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Latest Available Title

Start Your Own Sandwich Van Business

A cheaper alternative to a sandwich shop or coffee bar

OR : How to make a living selling sandwiches and other food from a mobile vehicle.

If you are thinking about starting your own mobile sandwich delivery business, then this is the book you need. Basic research, sandwich making, buying a van and much more are covered in this very detailed book by experienced sandwich van operator, Andrew Johnson.

About the author

After nearly fourteen years spent repairing and installing IT equipment, Andrew Johnson gave up the day job and started his own business. Dabbling with ideas as diverse as picture framing and tyre fitting, he eventually decided to buy a van and start a sandwich round. Two shops and three sandwich vans later, he has written this book to guide anyone else thinking of following the same path.

	Preface
1.	The Sandwich Trade Revealed	3
	Definition of a sandwich round	3
	The outlook for a sandwich based business	3
	Why a Sandwich round and not retail shop?	5
	It’s not all a bed of roses	7
	The state of the UK sandwich market	8
2.	Sandwich Round Research	11
	Does the sandwich trade suit you?	11
	The viability of the business	16
	Getting to know the sandwich market	17
	Research before you start the business	21
3.	A Look At Your Business Options	27
	A few points to consider	27
	Buying an existing sandwich round	27
	Minimize the danger	29
	Taking on a franchise	30
	Starting your business from scratch	33
	Sources of advice and information	35
	Your business format	36
	Your name and image	37
	Choosing a business name is a priority	37
	The right image is crucial	38
	Your logo and look	40
	Establishing your identity	42
4.	The Sandwich Van In Detail	44
	Fridge vans	44
	Professionally manufactured vans	45
	Features of a typical sandwich van	46
	Buying a van	49
	Buying new	50
	Ways of paying for the vehicle	51
	Buying a used sandwich van	54
	What to look out for when buying a used van	55
	Testing the onboard systems	55
	The refrigeration system	55
	The hot food cabinet	57
	Diesel heat exchanger safeguard	58
	Testing the heated food display	58
	Other vehicle systems	59
	Used vehicle sources	59
	The cheapest option	63
	Sandwich van insurance	64
	Sandwich van maintenance	64
	Diesel or petrol?	66
	Reversing a sandwich van	66
5.	Sandwiches - Make Or Buy	67
	Buying sandwiches ready made	67
	Pros and cons of ready made	69
	Strike a deal with an independent	71
	Making and selling your own sandwiches	71
	Pros and cons of making your own sandwiches	73
	My take on the matter	75
6.	The Kitchen Preparation Area	76
	Working from your own kitchen	76
	Making sure your kitchen passes the inspection	78
	Basic guidelines floors, walls and ceilings	80
	Windows and doors	84
	Wash basins, sinks and toilet facilities	85
	Ventilation and extraction	86
	Alternatives to the home kitchen	88
	Locating your own unit and creating a kitchen	88
	Expert advisors you will need	90
	How to find a unit	93
	What to look for in the unit itself	94
	A few final thoughts	98
7.	Equipping The Kitchen	99
	New versus used	99
	Domestic versus commercial	99
	Equipment sources	100
	What you are likely to need	101
	Refrigeration	101
	The oven	103
	Heated food warmers	104
	Microwave ovens	106
	Meat cutters	106
	Preparation tables	106
	Sandwich heat sealers	108
	Sinks	108
	Miscellaneous small items	109
	Don't buy what you don't need	110
	Keep the costs down	111
8.	Deciding On A Menu	112
	Sandwich varieties	112
	Compulsory offerings	113
	How many sandwiches should be on the menu?	115
	What breads to offer	117
	Twenty ingredients – one hundred sandwiches	118
	Sandwich making	120
	The shelf life of a sandwich	120
	Adding to the menu	122
	Keeping the menu in motion	125
9.	Packaging And Labelling	126
	Your packaging is your image	126
	Sandwich wedges	127
	Film fronted bags	130
	Packaging for other products	130
	Labelling	131
	Getting the right look	132
	Label production - the choices open to you	133
10.	Purchasing Your Supplies	139
	The creation of a sandwich	139
	Dealing with suppliers	140
	Buying bread	146
	Cheese - more than just mild cheddar	149
	Meat, fish and poultry	150
	What about all those exotic sandwich fillings	151
	Some final points on suppliers	153
11.	Hygiene Regulations	154
	The rules of hygiene	154
	Food temperatures	155
	Hot food	156
	Preventing food contamination	157
	The five points of a hazard analysis plan	157
	Dealing with the environmental health officer	159
	Hygiene training for your employees	160
12.	General Issues	163
	Setting your trading hours	163
	Keeping the van clean	163
	Taking payment by card and cheque	164
	Running a tab	165
	Dealing with the float	165
	Working out your banking routine	165
	Coping with price changes	166
	Planning a break	167
	Outside factors affecting your business	168
	Employing a driver	172
13.	Pre - Launch Day And Beyond	173
	Preparing a pre - launch checklist	173
	Announcing your presence	174
	Surviving the first day	177
	The do's and dont's on your first trading day	178
	After the first few weeks	181
14.	Expanding The Business	183
	Alternatives to fleet building	184
	Supplying sandwiches on a wholesale basis	184
	Setting up a specialized food delivery service	186
	Online ordering – a potential goldmine	186
	Specialising in home baked confectionaries	188
	Outside catering	188
	Imagination is the key	190
	INDEX	191

From the author

I have been involved in the sandwich trade for a long time now, and I have seen the business from both sides of the fence, first with sandwich rounds, and then with shops. I aim to share my experiences, good and bad, with the intention of making your journey easier, hopefully showing you the advantages of starting a sandwich round in preference to another business type.

A good living

My own expertise comes from owning two sandwich shops and operating three sandwich vans. I have earned a good living, but I am not a millionaire just yet, and I am not claiming that you will make a million running a sandwich round either. I do believe that if you have the determination and the right mindset, you can make a very comfortable living and have fun (most days!) in this business.

That’s not to say you can’t build up an empire from running a sandwich round. A lot of famous people started small, but didn’t stay that way. You may start with a sandwich round and go on to open a full retail shop, and establish an empire, or perhaps buy more sandwich vans and develop more sandwich rounds.

No padding

The book concerns the specifics of starting a sandwich round business using a sandwich van. The only references to bookkeeping, accountants or tax law that you will see are where those matters directly apply to the business itself. For example hygiene law is covered because it’s specific to the food industry.

You won’t find 50 pages on writing a business plan, or finding a lawyer. There are umpteen books on Amazon concerning general business issues. It’s not my intention to pad out the book on those topics. What you will find, is the gritty detail of starting or buying a sandwich van business.

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Latest Available Title

About the author

Table of contents

Preface

1.

The Sandwich Trade Revealed

3

2.

Sandwich Round Research

11

3.

A Look At Your Business Options

27

4.

The Sandwich Van In Detail

44

5.

Sandwiches - Make Or Buy

67

6.

The Kitchen Preparation Area

76

7.

Equipping The Kitchen

99

8.

Deciding On A Menu

112

9.

Packaging And Labelling

126

10.

Purchasing Your Supplies

139

11.

Hygiene Regulations

154

12.

General Issues

163

13.

Pre - Launch Day And Beyond

173

14.

Expanding The Business

183

INDEX

From the author

Polls