Food Truck Spotlight
Delivering an amazing restaurant experience on the road
The Habit Burger Grill Catering Truck enterprise operates 11 trucks offering a full-on catering experience. It strives to deliver the same experience guests at The Habit Burger Grill restaurants enjoy. The brand says food truck operators need to be open-minded as every event runs differently and know how to adjust on the fly.
April 26, 2021 by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com
Food Truck Name: The Habit Burger Grill Catering Truck
Owners: The Habit Burger Grill
Founded: September, 2011
Location: Southern California
How many trucks under this brand: 11
Do you operate brink-and-mortar locations under this brand as well and if yes, how many?: Over 275
How you came up with the name: Instead of just calling it a "food truck" we wanted to call it "The Habit Catering Truck" to show that it's a full-on catering experience from start to finish. Our attention to quality, the hospitality of our team members with our unmatched chargrilled flavor is guaranteed to make any special occasion memorable.
What prompted you to start a food truck?
We wanted to bring the amazing experience of our restaurants on-the-go! Since 1969, we've been known for not only our chargrilled burgers, but also our hospitality. Bringing those two things on the road was important to us and we're excited to bring The Habit Burger Grill directly to our guests for their special events.
What's on your food truck menu? Why did you choose this cuisine?
All of our chargrilled meals (award-winning charburgers, USDA Choice tri-tip steak, veggie burgers and ahi sandwiches) as well as our crave-worthy sides (French fries, tempura green beans, sweet potato fries and onion rings) are on the menu. We also bring along a custom pepper bar as well for guests to customize their meals. Essentially, we wanted to bring The Habit Burger Grill experience to our events.
Do you make all the food on the truck or do you use home-based kitchen or commissary space?
Yes, all of our food is cooked-to-order for each guest on The Habit Catering Truck. Each truck comes equipped with a state-of-the-art kitchen that includes a stainless steel charbroiler that is designed to sear a distinctive smoky flavor into everything we cook
What's the best part of being a food truck operator?
The best thing is that people are so excited that we there. We're able to bring hospitality and good food to our guests and they're always excited to have us there! We get to be part of our guest's special moments - weddings, baby showers, graduations, etc. and make them memorable.
What's the worst part of operating a food truck?
The worst thing is when something breaks on the truck, but we always have a back up plan just in case!
What lessons have you learned since launching the truck?
You have to be open-minded and every event runs differently. You have to be able to adjust on the fly and continue to provide our famous Habit Hospitality at every single event, regardless of what may happen!
Any tips/advice to others thinking of launching a food truck?
Have fun, learn as you go, and remember at the end of the day — you're serving food and bringing joy to your guests.
Do you have any anecdotes about running a food truck, any unique interactions or special events you've been booked at?
Every year, we have the huge honor of serving Disney cast members at Disneyland in Anaheim, California in celebration of Disney's birthday! We serve over 23,000 employees within a 24 hour time frame which is a huge undertaking, but so rewarding and fun. We love being part of Disney's "magic" for the day.
About Judy Mottl
