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.
Hastings sits on a sweet spot for food truck operations. You’ve got festival season anchored by Kool-Aid Days-30+ vendors, packed crowds, and a town ready to eat. The city’s got straightforward permitting. The health department’s reasonable. Fire code’s tight but standard. This is a market that works for mobile food operations.
We’ve built food trucks for operators hitting exactly this market. Let’s walk through what you need to know before you launch.
Permits and City Requirements
Hastings runs permits through Development Services. You need a Temporary Use Permit (TUP) if you’re staying at one location for 14 or more consecutive days. That’s your main gate. Max duration is 180 days at the same spot-good enough to work a season or run multiple locations in rotation.
The application’s not complicated but it’s specific. You’ll submit a site plan showing seating, lighting, heat lamps, barricades, utilities, signage, trash handling, and porta-pots. They want a narrative explaining your outdoor setup. You’ve got to address parking, traffic flow, noise, and smell mitigation. That last one matters more than most operators think. Be explicit about it.
Ordinance No. 4674 governs this. Contact Development Services at the city-they’ll walk you through the specifics. You’ll also need a State-issued Temporary Food Establishment Permit before you apply locally. That permit runs $122 initial, $61 annual.
Fire permit comes separate. Call Anthony Murphy at Hastings Fire & Rescue: (402) 461-2350. Mobile units with smoke or grease equipment need approval. It’s not a gate-keeper process-it’s a checkbox-but you need the checkbox marked.
South Heartland District Health Department handles Hastings, covering Adams, Clay, Nuckolls, and Webster counties. They’re at 606 North Minnesota, Suite 2. Phone: (402) 462-6211.
All employees need food handler certification within 30 days of hire. That’s state-level-non-negotiable. Annual inspections come after that. Health department’s straightforward if your truck’s built right. Improper grease handling, water systems that aren’t sealed, or trash that’s loose cost you time and fines. We build trucks that pass inspection the first time.
Fire Code for Propane and Suppression
This is where most operators fumble. Hastings Fire & Rescue requires NFPA 17A Wet Chemical Extinguishing Systems on any unit with grease-producing equipment. That’s industry standard now-expect it. Your fuel gas systems need annual inspection by an approved agency. When suppression activates, fuel cuts off automatically. Non-negotiable.
Propane: NFPA compliant, securely mounted, ventilated properly. If you’re building a propane-powered unit, this matters. Fire Marshal: (402) 462-7155.
Read the video transcript: Fire Suppression / Denver French Truck
Hello and welcome design food trucks. Today we have another exciting project uh leading us. This one is of course going to be here in Denver and it's going to make um gourmet sandwiches. It is 18 ft long and it has a few tricks up its sleeve. Let's look outside and see its uh exterior and then go inside. goes on the outside. What catches your eye would be the the French themed um wrap on the outside. Very beautiful if I may say so. Um very tasteful. Ties all the sandwich theme together. Um that of course is the awning for the 5-ft window. Self-closing obviously as is required by code. The two exterior lights. You can also see the air conditioner on top. The air conditioner also has a heat pump. That is how you would fill water into the fresh water tank. That is how you drain water from the gray water tank. On the back you would see the RV door as we call it. Um basically the code does not allow the the kind of um roll uh the rollup shutter the rollup door that is not up to code which is why we have to do this. I apologize for the road noise. The truck is parked for delivery. So um that is how you would drain the black water tank. This truck has a bathroom inside. So that's how you would train it. Of course that's the shore power connection the generator box of course which is as you can see lockable. It opens up and uh exposes the generator. That obviously is how the that is how the um that's actually where the um propane tank is. We call them underbelly tanks. you don't like them hanging out in the back of the truck. Um, it's a a fire risk in case if it's a rear ended or whatever. Now, let's go inside and see its many features. This truck, as with others that we build, has two doors, one in the back, one in the front. Code requires that any space a human occupies um must have a ingress and an ingress. This is the ingress, of course. Uh, right in front is the refrigerator. And right here is a range. And the range has a griddle and two burners. And the oven, of course, which is why it's a range. Um, the hood, as you can see, slightly oversized. This is because we believe that this customer might add more equipment as they go, you know, as they go about their business. the menu might change. Um maybe they will want soups or something else. Um which is why we left a little bit of space here and a larger hood. Talking about sandwiches, that's what we're going to be making the sandwiches on. This is a sandwich prep table, a refrigerated sandwich prep table. A freezer right there. The freezer is actually resting on a generator box. So you saw that door on the outside. Um, this is the generator box for it. Right there is a little freshwater tank and uh what it is for um is the toilet. This um truck has a restroom inside for the customer's personal use. Not really open to the public, but it is there. Now, you cannot have um obviously the other plumbing is on this side. Um so you cannot have these uh connecting together. What I mean is so the bathroom the water from the bathroom cannot at any point interact with the water um for the you know hand washing or or bear washing which is why it has completely different systems, different setups. So freshwater tank for the bathroom. There's a little water heater behind it. Of course it has its own water pump. And right there is the bathroom toilet, hand wash sink. Of course, hand wash sink also has hot water. This is the the pull tab for the uh fire extinguisher. On this side you would see a larger water heater and this is required because um of the area where this truck is going to be operating in. Food trucks as you know are regulated by um by county code at least for now. The wiring you would see just like with all our trucks um every piece of equipment has its own breaker. They're all home run so to speak. water heater, mop sink, hand wash sink, three compartment sink, and the um the service window. The service window as always is self-closing. So, you lift up, pass your product, and it closes by itself. The controller for the air conditioner, which is right here. lights. Of course, this truck has an all stainless construction and uh inside the walls is 1 in of insulation, 9/16 in of plywood. The floor is aluminum diamond plate and uh addition of the insulation makes it a very comfortable place to work in. If you have any questions or if you would like a food truck like this uh built for yourself, please do contact us through our website zfotrs.com or our phone number 7209-2653. Thank you. Have a nice day.
That’s an 18-foot build with premium features and a full restroom-shows what a food truck can really be.
The Kool-Aid Days Opportunity
Kool-Aid was invented in Hastings in 1927. The town owns that story. Kool-Aid Days runs August 14-16, 2026, at Adams County Fairgrounds. They expect 30+ food vendors. We’re talking the World’s Largest Kool-Aid Stand, a Grand Parade, carnival rides, and fireworks. That’s a food truck magnet.
One week. Three days. Crowds that come specifically for the food. This is the kind of event that justifies having a food truck in your operation. Think about your menu-what works during a summer festival? Pulled pork, fried food, frozen treats, loaded nachos. The trucks that clean up at events like this are ones built for speed and volume.
Ice cream trailer-that’s Kool-Aid Days territory right there. Simple menu. High margins. Mobile.
Other Events Worth Hitting
Fairfest in July-40+ vendors. Hastings Downtown Market runs Thursday evenings through summer, and they feature a food truck each week. The PRCA Oregon Trail Rodeo brings crowds too. You’re not sitting idle between Kool-Aid Days and the holidays.
Active food vendors in Hastings: Serrano’s Mexican Grill, Pig In A Bag BBQ, MeanBone BBQ, Fat Fox’s, Hit the Spot, Tony’s Tacos, Special Scoops, JP Kettle Corn. Market’s got room. They’re not all food trucks, but they show the city eats out.
What You Need to Build Here
For Hastings, you need a truck that handles both stationary vending (long sits at festival grounds) and mobile catering (hitting multiple spots through the week). That means:
Stainless steel hood and exhaust-required for fire code pass
Grease trap with proper capacity
Three-compartment sink (state requires it for manual washing)
Propane system with NFPA compliance
Wet chemical suppression system
Adequate ventilation-not an afterthought
We build custom food trucks with all this baked in. We also have food trailer options if you’re thinking smaller scale to start. Either way, the systems are right from day one.
Financing matters when you’re looking at this investment. Food truck financing gets you operational faster than bootstrapping. And if you’re thinking about going electric for Hastings summers, we can talk electric food trucks-low noise, low smell, fits the vibe.
Start Here
Hastings is a solid market. You’ve got events, you’ve got code that works, you’ve got a city that doesn’t make the process painful. The work is building a truck that passes every inspection first time and having a menu that moves volume at festival season.
Get a free quote on your build. We’ll spec it right for Hastings operations and walk through the timeline to get you operational before Kool-Aid Days.
