Food trucks are no more just about commuters looking for a quick bite. Food trucks are no more just about hot dogs and sandwiches. Some food truck businesses even grow to become more popular than brick-and-mortar dining joints in the same area. All of these successful food truck businesses have one thing in common besides great food and service – and that is a strong brand. Let’s talk about one of the fundamental building blocks of food truck branding – a food truck logo.
The lure of grabbing a bite on the go works well with city dwellers. For a generation that’s always on the go, food on wheels is the go-to idea. No wonder food truck businesses have been booming. By 2021, the food truck business market in the U.S. was valued at $1.16 billion. So, there is a good scope for a food truck business to grow and a good amount of competition to look forward to.
Amidst this competition, if you want to plant yourself strong and win the hearts of your customers, strong food truck branding is the way to go. And your food truck logo has a critical role to play in it. Are you looking for ideas to create an eye-catching and memorable food truck logo? You are in the right place. We’ll look at some famous food truck logos and some lessons to take away from them.
Before we get to the food truck logo examples, let’s talk about the importance of a well-designed logo for a food truck business.
In short, yes, a stunning logo is indispensable in food truck branding. Looking for inspiration? Let’s talk about some popular food trucks and their logos.
Food truck logos can be very different from restaurant logos. While superficially they look like the same thing, the varied business models, the disparity in marketing strategies, and the target audience make food truck branding a whole different topic. Having said that, let’s get straight to our topic- food truck logos. Below are some popular food truck businesses with stunning logo designs.
Del Popolo, a mobile pizzeria gained a lot of attention for the novel concept of using a shipping container mounted on a truck. The food truck is particularly popular for its wood-fired pizza. Let’s look at the logo of this food truck business.
The simple design makes the logo easy to remember. Moreover small and clutter-free designs like these look good in most places. Food truck branding involves the use of marketing collateral like flyers for local advertising, business cards to hand over to local clients and win some party orders, food ads on digital media, and so on. In addition to these, you also need to be active on social media. A sleek logo like Del Popolo’s logo is an easy choice that meets all these requirements.
Besides all these points, the use of orange color in the logo makes it relevant to the food business. Because orange and yellow are warm colors believed to make people hungry. Therefore they have a special place in the world of food branding.
The logo of Fukuburger stands out because it incorporates its USP (unique selling point). And that’s a much-needed trait of a logo in a competitive realm like the food truck industry.
In this case, the specialty of Fukuburger, the one thing that sets it apart from other burger trucks is the fact that the burgers served here give a “Japanese twist” to American burgers.
The use of the Japanese word Fuku (which means “lucky”) and the Japanese characters in the logo clearly convey the idea of a Japanese influence on the menu.
Tacofino is known for two things – its tacos with a West Coast influence and its signature orange truck. The logo of Tacofino depicts one of the simplest aspects of logo design that many take lightly – directness.
Often, the best idea for your food truck logo comes from what you serve in your food truck. Of course, there might be many more food truck businesses with a similar specialty item. So the symbol you choose might have been used quite often.
That should not stop you from using that symbol in your logo. Give it a twist by using illustrations instead of a usual icon-style logo. Or add your personal touch to it. In this case, the hands holding the taco in a prayer position are what set the design apart. This is a tribute to the religious iconography that the original logo on the truck was based on (featured in the below image).
Similarly, find something that ties your brand to the symbol in the most unique way and you are left with a catchy yet straightforward food truck logo design.
There are some places where your logo needs to be the attention grabber and in other places, it helps complement the rest of your branding elements. In the case of Maximus/Minimus, it’s the latter. This food truck business is particularly known for its customized pig-faced truck (featured below)
The logo uses a combination of a symbol or brand mark with pig face imagery representing the pork dishes the truck is known for. And the symbol also goes perfectly well with the design of the truck. The brand name in the logo appears in a bold font that blends effortlessly with the all-metal body of the truck.
So what’s the one main thing to take away from the Maximus/Minimus logo? Prioritize versatility while designing your food truck logo. Your logo is a part of a whole and not a standalone element in branding. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that the design you choose looks good and conveys the same message everywhere.
Another notable aspect of this logo is the choice of fonts. Unlike other food trucks with very colorful branding and vehicle wraps to capture the vibrancy, Maximus/Minimus goes with a very rugged style in its truck. Therefore, the bold serif fonts it uses fit right into the idea.
Does the logo scream royalty? Founded by Prince Emanuele Filberto Di Savoia, this food truck is all about delivering hand-crafted pizzas and more. In this case, the logo gives a nod to the founder which is another great idea for a food truck logo.
Another similar idea in these lines will be integrating specific symbols or colors to represent the country of origin of your brand or the country of origin of the cuisines you serve. Logos that resonate with the origin story of the food truck business are a great choice.
There is a lot of scope for growth when you own a food truck business. And your marketing strategies tend to be very different from the approach adopted by a conventional dining joint. Therefore, incorporate the right food branding ideas and work with professional designers to create consistent graphics. Then there’s no stopping you.
