In our latest blog we take a look at one of our recent street food vehicle success stories which has enabled the owner to take a larger slice of the market in his bespoke mobile pizza van.
Let’s meet our customer… welcome Adam of Peddling Pizza.
So, what was the driving force to create his own street food business? Well, Adam had his little boy 3 years ago and following some research by 3rd December 2016 the first incarnation of Peddling Pizza was born. Starting out using an e-bike and a custom trailer Adam attended the local markets. The bike and trailer served its purpose initially, but it was limiting the ability to go further afield and cater for larger events such as weddings.
Looking for a street food vehicle there are so many options to consider. Adam originally began to consider the Citroen H vans but at the time they were expensive and limited customer interaction. The Piaggio Ape enables you to be at street level which lets customers and passers-by get more involved in the experience. They get to see the whole process from start to finish, dough being stretched, baked and rising. In a larger van you lose this customer interaction and it can detach them from the process. Letting the customer see everything makes it an experience, it makes it enjoyable. My Ape setup is open from all angles so people stop and watch. It really creates an experience, they never forget.
“I’ve always loved the Piaggio Ape vans, they look cool and there’s only a couple I’ve found being used for pizza but they had huge ovens which were prohibitive. I wanted something more flexible”
Adam, Peddling Pizza
With a decision made on the Piaggio Ape as the base vehicle, what about the ovens? Adam has used Gozney ovens since day one and he was one of the first people to use them commercially. They have become popular and enable micro setups, weighing only 20kilos it changes everything in the mobile street food market, and the Ape could house two of them!
Next came selecting the right company to bring it all together and Adam drew up a shortlist, including some companies based abroad.
“The difference with the Big Coffee was that they enabled me to be part of the build process from start to finish with the added benefit of being built right here in the UK.
Style, budget and workmanship are of course always key factors. Finding a company that listened to my needs and then came up with innovative solutions rather than trying to shoehorn in a past product is what made all the difference. The Big Coffee even crafted bespoke plates which sit just outside of the oven and make such a difference, it is how I’m able to deliver my product.”
So, what’s next? The Big Coffee are always developing new technologies and methods, and this will be the next step in the journey for Adam. With brand awareness growing, Adam’s market share has doubled since he begun using a Big Coffee Ape conversion. He regularly sells out early and attributes this directly to the crowds that the iconic Ape draws.
Start Your Street Food venture with The Big Coffee Today
If you’re interested in a bespoke street food van for your mobile business then The Big Coffee have over 10 years of experience, to get you off to a great start.
You can view more information about our mobile pizza van conversion here, or you can give us a call on 01482 655020.
