Mobile food trucks and carts have become popular in markets around the country, especially in major markets like NYC. But these setups aren’t especially environmentally conscious.
But now, MOVE Systems wants to change all that. Read more about the business and how it’s changing the mobile food scene in this week’s Small Business Spotlight.
What the Business Does
Offers mobile food cart solutions.
James Meeks, CEO of MOVE systems told Small business Trends, “MOVE Systems manufacturers a turnkey, high-tech, eco-friendly mobile food cart that allows small business owners to have a cost-efficient, non-traditional presence to reach customers outside of their brick-and-mortar stores.”
Business Niche: Eco-Friendly Mobile Food Carts
Providing eco-friendly mobile food cart solutions.
Meeks says, “With a dedicated focus on promoting sustainability, MOVE carts are estimated to produce 60 percent less greenhouse gas and 95 percent less smog-causing pollutants than traditional food carts/trucks.”
How the Business Got Started
To lessen the burden of emissions from food carts in NYC.
The founding team originally wanted to use compressed natural gas as a cleaner, alternative fuel source. But it wasn’t cost or space-efficient.
Meeks adds, “When I came on board with Hasib Ikramullah, now MOVE’s chief operating officer, we deconstructed the entire product to determine how we could create a way to put high-quality brands on the streets of New York. We looked at everything from the design of the cart to the aesthetic and ability to include a restaurant-quality kitchen. The result was the immensely successful MRV-101 and the food and beverage brand partners that MOVE currently supports with our platform.”
Biggest Win
Finding success in NYC.
Meeks says, “Only the strongest survive there. But succeeding in New York gave us the domain expertise and “street cred” we needed to get the attention of brands like Dunkin’. That partnership is taking us beyond New York to cities nationwide, and internationally in the future.”
Biggest Risk
Selecting NYC for launch.
Meeks adds, “We could have started the business anywhere in the United States, but we chose to launch in the most difficult market we could think of. It truly tested the viability of our concept and it was well worth the risk.”
Lesson Learned
Don’t try to do it all.
Meeks says, “We took on every operational aspect from design and build-out to logistics, operations, and maintenance. While we learned a lot from it about the product and overall market, that deep level of involvement really kept us from growing as quickly as we could have in the first few years. If we could do it all over again, we would leverage others’ expertise in the market to lead certain parts of the value chain while we focus on our core competencies and growth goals.”
How They’d Spend an Extra $100,000
A combination of growth strategies.
Meeks explains, “It would be a combination of marketing/PR, sales, and R&D. Those three functions are crucial to our growth and success.”
What Sets the Business Apart
American Manufacturing.
MOVE Systems builds all of its eco-friendly mobile food cart equipment at a facility in Walker, Michigan.
Meeks says, “By combining innovative, energy-efficient technology with advanced manufacturing processes, we are reinvigorating the community by promoting professional development at the grassroots.”
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Images: MOVE Systems
Aira Bongco
It works and it doesn’t take much space. But it is all about making sure that everything is still environmentally sustainable.