If you run a food truck, coffee trailer, mobile bar, or catering setup, you already know this truth: you can be brilliant at what you do, and still struggle to get the right bookings.
You might be flat out one month and quiet the next. You might be getting enquiries that are not a good fit. Or you might be working loads, but the profit is not matching the effort. That is usually not a food problem. It is a positioning, marketing, and bookings problem.
After over a decade running my own food truck business, Born & Raised Waffles, and nearly 20 years in business overall, I have seen what actually moves the needle for food businesses across Northern Ireland and Ireland. Weddings, corporate events, festivals, film shoots, private parties. The events change, but the fundamentals stay the same.
This blog is for owners who want clarity. Not vague motivation. Not another checklist you will not use. Clarity on what to fix, what to focus on, and how to start getting booked for the kind of events that make your business easier to run and more profitable.
If you want a tailored plan for your food business, book a one to one strategy session here: https://bornandraisedcollective.com/strategy-session/
Why most food businesses struggle to get the right bookings
Most food businesses do not have a quality issue. They have a visibility and trust issue.
Event organisers want reliability. They want a clear offer. They want fast responses. They want to know you can handle the size of the job. They want proof. When those things are unclear online, the organiser either keeps scrolling or asks you for a price that does not suit you because they have not understood your value.
Here are a few common reasons great operators get stuck:
- Your online presence is not doing the selling for you. People cannot quickly see what you do, where you operate, and how to book you.
- Your offer is unclear. Do you specialise in weddings, corporate, film, festivals, private? If you say yes to everything, people do not remember you for anything.
- Your pricing is not confident. If your pricing is not framed properly, you attract price shoppers, not quality clients.
- Your enquiry process leaks bookings. Slow replies, unclear next steps, and no follow up can lose you jobs even when the client is interested.
- You do not have enough proof. Photos, reviews, testimonials, and past event credibility matter more than most people realise.
The good news is that none of this requires you to reinvent your whole business. It usually takes a few smart changes, applied consistently.
What “better bookings” really means
Better bookings are not just higher paying events. They are bookings that fit your business and your life.
Better bookings often look like:
- Clients who respect your time and process
- Events that match your setup and capacity
- Clear start and finish times, organised planners, sensible logistics
- Work that leads to repeat bookings and referrals
- Pricing that makes the effort worth it
It is completely possible to be “busy” while still being underpaid, stressed, and constantly chasing the next job. Better bookings remove a lot of that chaos.
Want help moving towards better bookings? Book a strategy session: https://bornandraisedcollective.com/strategy-session/
What a strategy session should do for you
A proper strategy session is not a generic chat. It is a focused session that gives you a clear plan.
In one session, you should come away with:
- Clarity on your positioning: what you are known for and who you are best suited to serve
- A clearer offer: what you do, how it works, and what clients actually get
- Visibility improvements: quick wins that make you easier to find online
- Trust builders: what content, proof, and messaging you need to increase conversions
- A stronger enquiry process: how you respond, what you ask, and how you close
- Next steps: a realistic list of actions you can implement without overwhelm
Most owners feel better the moment they have a plan. Confidence comes from knowing what to do next.
The “found online” problem (and how to fix it)
If you want consistent private bookings, you need to be findable in more than one place.
Some owners rely heavily on Instagram and word of mouth. Both are valuable. But they can be unpredictable. If the algorithm changes or your content slows down, your enquiries can drop.
Instead, aim for a simple visibility stack:
- A clear website or landing page that explains your offer and makes booking easy
- A Google Business Profile if it suits your business, so people can find you when searching locally
- Proof on social media including reviews, event photos, and behind the scenes trust builders
- Directory listings where event planners already browse for suppliers
When your visibility is stronger, your pricing becomes easier to defend because you are not relying on one source of enquiries.
If you want a plan for your visibility and bookings, book a strategy session: https://bornandraisedcollective.com/strategy-session/
Positioning: the difference between “we do food” and “we are the one for this event”
Positioning is how people describe you after they leave your page.
If someone views your profile and thinks “they do food”, that is not strong positioning. If they think “this is the coffee trailer for corporate treat days” or “this is the food truck that nails weddings”, that is strong positioning.
Strong positioning does not mean turning down work. It means leading with a message that attracts your preferred work first.
Here are examples of positioning angles that work well:
- Wedding friendly packages and experience
- Corporate and staff treat day specialist
- Film and TV set catering, fast service and reliability
- Festival capable high volume setup
- Premium private party experience
Once your positioning is clearer, your content becomes easier to create, and your enquiries become more relevant.
Pricing confidence without being “the cheapest”
Trying to win on price is a fast way to burn out. You might get more bookings short term, but you often attract clients who are the hardest to deal with and the quickest to complain.
Pricing confidence comes from three things:
- Clear value: your quality, experience, and what the client gets
- Proof: reviews, testimonials, and photos that justify your rate
- A solid process: you run bookings professionally, which attracts professional clients
You do not need to be the cheapest to be busy. You need to be the clearest and most trusted choice for the right people.
Fix your enquiry process and you will get more bookings immediately
This is the quickest win for many businesses.
If your enquiries come in and you respond with just a price, you are leaving money on the table. The client still has unanswered questions, and it is easy for them to compare you like a commodity.
A better approach is:
- Reply quickly with a friendly, confident message
- Ask 3 to 5 questions that qualify the job (date, location, numbers, service style, timings)
- Confirm what you need next (deposit, menu choices, logistics)
- Give a clear next step with a deadline if needed
This simple structure improves conversions because you take control of the booking process. You also stop wasting time on enquiries that are not a fit.
If you want help tightening your enquiry process, book a strategy session: https://bornandraisedcollective.com/strategy-session/
Why a directory can help, but only if your offer is ready
Directories and supplier platforms can be powerful because they are built for one job: helping event planners find suppliers quickly.
But a directory listing only works if your fundamentals are clear. Your listing needs great photos, a clear description, services that are easy to understand, and a way to enquire without friction.
If you are not converting, the problem is rarely “not enough views”. It is usually “not enough trust” or “not clear enough”.
A strategy session helps you make sure that when people land on your profile, they understand what you do, they see proof, and they know how to book.
What you can expect from working with me
I am Michael Henderson. I have nearly 20 years experience building businesses and over a decade running a food truck that served events across Northern Ireland and Ireland. I know the realities. Weather, breakdowns, staffing issues, last minute changes, awkward organisers, long days, and the pressure of getting it right.
My approach is straightforward:
- We focus on what will actually improve bookings and profit
- We cut out the noise and fix the bottlenecks
- You get practical actions that suit your business stage
- You leave with clarity, not confusion
This is for owners who are ready to take the business seriously and want someone who understands the industry from lived experience of running it.
Ready to get clear and start moving forward?
Book your one to one strategy session here: https://bornandraisedcollective.com/strategy-session/
Quick self check before you book
If you are unsure whether you need a strategy session, answer these quickly:
- Do you want more private bookings this year?
- Are you getting enquiries that do not suit your business?
- Is your pricing confident, or do you often feel you need to explain it?
- Is it clear online what you do and how to book you?
- Do you have a repeatable process for enquiries, quotes, and deposits?
If you answered yes to any of those, a session will help.
Book now: https://bornandraisedcollective.com/strategy-session/
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