1|Page

The Meal Bus:

Figure 1
Module code: COBMA2-11

Campus name: Potchefstroom

Student number: ps.2022.s6j0b8

Assessment type: Assignment

African dish 1.

For the love of food

2|Page

Table of Contents

Contents
The Meal Bus:...............................................................................................................1

Table of Contents:........................................................................................................2

Executive Summary......................................................................................................3

Business Description:...................................................................................................3

Market Strategy:...........................................................................................................3

Financial Analysis:........................................................................................................3

Operational Plan:..........................................................................................................3

Objectives and goals:...................................................................................................4

Strategies for Achieving Objectives:.............................................................................4

Strategies for Measuring Success:...............................................................................4

Introduction: including the vision and mission..............................................................5

Feasibility Analysis:......................................................................................................5

Business Model based on the Barringer/Ireland Business Model:...............................7

Porters Five Forces Model:..........................................................................................7

The type of business:....................................................................................................8

Assets vs Liabilities:......................................................................................................9

Skills Profile identifying gaps filled by interns or future employees:.............................9

Conclusion:...................................................................................................................9

Bibliography:...............................................................................................................10
3|Page

Executive Summary
The purpose of this business plan is to provide an overview of The Meal Bus: a
mobile food truck that provides the local community with a variety of traditional
“home-cooked meals. The aim is to provide our customers with a unique menu of
freshly prepared, high-quality African Traditional dishes. The truck will be operated
by two of our experienced professionals who are committed to providing only the
freshest ingredients and the highest-quality service. They plan to use their combined
culinary experience to offer a unique menu of Traditional dishes.

Business Description:
The meal bus: African Traditional Food Truck is a new business located in Gauteng,
Carletonville. It will be operated by chef Smith and Bonnie, two professionals with
over 5 years of experience in the food-making industry. The food truck will offer a
unique menu of African Traditional cuisines, featuring fresh dishes using the highest-
quality ingredients. The menu will focus on African traditional dishes, such as
bobotie, potjie Kos, and bunny chow served with any meat stew and Piri Piri chicken.
The truck will also serve a variety of sides, desserts, and drinks. The Meal Bus will
use its combined knowledge to create a unique menu and provide the best possible
service to its customers.

Market Strategy:
The Meal Bus target market is the Carletonville, Gauteng population. The food truck
will focus on serving residents. The target demographic includes both young
professionals and families, as well as college students and mine workers. The food
truck will offer its customers a unique dining experience, with a menu of freshly
prepared dishes made with the highest-quality ingredients. In order to reach out to
potential customers, the business will use a variety of traditional and online
marketing strategies, including promotional events and posters around town.

Financial Analysis:
The initial start-up cost of The Meal Bus will include the purchase or rental of a food
truck, equipment, supplies, and advertising. The estimated initial start-up costs are R
891 049. The initial operating expenses will include payroll for the chefs and staff,
food costs, and fuel costs. The estimated operating expenses for the first year are R
4|Page

107 5004. The business will generate revenue through the sale of food and drinks.
The estimated annual revenue is R 2,722 047.75. The business will also generate
revenue through catering services at special events.

Operational Plan:
The Meal Bus will operate 7 days a week, Monday- Sunday, from 10:00 am to 8:00
pm on weekdays and 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on weekends. The food truck will be in
different areas of the city on a regular basis, to maximize the number of potential
customers. The business will also have a website, where customers can order
online, state any queries, and find out where the truck is located. Additionally, the
business will use social media to reach out to potential customers and build a strong
customer base.

Objectives and goals:

The primary objective of The Meal Bus is to become a successful, profitable
business. The goal is to have a customer base of at least 100 customers per day,
with a minimum of 10 orders per day. Additionally, the business plans to generate at
least R 2,77 047,75 in annual revenue.

Strategies for Achieving Objectives:

In order to achieve the primary objective of becoming profitable, The Meal Bus will
use a variety of strategies. The business will use traditional and online marketing
strategies, including promotional events and posters around town. The business will
focus on providing high-quality food and excellent customer service, in order to
encourage customer loyalty. (Ruthuen, 1971)

Strategies for Measuring Success:

In order to measure the success of the business, The Meal Bus will track key metrics
such as customer base, daily orders, and annual revenue. The business will also
track customer feedback and reviews, in order to make improvements and ensure
the highest level of customer satisfaction. The business will also track the number of
social media followers in order to measure the success of their marketing efforts.
5|Page

. African dish 2.

African dish 3.

Introduction: including the vision and mission

Our food truck business, called “The Meal Bus,” will be a mobile restaurant that
offers high quality, delicious African traditional food customers. The food truck will
offer a unique menu of African Traditional cuisines, featuring fresh dishes using the
highest-quality ingredients. The mission of the business is to provide safe, innovative
and delicious food that customers will love. We will always strive to create a unique
and enjoyable experience for all our customers, while also providing top-notch
customer service. We will be dedicated to the highest quality of ingredients and
products, and to creating a fun and exciting atmosphere for our customers. The
vision of the business is to become the most popular and successful food truck
business in the area, offering unique and high-quality food experiences to our
customers.
6|Page

Feasibility Analysis:
The company chosen for this feasibility analysis is a fast-food chain, McDonald’s.
According to (www.google.co.za, 2019), McDonald’s is an international fast-food
chain that competes with the food truck business.

The feasibility analysis according to (Brunce R. Barringer, 2012) is the process of

determining if a business idea is viable. The first step of the feasibility analysis is to
research the market size and potential. McDonald’s had a large and loyal customer
base, which gives them an edge over The Meal Bus. McDonald’s has over 37000
locations worldwide, compared to the much smaller and localized food truck
businesses. This means that McDonald’s can reach a much larger consumer base
than The Meal Bus.

The second step of the feasibility analysis is to research the cost and pricing of the
product. McDonald’s has established the pricing of the product. McDonald’s has
established pricing for their items, which are lower than the prices of The Meal Bus.
McDonald’s also has the advantage of economies of scale, which allows them to buy
ingredients in bulk at a lower cost than The Meal Bus. This gives McDonald’s the
advantage of being able to offer lower prices than The Meal Bus.

The third step of the feasibility analysis is to research channels of the product.
McDonald’s has a large, established distribution network that allows them to deliver
their product to customers quickly and efficiently. The Meal Bus, on the other hand.
Must rely on slower, localized methods of distribution.

The fourth and final step of the feasibility analysis is to research the brand
recognition and loyalty of the product. McDonald’s has been around for over 70
years and is one of the most recognizable brands in the world. This gives them a
strong advantage over The Meal Bus, which is relatively new and unknown.

Based on the results of the feasibility analysis, it can be concluded that McDonald’s
is a more feasible option for consumers than The Meal Bus. McDonald’s has a larger
customer base, lower prices, more efficient distribution channels, and greater brand
recognition and loyalty than The Meal Bus.

Here is a copy of McDonald’s long-term sales:

7|Page

Sales 1
8|Page

Business Model based on the Barringer/Ireland Business Model:

The Barringer/Ireland business template is (Schultz, 2017) a tool that allows an
entrepreneur to describe, project, revise, and pivot a business model until all 12
parts are decided upon.

1. Customer Segments: The Meal Bus should focus on customers who are
hungry and willing to eat street food. Customers can come from any
demographic, so the business should be designed to reach everyone.
Examples of possible customer segments include young adults, college
students, professionals, families, and mine workers
2. Value propositions: The Meal Bus should create value propositions that
appeal to their customer segments. Examples include convenient, fast, and
affordable street food, unique flavors, and a fun and relaxed atmosphere.
3. Channels: To reach their customer segments, The Meal Bus should use
multiple channels. Examples include social media, online ordering, local
advertising, and word-of-mouth.
4. Customer Relationships: The Meal Bus should strive to build lasting
relationships with its customers. Examples of customer relationships include
offering loyalty programs, providing personalized service, and engaging with
customers on social media.
5. Revenue Streams: The Meal Bus can generate revenue through the sale of
food items and drinks, catering events, and special promotions.
6. Key Resources: The Meal Bus needs key resources to be successful.
Examples of key resources include a food truck, a chef and staff, a kitchen,
and quality ingredients.
7. Key Activities: The Meal Bus needs to perform key activities to be successful.
Examples of key activities include cooking and preparing food, serving
customers, marketing, and maintaining equipment.
8. Key Partnerships: The Meal Bus should form partnerships with other
businesses to expand their reach. Examples of possible partnerships include
farmers and distributors for ingredients, local event organizers for catering,
and banks for financing.
9|Page

9. Cost Structure: The Meal Bus should strive to keep its costs low in order to
maximize profits. Examples of costs include rent for the truck, kitchen
equipment, food and drink supplies, staff wages, and marketing expenses.

Porters Five Forces Model:

Porter’s Five Forces Model is a powerful tool used to analyze the competitive
environment of a business. It helps identify and analyze five key forces that
determine the overall competitiveness of a market or industry (Brunce R. Barringer,
2012). These forces are:

1. Threat of New Entrants=How easy or difficult is it for new companies to enter

the market?

2. Threat of Substitutes=How attractive is it for consumers to switch substitutes

for the same product or service?

3. Bargaining Power of Suppliers=How powerful are the suppliers in the market.

4. Bargaining Power of Buyers=How powerful are the buyers in the market.

5. Intensity of Rivalry=How intense is the competition between existing

companies?

For example, a food truck business can assess the competitive environment of the
market by comparing it to a company offering more or less the same product or
service l, like McDonald’s.

Threat of New Entrants: The treat of new entrants into the market is low, as starting
up a food truck takes significant capital and expertise. The barriers to entry are quite
high, making it difficult for new companies to enter the market and compete with
existing companies.

The threat of Substitutes: The threat of substitutes for the same product or service is
ow. While there might be other food truck businesses offering the same dishes, the
10 | P a g e

unique selling point of each truck makes it difficult for consumers to switch to
substitutes for the same product or service.

Bargaining Power of Suppliers: The bargaining power of suppliers is relatively low,

as the food truck business has the freedom to source its ingredients from anywhere.

Bargaining Power of Buyers: The bargaining power of buyers is also relatively low as
the food truck business does not need to cater to many customers.

The intensity of Rivalry: The intensity of rivalry within the food truck market is quite
high. There are many existing competitors trying for customers and a limited number
of customers in the market. This makes it difficult for the food truck business to gain
a competitive advantage over other companies.

Overall, the competitive environment of the food truck market is quite intense. New
entrants face high barriers to entry, and the bargaining power o suppliers and buyers
is low. The threat of substitutes is also low, and the intensity of rivalry is high. This
makes it difficult for The Meal Bus to gain and maintain a competitive in the market.

The type of business:

The industry type that a food truck will be operating in, is the food service industry,
specifically in the mobile food segment. This industry involves selling food and
beverages to customers in either a fixed or mobile position. The products offered by
The Meal Bus are prepared and served on the spot, which distinguishes it from brick-
and-mortar restaurants that operate from fixed locations.

Assets vs Liabilities:
According to (www.google.co.za, 2019), assets and liabilities are two important
components of the company’s balance sheet that helps investors, lenders and
business owners understand the financial position of a business.

Assets are things that accompany uses to generate revenue, such as equipment,
inventory, cash, and accounts receivable. In a food truck business like, “The Meal
Bus” assets include the truck, cooking equipment and utensils, food inventory, and
any cash on hand or business bank account. On the other hand, liabilities are debts
that a company owes to others, such as loans or bills payable. For my chosen
business, liabilities may include vendor bills for supplies, truck loans, taxes and fees
11 | P a g e

owed to local and state governments, and any payroll or employee related expenses
like salaries, wages and benefits.

The main difference between assets and liabilities is that assets represent the
resources available to a business, while liabilities represent its debts or obligations.
The balance between the two is important as it gives stakeholders an idea of the
business’s overall financial health.

Skills Profile identifying gaps filled by interns or future employees:

Group Member 1:

 Thorough understanding of the food service industry.

 Knowledge of menu items, food safety, and hygiene standards.
 Excellent customer service, communication, and organizational skills
 Ability to manage inventory and staff
 Gap: Accounting

Group Member 2:

 Extensive experience in food preparation and cooking

 Knowledge of African cuisine
 Excellent culinary skills and knowledge of food trends
 Gap: Scheduling and Logistics

Group Member 3:

 Well-versed in the business side of running a food truck including marketing,

advertising, and financial management
 Strong communication and leadership skills
 Gap: Food Preparation and Cooking.

Conclusion:
The Meal Bus has potential to be a successful and profitable business that meets the
growing demand for high-quality, convenient food options. We are confident that we
can establish a loyal customer base and achieve long term success in the food truck
industry.
12 | P a g e

Bibliography:

References
1. Brunce R. Barringer, R. D. (2012). Entrepreneurship successfully launching
new ventures . In S. E. C. Brooks, Entrepreneurship successfully launching
new ventures (p. 589). Harlow: www.pearsonhighered.com.

2. Ruthuen, P. (1971). ibisworld.com.

3. Retrieved from https://www.ibisworld.com

4. Schultz, C. (2017). In S. A. Rehder, Entrepreneurship (p. 58). Kohlhammer

Verlag .

5. www.google.co.za. (2019, November 04).

6. Retrieved from https://www.mcdonalds.co za

7. https://flavorverse.co/traditional -south-african-foods/
8. https://www.businessnewdaily.com
9.