VGCC Food Truck Entrepreneurship program comes back for seconds
Vance-Granville Community College will offer its Mobile Food Truck Entrepreneurship Workshop Series for the second time. This series of courses for entrepreneurs who want to compete in the growing food truck industry is unique in the North Carolina Community College System.
A partnership of VGCC’s Small Business Center and Personal Enrichment department , the program will again be held at the college’s Franklin County Campus , located on N.C. 56, just west of Louisburg.
Queen Harris, owner/operator of the Chick-n-Que mobile food truck and restaurant in Rolesville, will again serve as the instructor. Harris and her husband have been operating a food truck for more than six years and recently also opened a restaurant. They can also be found each year at the State Fair, serving up North Carolina-raised ostrich burgers among other treats. Harris will help guide participants through the steps of planning, starting and maintaining a food truck or food cart business.
The first class in the series, “The Art of Food Truck,” will be held on Monday, Aug. 3, from 6 until 8 p.m. This workshop serves as an introduction to the program and covers the fundamentals of owning and operating a mobile food unit.
“Preparing for Success: Concept and Design” will follow on Monday, Aug. 10, from 6 until 8 p.m. The design of the food unit, as well as budgeting and costs, are the focus of this session.
“Administrative Necessities” is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 17, from 6 until 8 p.m. Participants will learn about federal, state and local regulations, zoning, licenses and permits they will need.
“Marketing for Success: Social Media/Advertising” will conclude the series on Monday, Aug. 24, from 6 until 8 p.m. This session will include a panel discussion with several food truck owners.
Capping off the course will be a Mini-Food Truck Rodeo at the Franklin Campus on Tuesday, Sept. 1, from 5 until 7 p.m. The public is invited.
The cost of the program is $55 for the first class. The other three sessions are offered free of charge.
Participants in the program will also be required to sign up as clients of the VGCC Small Business Center, which is free of charge, and to complete the ServSafe food safety certification course. A separate fee of $74 is charged for ServSafe.
For more information and to register, contact VGCC Small Business Center director Tanya Weary at (252) 738-3240 or smallbusiness@vgcc.edu or Gail Clark at (252) 738-3385 or ped@vgcc.edu .
Above: Some of the participants in VGCC’s first Food Truck Entrepreneurship class are pictured here by the Chick-n-Que truck at the first Mini-Food Truck Rodeo held at VGCC’s Franklin County Campus. From left are instructor Queen Harris, Tanya Weary, students Chuck Odom of Louisburg, Whitney Abbott of Kittrell, Randy Rowland of Kittrell, Lonnie Peace of Oxford, Bryan Coppedge of Warrenton and Alicia Blackwell of Henderson, with former VGCC Personal Enrichment coordinator Emily McCormick and Ernest Harris, the co-owner/operator of Chick-n-Que. (VGCC photo)
Above: Three food trucks — Virgil's, Chick-n-Que and Ladybug’s Treats — are seen here at the first Mini-Food Truck Rodeo held at VGCC’s Franklin County Campus. (VGCC photo)
