Southern NH University students learn about business on the Munchiez Food Truck. Courtesy Photo.
What started as a student project at Southern NH University in Manchester is now a fully operational small business funded with a $100,000 investment from the university. Munchiez Food Truck, which debuted last spring, is serving students with the late-night munchies.
In the spring of 2014, groups of students were working on a semester-long business plan in their Business Planning and Preparation course taught by Susan Losapio. At the end of the semester, students pitched their plans to a panel of entrepreneurs. Losapio says the entrepreneurs were impressed by the food truck and encouraged the students to investigate it further.
The next fall Losapio transformed her Small Business Management course into a class that would run Munchiez Food Truck. The class was broken up into business divisions with teams working on finances, marketing, management and other areas. At the end of the semester, the class pitched the idea to the president of SNHU, Paul LeBlanc, who agreed to invest $100,000. Of that, $80,000 went to the purchase of the truck, and $20,000 covered additional start up costs, such as advertising, cash on hand and food.
“These students are learning things that they have been exposed to in class, but now they really know what they mean,” Losapio says.
Munchiez Food Truck’s main purpose is to fill a gap for students who wanted to grab a meal or snack after the dining center closed. The truck operates on campus from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. It also created paying jobs, with 40 students working at the truck. Those in administrative roles are part of a class project and earn class credit.
“This business really shows the dirty work behind small business, such as having to cover a shift when people call out, taking out the trash, and overcoming unexpected obstacles to ensure business continues as planned,” says Benjamin Harris, a SNHU senior and public relations coordinator for Munchiez Food Truck. “I go to class as if I was going to work. I have to meet hard deadlines, I’m given performance appraisals and have to make connections to keep business coming.”
In addition to operating on campus, Munchiez Food Truck has served up food at the Portsmouth Food Truck Festival and a higher education conference at the Radisson Hotel. Like many small businesses, the food truck is running in the red with $19,816 in expenses. It generated $11,386 in revenue as of mid-February and is expected to be profitable in a few years.
Munchiez’s menu rotates weekly, but regular features include its popular mac and cheese bites and French fries. Losapio says while the business is generating revenue, that is the not the main purpose. The real goal is to give back to the community and eventually make enough money to establish a scholarship for entrepreneurial students.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/MunchiezFoodTruck
By Alicia Frazier, a senior at Southern NH University in Manchester and a former intern at Business NH Magazine.
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