BIKE FOOD CARTS
Are you looking for an "on-the-go" business you can take anywhere? Look no further than our bike food carts! A food bike is a budget-friendly option that allows you to test out concepts or simply open up on multiple locations at once using less money. Read on to learn more about our offered bike food carts.
GET YOUR OWN FOOD BICYCLE
Bike food carts or “food bikes” are mobile in a way operators of a trailer or food truck just can not hope to match. If your county allows, you can move to streets where it is impossible for big units to park and catch some premium traffic.
Additionally, those sunny beach boulevards and city parks that do not allow motorized access could be a wonderful opportunity for you. Furthermore, a small food truck bike is an eco-friendly electric or pedal-powered lean and green operation.
Your savings do not stop at the great value purchase price – think of the maintenance! A bicycle chain is a simple, affordable, DIY replacement. Compare that to a step van transmission breaking down or a food trailer axle buckling under strain, costing thousands and putting your business on ice for weeks.
Even the most expensive part of a bike food cart – the engine of an electric food bicycle – is a straight forward replacement if it’s ever needed. No gas and no car or trailer insurance means that your operational expenses will be very low.
OUR VENDING BIKE OFFER
QUALITY Bike food Carts
Karpatia makes hand built, quality custom food bikes. Whether you want a compact, efficient and light weight modern e-bike or an ornate vintage food cart bike, our workmanship shines through.
CUSTOM Bike Food Carts
All bike food truck builds have three wheels in common – but everything else is up to you. Any of our standard cart sizes can be altered and customized to best suit your needs.
Turnkey Food Cart solutions
All the equipment, design, paint, and wrap needed for your food bicycle are done in-house. Each custom design is made with passion but built for business.
TYPES OF BIKE FOOD CARTS
BASIC TRICYCLE FOOD CART
Modern yet basic, the standard tricycle food cart is all pedal power and hustle. Built using high-quality bike parts, such as Shimano, and finished to your choice with a stainless steel, woodwork or durable polyurethane cargo-box out front where your magic happens.
The box is always custom made for you, meaning it comes in all desired sizes limited only by matters of practicality. However, our recommended size is a minimum of 3 x 2 x 2 ft even if you are selling something as hassle free as pre-packaged ice cream.
Options include an upgrade to the e-bike food cart version with varying levels of power and range in battery.
VINTAGE FOOD CART BIKE
Art on three wheels is what we call this one. A vintage food cart bike with a varnished, high quality wood box up front that shows the woodworking craftsmanship level that went in to it. This type of cart sends a statement that the food is authentic and artisanal.
All bike parts are a discreet matte black and the front container is made using heavy oak stained to look older. If you are patient and have a little extra budget we will even use actual salvaged wood.
Styling your food bike as a retro or vintage unit is a great option to stand out from other cargo-bikes. You can even give it that ‘old timey’ feel to match your brand if you so desire.
Of course these too optionally come as an e-bike with the drive and motor hidden well away.
HOT DOG BIKE
Hot dog carts are by far the most popular street food vending carts in the US. There are whole websites dedicated to nothing but teaching you how to operate a hot dog stand, and with good reason too! Hot dogs simply sell, no three ways about it.
Chances are that if pushing is not your thing and you need a solution to easily pull the cart, a hot dog bike is the perfect way forward. Our hot dog bikes come in two fashions: the regular food cart bike with hot dog cart essentials as a fixed part of the box up front, or as a stand-alone cart that can be attached to a bike with a special fitted pull mount, allowing you to park the bike part nearby and operate the cart as-is.
COFFEE BICYCLE
Starting your own coffee shop is a dream come true for many. Opening it up with a coffee bike makes it that much more accessible. Furthermore, the coffee bike business certainly has potential . For example, Wheely’s in the US and the uninspiringly named Coffee Bike in Germany are becoming massive franchise chains capable of locally challenging Starbucks here and there.
That’s a tall (or venti) order to fill, but even more modest ambitions can be comfortably profitable and the coffee bike cart will help you see if mobile vending is for you as well as if your coffee sells and who buys it. Allowing you to analyze and test everything you need to branch out in to a fixed brick and mortar coffee shop, big truck, concession trailer or simply place an order for more bikes.
We provide a basic coffee cart without equipment for those already in a brand partnership or comfortable sourcing by themselves, and a premium version with either high volume or high skill barista machines.
ICE CREAM BIKE
The most basic of bike food carts is the ice cream bike, which is used to sell packaged, big brand popsicles and other ice cream on a stick. All you need is our basic tricycle food cart with a freezer in front and you’re ready to go make someone’s day!
Of course we also offer the option of a full gelato bar and the art and woodwork option of making a classic Italian ice cream cart built out for you. This can include a custom branded umbrella and decal for your ice cream bike. If you allow for a bigger serving area up front, it is also a good margin boosting idea to put up a soft-serve ice cream machine.
Ice cream bikes can be made in all versions – modern, vintage, and either electric or manual.
BIKE FOOD CART
CONSIDERATIONS
Obvious advantages to bike food carts are their starter friendly sticker price, high maneuverability, and extremely low operational costs. But wait – there’s more!
Food bikes are highly adaptable as the box can easily be switched out, allowing you to switch it up between different business ventures like ice cream and coffee. With such a small and light weight unit you can easily vend inside of locations where a trailer would have a hard time fitting.
A clear downside to operating a vending bike is the weather. You are exposed and certain weather conditions will have an impact on sales as opposed to a business that is operating out of a regular concession trailer.
Less evident is that many counties and states will not hand you a food truck license or permit to vend alongside traditional step van food trucks in their designated food truck spots. It is impossible for us as a builder to keep up with all of this, so enquire with your local food truck association and the responsible county clerk.
BRICK OVEN PIZZA FOOD TRUCK
Many food truck operators think all brick oven pizza ovens are also wood fired – but no!
A brick oven can be powered on gas or electric too, so being dead set on having a brick oven pizza food truck does not mean being dead set on a wood fired pizza food truck.
WOOD FIRED PIZZA FOOD TRUCK
LEARN MORE →Neither is the other case true. Not all wood fired ovens are brick ovens.
Most wood fired ovens are cast concrete and some of the most popular wood fired pizza food truck ovens are cast iron or stainless steel.
There are literally hundreds of food truck builders.
so why karpatia?
Karpatia provides one of the best quality-to-value ratios in the industry. From 100% made in the USA to high end European classics and authentic conversions, we can do it all.
With Karpatia, you have an endless amount of possibilities. We will provide you with the best kitchen equipment and customizations such as full body wrap or painting. Working with us is fast and easy!
To keep your mobile business moving, we also offer a range of supporting services that aren’t limited to existing clients’ builds.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUTBIKE FOOD CARTS
Learn more in our knowledge center ►Of course! Karpatia has no real showroom, but we are always happy to host and show you the workshop. Appointment only! Please call us to make an appointment. Our address is 325 North Main Street, 46540 Middlebury Indiana. Once you’re there please use door C.
Yes, we ship to Alaska, Hawaii, and other locations, although extra rates apply. Containers go everywhere, and all units can always be shipped to the nearest port. We might not have a local forwarder in your country (yet) though, in which case we will find one together with you. We’re based in Middlebury Indiana and there’s several nationwide transport companies in our direct area we partner with.
A bike food cart has as much of a shot at profitability as any other mobile vending business. It all depends on your product and your sales-marketing hustle. Food bikes are great products and they will work if you do.
This depends on your city. Check with your local county or city clerk before buying.
BRING YOUR BUSINESS TO LIFE
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