Using Data to Save a Business

For a Charlotte-based food truck company, I took public information from US Census reports and visualized it to help them drive smarter decisions and maximize their time and efforts when it comes to finding the best spots to set up shop.

Problem: A new Mexican food truck concept based in Charlotte, North Carolina was facing a significant challenge. Despite serving delicious food, the truck was consistently parking in areas that didn't seem interested in their offerings. The owners were new to the area and were having a hard time carving out their spot in the Charlotte food truck scene.

This mismatch between their location and potential customers was causing stagnation in their revenue and order numbers.

Solution: To address this problem, I partnered with the owners and promised that through deep research into the Charlotte metropolitan's demographics, we would find the best places to set up shop.

Target Audience Identification: The first step in this process was working with the owners to understand their business and identify the types of people who would be most interested in the food they were serving. While good food transcends most cultures, social classes, and other unique human identifiers, a specific concept that is delivered through a mobile food truck might stand out to some more than others.

• The first consideration is that food trucks tend to be higher in cost compared to brick-and-mortar locations.

• The second consideration is that food trucks generally rely on areas of high foot traffic.

• The third consideration is that this particular food truck offers Mexican-inspired cuisine.

Data Visualization: With these considerations in mind, I used public information found on the United States Census website to begin looking for places the food truck could set up. I cross-referenced this information with data from Google Maps to ensure that the locations provided were in areas that were not already saturated with Mexican restaurants.

The information was analyzed using a combination of manual processes and artificial intelligence and then delivered to the customer in a presentation.

Takeaways: I was able to provide the customer with 10 locations that were both high in foot traffic, in affluent areas, and not within walking distance of an alternative Mexican location. The client was able to change their strategy to target the key audience identified and has since seen an increase in business over the past few months.

They have stated that the information and data I provided to them has allowed them to focus less on research and planning and more on sourcing ingredients, trying new recipes, and perfecting their craft.

If you are interested in seeing how data can help your business grow, feel free to reach out to me at the link below.