Food Truck Builds for Grand Island-And State Fair Operators
Recent Nebraska Builds
Real rigs we have built and delivered to Nebraska operators.
Ram Promaster Coffee Van
Omaha, NE
Read the video transcript: Omaha Coffee Van
Welcome to Design Food Trucks. Today we have a relatively quick and uh simple project. Still pretty cool. Thought I'd show it off. Um this is a Ram ProMaster van which we converted to a coffee truck, coffee van. This one's going to Omaha, Nebraska. And uh it's uh it's simple in that we did not do the walls inside. Customer did not want us to. They would like to do that themselves. Um but in other respects it is complete. Um so it is a food truck. That is of course the window. That is a 6ft self-closing window. Right there is how you fill water. That is how you drain water. You pull the plunger. Water comes out. Um goes lights. This door we had to cancel and we had to do that because uh if you can see otherwise it would clash against the the window. the shore power connection capable of 220 watts which is what 220 amp volts my not watts uh that's what uh this whole truck needs let's go inside quite a simple um interior can see it's bare It's rare in that it it doesn't have walls. Um it does have electrical wiring which we did like we always do. It has 220 like I mentioned lights both interior and exterior plumbing system. Hand wash sink. Three compartment sink water heater and water pump. That is how you drain water and the fresh water and gray water tanks. As always, self-closing window. An espresso machine is going to be located here. And the espresso machine would require 220, which is what that is for. That is actually the removable shelf. um the outdoor shelf that is of course they would need additional equipment like grinders maybe a few other piece of equipment which is what that is for. You can see our wiring very nice and tidy and it's always as always in conduits. If you have any questions or if you would like um something like this, nothing is too small. Um, contact us through our website zanfuttros.com or through our uh phone number 72092653. Thank you. Have a nice day.
Cargo van conversion to a full mobile coffee operation.
16ft Mexican Food Truck
Omaha, NE
Read the video transcript: Omaha Mexican Food Truck
hello and welcome to Mile High food trucks today we have another beautiful food truck that we are about to ship this one is a Mexican theme this one's actually slightly different in that this is also a box truck well this used to be a box truck uh which we have converted into a food truck check out the cool graphics on the outside also in it is a 9500 W Predator generator which we Mount them typical to um many other food trucks that we have built in that it a generator box that is on the inside so that it doesn't get stolen we also build um custom extension cords so they can connect the generator to the truck or the truck to the wall these are of course made out of six cug wire custom cables another difference here is that this truck the customer requested that the um the the gas tank the propane tank be on the outside they want it to be replaceable so this one has a 100 lb tank similar to food trailers on the rear of the trailer it's of course also wrapped check out the cool graphics on the outside right here is the 5T um 5T service window with self closing door course of course that is we can lift pass the product and it will come down by itself to keep the box out LED lights on the inside and outside right there is where you fill the water so you open that and you put in a garden house to fill the water tanks for a tank singular in this case right there is how you drain the water similar to RVs so you take the cap off you pull the plunger and the water would fall down from the 40 lb uh gray water tank which is mounted in the bottom of the tra truck the truck has about 100,000 mil used to be a FedEx truck you can see the AC on the roof which is uh rbac of course and the 1650 CFM uh exhaust fan oh something I forgot to mention was this sh power Inlet you can connect to to your house or a commissary this way on the side of the 1650 CFM fan is a small uh grease catch pan so the grease doesn't run down the side of the truck let's go inside and see the interior of this beautiful food truck and to get to the inside is a RV door that we put in of course the much like most FedEx trucks the back of this truck was uh much like that uh it had a rollup door which of course we demolished and uh uh we framed it in and we added this 32 in wide um RV window RV door and the RV door also has a screen so you can actually just have the screen door on to give a little bit more ventilation now let's go see the inside of this beautiful food truck let's start in the front right there let me turn the AC off right there is the uh three compartment sink NSF approved obviously to comply with the regulations below that is the freshwater tank as that I mentioned earlier 30 Gall 8 Gall water heater electric hand wash sink with Splash GS the soap dispenser and the uh towel dispenser check out the plumbing on the bottom of this we of course make sure that that nothing leaks the water pump that is the service window the interior of it you lift this thing pass the product and it closes by itself this also has a refrigerator and a freezer of course all equipment are mounted to floor as well as to the walls with washes so they're not going anywhere when the truck is in transit right there is the uh the carbon monoxide and the propane uh sensor in case there is a propan or a carbon monoxide Le inside the truck the AC that I just shut off right there is the breaker panel just like all the other food trucks that we built every single piece of equipment has its own breaker so if the refrigerator was to fail it's not going to take out something else and all the wiring is in these conduits this way you can drill into any of the walls to hang like a bracket or a shelf or anything also the wires are not going to get damaged due to chafing that is a 36 in mega top sandwich prep it's got a lot of little trades for the toppings next to that is a propane um steam table next to that is a uh two burner stuff 48 in griddle this is a Mexican food truck of course uh Mexican food uses griddle extens siing the 8 foot um 7 foot in the skis I apologize uh Hood type one with fire separation andil as always these are the individual drops of course this comes certified and installed by uh certified hands tags everywhere more Outlets that's the interior of the generator box you can of course keep something on top of it if you like the floor is of course aluminum diamond plate all the walls are stainless steel that brings us to the end of the tour of this beautiful food truck if you have any questions would like a food truck for yourself um get in touch with us at uh mile highcustom food trucks.com or Zion food trucks.com thank you and have a nice day
Custom 16-foot Mexican food truck.
22ft Cameroonian BBQ Trailer
Lincoln, NE
Read the video transcript: Lincoln Cameroonian BBQ
hello and welcome to Mile High and Zion food trucks today we have this beautiful 22 ft barbecue trailer it's actually an African barbecue trailer that we're shipping out today let's check out its many features it's kind of uh noisy outside so we starting in on the inside here we have a 10 ft hood of course with fire suppression um two friers 40 lb each of them and a fairly large gr uh large range the range has six burners and a 24in griddle and two ovens that's just the box that the TV came in we'll show you the TV later this is a freezer an undercounter freezer worktop freezer so they can do their um cutting and other stuff here a table a service table that is that's the service vendor self closing of course as with every other trailer Inside the walls or truck inside the walls is 1 in of insulation 9/16 in of plywood and the cooking wall is stainless the other walls they are uh F FRP every single circuit is of course um separately isolated with individual Breakers lights for inside and outside that's the switch for the uh fan itself AC remote that's the AC with heat three compartment sink hand wash sink soap and towel dispensers all the plumbing is on the inside right here the gray water tank and the fresh water tank of course pump water heater so of course locks away little microwave over there that's the bottle for the fire separation system and uh twin refrigerators the customer wanted a double door um this this trailer is not tall enough for a double door refrigerator so we got them two separate um individual refrigerators the floor is aluminum diamond plate LED lights of course and uh the walls as I mentioned is FP here stainless steel on this side let's go outside and uh see the how the outside on the outside of this trailer of course is the beautiful wrap which is of course cameroonian uh themed on top is the big fan which is I think 1650 CFM um with the little drip tray catch tray on top so the grease doesn't run down the side of the the trailer the generator box which houses the actual generator inside generator is of course on slides up front is is the shore power Inlet the water inlet gray water drain right there and of course the two LP cases on this side is of course the service window and the menu display which is of course both of these are lockable and can be secured this is the the business end of the trailer which is of course a charcoal and that is inside a porch it has a door to access the kitchen of course there is a porch light as well as well as a an outdoor rated electrical box in case they wanted to connect something else here that brings us to the end of this tour a beautiful 22 ft African food truck if you have any questions or if you would like a a food truck build for yourself get in touch with us through www zood trucks.com or migh food trucks.com thank you and have a nice day
22-foot BBQ trailer built for high-volume Lincoln catering.
Grand Island’s got two things going for it: steady local market and the Nebraska State Fair. That fair brings hundreds of thousands of people. We’ve built trucks specifically for fair operators. The permit process here is solid, and there’s real money in positioning yourself right.
Permits and City Code
Grand Island runs things by the book. City Code Section 32-44 covers Food Vendor Permits. You need two separate permits:
City vendor permit (Food Vendor Permit, Section 32-44)
Health permit from Central District Health Department
State permit from NE Dept of Agriculture ($122 initial, $61 annual)
Sales Tax Certificate
They’re not expensive individually-around $300-500 for city and county combined-but don’t skip either one. City doesn’t approve you without health sign-off, and health won’t sign off without seeing your commissary setup.
Timeline: 2-3 weeks for the full cycle if you’ve got everything ready. If you’re slow getting commissary documentation, stretch that to 4-5 weeks.
Central District Health Department
Central District Health covers Hall, Hamilton, and Merrick Counties. They’re at 1137 S Locust St, Grand Island. (308) 385-5175. These folks know food trucks-they process them regularly.
Pre-inspection is mandatory before you operate. They’re checking:
Food storage and rotation
Temperature control equipment (thermometers that work)
Handwashing stations (separate from prep sinks)
Water and waste systems
Pest control
Ventilation if you’re cooking
Chapter 29 “RESTAURANTS AND FOOD SERVICE” is what CDHD enforces. Read it. It’s specific about sink requirements, water temperature, and food handling protocols.
Staff training: all employees need Food Handler Certification. You need one Certified Food Protection Manager-that’s a 5-year ANSI cert. Most operators get this handled in 3-4 weeks of study and exam.
Permits renew every 2 years. Annual inspections happen. Keep your truck clean, keep temperature logs, and you won’t have friction.
Fire Code and Equipment
If you’re cooking fried or grilled food-and most trucks are-you need a Type I hood. That’s the commercial system that handles grease-laden vapors. NFPA 96 standard.
Fire suppression system is required and it’s not negotiable. Automatic dry chemical setup. Service it annually. Tamper seal and tag have to be visible.
Extinguishers: Class K (cooking oils) plus ABC (general fires). Cost for initial hood and suppression setup: $3,500-5,500 depending on truck size. Annual service: $400-600.
As of February 2026, Grand Island was updating fire regulations based on the 2021 International Fire Code. Check with the Fire Marshal before you build. We handle that in our shop-submit specs and get approval before construction.
Commissary Kitchen
You need a licensed commercial kitchen. Three sinks minimum: handwashing, food prep, dishwashing. Water temps have to be right. Spacing has to meet code.
If you don’t own it, get a Commissary Kitchen Certification letter (notarized) from the owner. CDHD needs to see it. This is standard-no shame in sharing space.
The Real Opportunity-Nebraska State Fair
This is why you build a truck for Grand Island. The State Fair happens here every year. August 28-September 7, 2026. Hundreds of thousands of people.
Applications are open year-round at statefair.org/food-vendors/vendor-application/. They review applications annually. Get in early. Competition is real, but if you’ve got a good concept and you can execute, you get approved.
Fair experience: long hours, high volume, steady customers. Most operators make 50-60% of their annual income in those 11 days. It’s not easy work-you’ll be cooking dawn to dark-but the money is there.
We’ve built trucks specifically for fair operators. They’re designed for high-volume service, quick cooking, minimal waste. Short lines mean customers come back. That matters when you’ve got 10,000 people walking past your stand daily.
Beyond the Fair-Fonner Park and Events
Fonner Park is a massive venue. Horse racing, trade shows, the Heartland Events Center-constant events year-round. Most of these events allow food vendors. Contact Fonner Park directly about truck permits and parking availability.
Taste of Grand Island is April 18, 2026 at the Aurora Cooperative Pavilion. That’s the kind of event that draws 5,000+ people. Get on the vendor list early for next year.
Active trucks in the market right now: Tacos La Isla, various BBQ trailers, taco trucks. Mexican food dominates. But that doesn’t mean it’s saturated-it means the market eats Mexican. If you’re good at it, there’s room.
Read the video transcript: Bozeman Burger
Hello and welcome to Design Food Trucks. Today we have this beautiful 16 ft food truck that we are shipping out to Montana. Let's check out its many features. We start on the inside today just because the outside is a little chilly. Right up here is the plumbing unit that has the three compartment sink, hand wash sink, the water tanks, and the water heater. You'll notice that um wherever there is a gap, we have filled that in with coke. Make sure that water does not get in between. Also, there is a splash guard between the handwash sink and the three compartment sink. Of course, there's a shelf on top. Soap dispenser, towel dispenser, refrigerator. All equipment of course are mounted to the floor with washers and all equipment stay six in above the ground to make sure they're compliant with code. So you can put a broom underneath or like a mop underneath and clean it. Right next to that is a freezer. Small work table. Another table that is the freshwater tank that you're looking at. goes the ABC fire extinguisher. That's the K series fire extinguisher. That is the egress in this food truck. Right up there is the junction box. As with all our trucks, every piece of equipment has its own breaker. It's not been labeled yet, but it will be soon. Fire suppression system is of course labeled and tagged. You'll notice all the is inside conduits, not inside the walls areas that um the walls of the truck, they flex when they drive and uh chafe it. This of course prevents that. Plus, it's easy to access that as well. Sandwich prep. Oh, before that, the generator door turned a box which we make into a workt. Nice work table. So, we can do all your prep there if you want to. Floor is aluminum diamond plate. Sandwich prep, steam table. This one's electric. Under that is the chef base, two fryers, each of them, two basket, and a griddle. It's not just a griddle. There's a it's a range. So, there is the oven right under that. Of course, a two on a stove. You'll see all the walls are stainless steel and uh and inside the walls is 1 in of insulation, 9/16 in of uh plywood. Forgot to show you this one. This is the uh self-closing window. You lift up the product and close by itself. Let's go see outside. And this, of course, started out as a 16 ft Freightlininer diesel truck. There's a shelf, outside shelf for the service window. Let's have you fill the water. The outside access door. Truck's not been wrapped yet, but it will be. customer decided to do that themselves. Uh so we'll ship it and uh they will wrap it themselves. That of course is the generator which you'll notice is in a nice tray. That's the shore power plugin. Of course, you'll notice the hood on top. Sorry, hood fan on top. Look at that. beautiful 16 ft food truck that we are shipping out. If you have any questions or if you would like one like this yourself, do contact us through our website designuttrros.com. Thank you. Have a nice day.
This burger truck build we did is the kind of setup that works great for fair and event operators. Quick-service design, solid grill, efficient layout. See how the workflow’s designed-that matters when you’re cranking 500 burgers in a day.
This is a horse trailer to coffee trailer conversion. Shows what’s possible when you think creatively about the build. Grand Island’s got a lot of agricultural operators and events-this kind of niche build gets attention at fairs and equestrian events.
Where You Can Operate
You can’t park on city streets without permission. Private property-parking lots, event venues, fairgrounds-that’s where you operate. Most commercial areas are fine if you get property owner approval. City doesn’t typically require a separate use permit for private property, but check with Planning and Zoning to be safe.
Parks and special events sometimes require advance approval. If you’re working the State Fair, that’s already built in. If you’re doing farmers markets or festivals, contact the event organizer-they’ve got vendor rules.
Local Market Snapshot
Population around 53,000. Growing food truck market because of State Fair and events. Year-round customer base from Fonner Park events and the general commercial area.
If you’re targeting the fair, you’re competing regionally-not just locally. Operators from Kansas, Oklahoma, and Iowa come to Grand Island. That means your concept has to stand out. Quality food, efficient service, good location on the fairgrounds.
If you’re targeting local events and Fonner Park, you’ve got steadier but smaller volume. But it’s consistent work without the insane hours of fair season.
Building Your Truck
Truck cost depends on what you want. We do custom builds starting at $35,000. If you’re building for the State Fair specifically, you might want to invest more in efficiency-better grills, faster cooking equipment, optimized serving windows. That’s $45,000-55,000.
Financing: we work with lenders who understand the food truck business. Fair operators get approved because there’s proven revenue. Show last year’s fair earnings or a 3-year revenue projection and you’ll get funded.
Insurance: $1,500-2,500 annually for food trucks. Special event insurance if you’re doing the fair adds another $300-500 per year.
Commissary space if you don’t own it: $300-600 monthly. Factor that in.
Real talk: State Fair operators can make $15,000-30,000 in 11 days if they’re solid. Rest of the year, local events and Fonner Park give you $2,000-4,000 monthly if you’re working 4-5 days a week. It’s not get-rich work, but it’s real money with a food truck done right.
Want to see what a Grand Island build looks like? Let’s talk specifics about your concept.
