cheese dishes. In addition, Hit the Road Mac will offer an assortment of vegetable sides
to increase the nutritional quality of our meal choices. A limited number of sweets will
also be available for that after dinner sweet craving. We will offer alternatives such as
gluten free pasta and vegan mac and cheese choices to cater to all walks of mac and
cheese fans. A narrow selection of non-alcoholic beverages will be available, locally and
organically sourced of course. As the business grows and evolves we will continue to add
new flavors of macaronic and cheese, sides, and sweets.

Hit the Road Mac’s goal is to create indulgent and delicious macaroni and cheese dishes
using sustainable, local, and organic ingredients whenever possible. Hit the Road Mac
strives for sustainability as a small local business through the use of green materials made
out of 100% compostable and recycled products.

Sample Menu:

Hit the Road Mac- Sample “Static” Menu

*Specials- each month a featured Mac n Cheese dish will be listed.

Mac’s:

Classic Mac & Cheese

-Ours is made with gooey white cheddar cheese.

Artisan Sausage Mac

-Chicken apple sausage, mushrooms, caramelized onions, Beecher’s® flagship cheese
and Brie cheese.

Pork Belly Mac

-Gruyere cheese, braised pork belly, and cranberries.

Blue Mac
-Truffle oil, spinach, and blue cheese delicacy

Seasonal Mac...Basil and Pear

-Fresh basil, roasted pear, ricotta and fontina mac topped with pecan shavings.

Vegan Mac
-Our famous vegan mac & cheese, spicy and delicious

Gluten Free Mac

-Swiss and mozzarella cheese, brown rice pasta

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Kiddy Mac & Cheese
- Half-size portion, perfect for little ones. Made with mild cheddar cheese, just like mom
used to make.

Special of the Month Mac:

-Fontina and swiss cheese, topped with butternut squash and brown butter bread crumb.

Add toppings:

Pork belly, chicken sausage, chicken breast, pecans, caramelized onions, tomatoes,
jalapenos, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale, roasted red pepper,
cranberry, pear, basil, truffle oil, cheddar cheese, swiss cheese, gruyere cheese,
mozzarella cheese, brie cheese, ricotta cheese, blue cheese, Beecher’s® Flagship cheese.

Sides: (Seasonally selected)

Roasted Thyme Heirloom Carrots

Charred Broccoli with Garlic, Chili flacks & Lemon
Baked Brussel Sprouts with Honey Dijon Mustard
Sautéed Kale with Spanish almonds and Garlic

Sweets:

Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie

Peanut Butter Brownie
Brown Butter Rice Krispy Treats

* Our ingredients are sourced from sustainable, organic, and local suppliers when
available. We strictly source only all organic meat and produce.

Standardized Recipe:

Hit the Road Mac- Standardized Recipe for Mac and Cheese

Yield: 48 portions or 2 pans 12 x 20 x 2 inches Portion: 8 oz.

Oven: 350°F Bake: 20 minutes

Ingredients: Amount: Procedure:

Macaroni 3 lbs. 8 oz. Bring water to a rapid boil. Add salt

Water 3 ½ gal and vegetable oil.
Salt 2 Tbsp. Add pasta gradually while stirring.
Vegetable Oil 2 Tbsp. Return to boiling. Cook uncovered at
(Optional) at a fast boil until tender but
firm (al dente), 5-10 min. Stir
occasionally to prevent sticking.

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 Drain.
Butter 12 oz. Melt butter. Stir in flour and seasonings
Flour (all-purpose) 8oz. Cook 5-10 min.
Salt 2 Tbsp.
Dry mustard 1 Tbsp.
Worcestershire ¼ cup
Sauce
Whole Milk 1 gal Add milk gradually, stirring constantly
with wire whip. Cook until thickened.
White Cheddar 4 lbs. Add cheese to sauce. Stir until
Cheese, Shredded cheese melts. Pour over macaroni
and mix carefully. Scale into two
greased 12 x 20 x 2-inch baking
pans. 12 lbs. per pan.
Bread Crumbs 1 lbs. Mix crumbs and melted butter.
Butter, melted 6 oz. Sprinkle over macaroni and cheese,
8 oz. per pan. Bake at 350°F for about
20 minutes, until 180°F.

Notes:
 Weight of cooked pasta will vary, depending on length of time cooked.
 Addition of oil is optional. It helps foaming and sticking.
 Potentially hazardous food. Food Safety Standards: Hold food for service at an
internal temperature about 140°F. Do not mix old product with new. Cool
leftover product quickly (within 4 hours) to below 41°. Reheat leftover product
quickly (within 2 hours) to 165°F. Reheat only once. Discard if not used.
 For other pasta varieties noted on the menu - use same directions as above for
cooking pasta.
 For other cheese variations noted on the menu - use same directions as above.
Split portions of cheese equally if adding more than one cheese variety.
 If adding meat: add 3 lbs. meat to dish, 1 lbs. per 8 oz. per pan. Reduce salt to 1
Tbsp. if using cured meat.
 If adding vegetables: add 3 lbs. to dish. 1 lbs. per 8 oz. pan.
 If adding vegetables and meat in the same dish: Add 1 ½ desired vegetable and 1
½ desired meat to dish, ½ lbs. each per 8oz. per pan.
 For gluten free pasta- use same directions above and substitute in.
 For vegan mac and Cheese variation- see separate standardized menu.

**Recipe Adapted from Food for Fifty 11th edition by Mary Molt, Ph.D, R.D., although
adjusted to meet Hit the Road Mac’s specifications of desired recipe format (3).

Chapter 4:

Operational Plan:

Our operational plan includes the operational needs of the food truck and the commissary
kitchen, and the budget. Initially our food truck will be stored at either our residence or

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at the commissary kitchen (if the lease allows) until we find a concrete location for our
truck. In the meantime, to increase exposure, we will be at a different location daily.
Customers may go to the website to find out “where we are” in a month view.

Our business plan also includes catering, thus, a commercial grade kitchen is necessary.
We found that renting a small commissary kitchen from Ballard Kitchen
(www.ballardkitchen.com) would suit our needs. As business grows we can look into
larger rental options or purchasing space to operate. For a 6 month lease, the rates vary
from $815-$1200.00 a month, depending on storage, number of people and equipment
use. The rental cost of the commissary kitchen includes overnight utility costs. We
would have an assigned station with a weekly schedule time, for up to 60 hours per
month (12 hours a week). In addition, 1 metro shelf of dry storage, 1 metro shelf of
refrigerator storage and 3 speed rack shelves of freezer storage. The use of all equipment
and utilities are included. We also made an additional storage shed at our residence if
any additional space is needed.

Design/ Layout:

For Schematic of general layout- See Appendix A

Explaination of food truck design:

Hit the Road Mac chose a used 2004 26’ Utilimaster Food Truck, with a renovated
layout, as 26’ was long enough to provide the space for a 4-top range with oven, deck
oven, warmer, and ample prep area’s. Oven space is necessary, as baking is the main
cooking medium we will be using to prepare our food. In addition, warmers are needed
to keep our batches of mac and cheese warm during business hours. Burner space is also
necessary because have to boil lots of pasta and cook side dishes. Storage is also
important, as we have to store all the necessary kitchen supplies and food. A small
freezer was selected because most of the food preparation is fresh food and normally
stored at our commissary kitchen. Refrigeration is neccesaary for proper food storage, so
we selected two different under counter refrigerators, to go under both prep areas. A
dishwasher is also installed so less space is used for extra storage. Food safety standards
also require a 3 bay dish sink and handwashing sink. Although there is limited space in
our food truck, most of the everyday storage will need to be readily available on the
truck. The commissary kitchen is used for preparation and catering events, as well as
some storage.

Equipment List:

The following, larger equipment must be included in our commissary kitchen for Hit the
Road to operate efficiently: double deck gas oven, gluten free only oven, electric oven, 6-
8 burner gas range oven, dishwasher, 3-compartment sink and washing system, walk-in
refrigerator and freezer, 20 and 30-qt. mixer, food processor, blenders, microwave, half
and full-size sheet pans, various hand tools, large and small pots and pans, and giant
stainless steel prep tables. Desired brands for equipment: Lang, Moffet, Wolf, Viking,
Cuisinart, and other mainstream quality brands will suffice. In addition, based on our

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company’s philosophy, we would also like to have a recycling and composting service
available.

The rental cost of the commissary kitchen includes all the small kitchen equipment we
need, however, the food truck must also be supplied with the basic kitchen utensils and
supplies: Aprons, can openers, chef knives and utensils, food warmers, heat lamps,
digital thermometers, measuring cups, storage containers (various sizes made out of high-
density polyethylene and polycarbonate), various size hotel pans, jelly roll pan, cutting
boards, condiment bottles, pots and pans (stock pots, sauce pots, baking pans, caste iron
pans) kitchen utensils (Spoodles, commercial serving spoons, spatulas), an ice machine,
fold up chairs and tables, recycled sustainable product for dinnerware/ take-out to serve
food on, compostable plastic silverware and cups. We have to keep in mind most of the
larger scale equipment is already built in to the truck upon purchase. Under the budget in
the equipment section, I have listed three additional pieces of equipment, more counter-
top or under the counter style.

Janitorial Supplies needed: Brooms, mops, scrub brushes, sponges, mop bucket, paper
towels, soap and soap dispenser (for hand washing sink), trash can (big and small), can
liners, compost can and liner, recycle bin, all-purpose environmentally friendly all-
purpose cleaner, window cleaner, car-wash cleaner (for food truck).

Office Supplies needed: We have an office set-up at our residence already built with a
desk and chair, telephone land line, two Apple Lap-top computers, two cell phones, a
printer, and a filing cabinet. Basic supplies needed to run a small business include:
pencils and pens, Quick Book software (bookkeeping/ accounting), tape, stapler, 3- hole
punch, paper, envelopes, folders, message pads, cash bags, time slips, and a safe.

The above equipment list (large and small), office supplies, and janitorial supply list is an
estimate and will be adjust as needed through the start-up period.

Equipment Specification:

Our food truck requires a lot of space for storage, thus two undercounter refrigerators are
needed. We chose to purchase through Wasserstrom.com because they can scale the
refrigerator for food truck specific fitting. In addition, this company also seemed to have
the best selection and competitive pricing. The manufacturer was not so important to us
as long as the equipment fulfilled our needs and was high in quality. The reviews seemed
to favor that direction. Our specifications included: Stainless steel, able to fit in the food
truck and under the counter, high quality, and able to fit the specific measurements of the
space (under 12 Cu Ft). In addition we wanted a warranty, and this piece came with a 5-
year compressor and 1-year parts/labor warranty. The model (True ®12 Cu Ft Low
Profile 4-shelf undercounter refrigerator) was priced at $2049.44 (sale price), originally
at $5,358.00 (list price), and we need a quantity of 2.

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Initial Food Order:

To control inventory levels we will be using the “mini-max system” for purchasing. This
system allows for stock to be depleted to a “safety” not critical level before a new order is
submitted. Due to the commitment to using fresh and local supplies, it is our goal to keep
them at a level where they are fresh enough when used. This requires less inventory so
product is rotated quicker. In addition this type of inventory control allows for a tighter
control of the budget.

A selection of small local vendor’s will be used: Unfi, a premier certified organic
distributor for my specialty packaged goods; Sysco Local for some produce, nuts,
packaged items; Charlie’s Produce for most of my organic produce; Boistford family
farms for local produce and herbs; Orcas Alchemy for my flavored sea salts; Carlton
Farms for my pork belly, Mad Hatcher farm for my chicken products; Organic Valley for
my dairy products; Costco for some of my packaged goods; Dry Soda for my soda
selection; Beechers cheese for some of my cheese products; River Valley Cheese for my
cheeses; Carso Pasta for my pasta, and sometimes if in a bind we will source from
DeLaurenti (Pike Place Market) if we need a particular specialty food. Most of these
vendors do not have price lists, thus the estimated food costs are based on Costco
Wholesales and Sam’s Club websites.

List of food or opening day:

 Pasta- elbow noodles
 Gluten Free brown rice pasta noodles
 Bread Crumbs
 Rice krispies
 Vegetable oil
 Truffle oil
 Olive oil
 White cheddar cheese
 Beechers Flagship cheese
 Brie cheese
 Blue cheese
 Gruyere cheese
 Ricotta cheese
 Fontina cheese
 Swiss cheese
 Mozzarella cheese
 Cheddar cheese
 Butter
 Whole milk
 Eggs
 Chicken apple sausage
 Pork Belly

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  Chicken Breast
 Firm tofu
 Almond milk
 Pecans
 Spanish Almonds
 Peanut Butter
 Tamari
 Chocolate chips
 Chocolate powder
 Unsweetened chocolate
 Semi sweet chocolate
 Pure vanilla extract
 Marshmallows
 All-purpose flour
 Baking powder
 Baking soda
 Nutritional yeast
 Garlic powder
 Salt
 Pepper
 Sugar
 Brown Sugar
 Cayenne pepper
 Dry mustard
 Chili flakes
 Worcestershire sauce
 Honey
 Dijon mustard
 Soy Sauce
 Mushrooms
 Onions
 Spinach
 Basil
 Thyme
 Garlic
 Pear
 Butternut squash
 Tomatoes
 Jalapenos
 Mushrooms
 Broccoli
 Brussel sprouts
 Kale
 Roasted red pepper

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  Cranberry
 Carrots
 Lemon
 Dry soda
 Mineral water

**Estimated costs for two menu items (using generic Costco wholesale and Sam’s Club
prices. Its is our expectation that using smaller local vendors the prices will be higher:
Food Item: Amount needed/ Cost:

Classic Mac and Cheese:

Elbow Pasta 24lbs. (24 x 1lbs.) / $131.52
Salt 4lbs box / $1.07
Vegetable oil 1 bottle (5 quarts) / $8.99
Butter 4 lbs. (4 x 1lbs) / $27.96
Flour 1 bag (25lbs) / $7.19
Dry Mustard 4oz. / $5.99
Worcestershire 30oz. / $5.62
Whole milk 6 gals (4 x 1.5gal) / $39.96
White Cheddar Cheese 4 blocks (20 lbs.)(4x 5lbs.) / $59.80
Bread Crumbs 100oz (2 x 50oz.) / $9.64

Sautéed Kale with Spanish Almonds and

Garlic:
Kale 3 lbs. (2 x 1.5lbs) / $9.58
Olive Oil 1 bottle (1.5L) / $10.99
Spanish Almonds 1 Bag (3lbs.) / $9.79
Garlic 10 lbs. (5 x 2lbs) / $14.90
Pepper 18 oz. / $7.64
Salt Included in cost estimated above

Total Cost: $350.64

Start-up Budget:

Item List: Cost:

** Start up budget of $100,000- financed
through a family member and our savings.

Used Food Truck w / new kitchen $74,800.00

Rental for off-site Commissary Kitchen $810-$1,200 per month.
Initial Food Order: $350.64

Equipment and Supplies:

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3 equipment pieces:  Priced at $2049.44 each (2 needed)
 True ®12 Cu Ft Low Profile 4-shelf = $4098.88
undercounter refrigerator.
 Star ®Mfg Star-Max Gas Step-Up  $735.00
2-Burner Hot Plate
 NEMCO ™120 Volt Full Size  $203.51
Countertop Warmer
 All 3 pieces were found and priced  Total Big Equipment= $5,037.39
at Wasserstrom.com

10 items:  $18.00 each (4 needed) = $72.00

 Comark Waterproof Digital  $3.70 each (10 needed) = $37.00
Thermometer, -58 ° -300 ° F  $2.95 each (10 needed) = $29.50
 Vollrath Heavy Duty S/S 9 ½ “  $17.29 each (4 needed) = $69.16
Utility Thongs.
 Vollrath Solid S/S 13” Serving  $9.36 each (10 needed) = $93.60
Spoon
 Wear-Ever WearGuard Non-Stick  $20.99 each (4 needed) = 83.96
7” Alum. Fry Pan w/ Cool Handle  $18.22 each (10 needed) = $182.20
 Vollrath Solid S/S 8 oz. Spoodle w/  $15.44 each (10 needed) = $154.40
Black Plastic Handle.  $30.85 each (10 needed) = $308.50
 Updated International Green 18 x  $119.56 each (4 needed) = $478.24
24 x 1/2 “ Cutting Board  Total Supplies= $1508.56
 Vollrath SuperPanV S/S Full Size x
2.5” D Steam Table Pan
 Vollrath Solid S/S Size Pan Lid
 Carlisle TopNotch Clear 6” Deep
Full Size Food Pan
 Vollrath Classic 24 Ot S/S Stock
Pot w/o Lid
 All supplies were found and priced
at Wasserstrom.com

Truck Insurance $1000 per month

Permits/ Licensing $500
Estimated gas cost $12/ day- $360 a month
Estimated propane and generator cost $300/ month propane; %50/ month power
Small business bookkeeping $320 (premier package for retail)
Misc. Office Supplies $500- 600

Estimated Start-up Costs: $85,975.59 ($86,000 .00)

- $14,000 left over for an emergency fund
and payroll first month.

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Copyright ©Hit the Road Mac/ Danielle Selden.INC. All Rights Reserved 14