Not long after moving to Tasmania, I put my savings into an onigiri (Japanese rice ball) food truck. The result was a pretty decent failure. Still, I learned a lot from it, the hard way. In this article I share that story, along with a step-by-step guide to starting a food truck the way I would do it now.
I had moved to Tasmania, but day after day went by without any design work turning up. So I decided to do something about it: this could even become part of my portfolio! I used the savings I had at the time and started an onigiri food truck.
It began on a whim, something like: "There's nowhere to get Japanese food! I miss it! Isn't anyone doing this? Fine, I'll do it myself!" I thought onigiri was something even I could manage, and it would help me build a design portfolio too. That was about as deep as my thinking went.
But I had no idea what I was doing. I had only just moved, so I didn't know anyone, and since it was the countryside, there weren't many people around anyway. Looking back, Tasmania has a very strong sense of community. When you know people, things move easily, but when you don't know anyone, it was often hard to even get people to hear you out.
There was far more to do than I had imagined. Coming up with a business name, registering the business, registering with the council, building the food truck and getting it approved, checking the conditions for approval, dealing and negotiating with suppliers, contacting markets and checking their stallholder conditions, working with the truck builder, and following up with people who never replied. On top of that: the menu, promotional materials, packaging, deciding what to sell, and tastings and tweaks.
In the end, it took about a year from the first idea to my first market. My English is better now, and I think I could do it much faster today. But back then I wasn't confident in English, and I couldn't bring myself to ask the builder or the council, "How is this going?" or "When do you think it will be ready?" I feel that made everything take even longer.
Somehow I got to the point where I could sell, and finally started trading at markets. The markets started at 6 am, so I would get up in the middle of the night, prepare everything, hitch the big trailer to the car and drive. My husband helped me a lot with the driving.
Even so, when customers told me the food was delicious, or said "Your food truck is so cute!", it really lifted my spirits.
I had been accepted into some bigger markets and events, and just as I was thinking "Right, let's do this!", COVID arrived. Every market and event I had booked was cancelled. There was nothing anyone could do about that. Tasmania had very few cases at the time, and travel within the state was even being encouraged, so I think we were lucky in that sense.
In the end, my heart just wasn't in it anymore, and I sold the food truck.
That said, because I started very small and without borrowing any money, stopping was simple: I sold the food truck, and that was that. Looking back, that is one thing I'm still glad I got right.
Now I see it as a valuable experience. I learned the whole process of getting a shop up and running, and I felt, deep down, just how amazing people in hospitality are. I have huge respect for everyone who keeps working hard to bring good food to their customers, whatever it takes.
And I went through all of it myself: the anxiety of starting a new business, the loneliness, the frustration when things don't move the way you want, and the language and cultural barriers.
From here on, this is how I would go about it now. Rules differ between states and councils, and they can change, so please always check the latest official information and talk to your local council.
The first things to decide are your product, your customers and where you will sell. If you look into the markets and events you want to trade at (their dates, the crowd, the stall fees, and what other vendors are there), you will start to see what you might sell and what it will cost you. I skipped this part on a whim, and it made things harder later on.
To run a business in Australia, you first need an ABN (Australian Business Number). If you trade under a name other than your own, you need to register a business name with ASIC (for either 1 or 3 years). You can also apply for an ABN and register a business name at the same time through the Business Registration Service.
For GST (goods and services tax), you need to register once your annual turnover (GST turnover) reaches $75,000 or more, and you must register within 21 days of that happening.
Any business that sells food needs to notify or register with its local council. For a food truck, the general rule is to notify the council where the vehicle is normally kept. The finer details, however, differ from state to state.
In Tasmania, for example, a mobile food business that moves between several events applies for "Statewide registration" with its home council. Registration is usually renewed every 12 months, and while it is valid you don't need to notify other councils. However, registration is not a licence to "sell anywhere": you still need permission for each location and approval from event organisers.
In South Australia (SA), every business that sells food lodges a Food Business Notification with its local council. For a mobile business, that's the council where the vehicle is kept. On top of that, to trade in public places such as by the roadside, you need a permit from each council (a Mobile Food Vendor Permit).
A food truck has to follow the same food safety rules as a regular shop (Standards 3.2.2 and 3.2.3 of the Food Standards Code). For example: a dedicated handwashing sink (with warm running water, soap and single-use paper towels), drinkable water, a fridge that can keep food at 5°C or below, and equipment that can keep hot food at 60°C or above.
Keep your communication with the builder in writing as much as possible, for example by email, and check the completion date yourself. Waiting because it feels awkward to ask, like I did back then, is the best way to lose time. Gas and electrical fittings may need to meet state safety standards or have certificates, so check with both the builder and the council.
Since December 2023, a new rule called Standard 3.2.2A has applied to food service businesses and others that handle unpackaged, ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food. If it applies to you, you need things like a Food Safety Supervisor with a certificate obtained within the last 5 years, and food safety training for staff who handle food. Rice dishes like onigiri count as food that needs temperature control, so check with your council whether your business is covered.
Markets, events and council permits will often ask for proof of Public Liability Insurance. For example, one SA council's permit application requires $20 million in cover. The amounts and conditions vary from place to place, so check before you apply.
Contact the places you want to trade at yourself, and check their conditions (fees, trading hours, whether power and water are available, and the documents they need). It's very common not to hear back, so if a week or so goes by, it's perfectly fine to get in touch again.
At a market, customers choose where to eat in a few seconds as they walk past. A menu board that shows, even from a distance, what you sell, how much it costs and what to try is essential. Packaged food also has labelling rules (Part 1.2 of the Food Standards Code).
Ask friends and neighbours to taste your food, and ask them not just about the flavour but also about the price, the portion size and the wait. If you share your preparations on Instagram before you open, more people will turn up on day one. Letting people know your dates and locations every time is also an important part of the job that comes with running a food truck.
Ever since then, a thought has stayed with me. Design would be the main thing, of course, but how reassuring it would have been to have someone I could quickly ask for advice, or say "What do you think of this?" or "I haven't heard back. Should I contact them again?"
The idea for this design studio started from wanting to be that kind of person for others. But for a long time I kept thinking my design skills weren't good enough yet, and that I needed to keep sharpening them.
In Tasmania, I cared for my mother-in-law and said goodbye to her, welcomed a new life when my child was born, and pushed through as a freelancer. After many days, and many long, cold Tasmanian winters, I finally feel that things are moving in the direction I want.
Of course, I also have plenty of lovely encounters and happy memories from Tasmania. It was an unknown island with few Japanese people, and all I knew about it was the Tasmanian devil. Those days of trial and error and struggling on have definitely made me who I am today.
I've wandered off topic a little, but even when you fail, it leads to something later on. The food truck was a big failure, but it turned out fine in the end! That's the story. It's also a little bit of self-promotion: I haven't only ever done design! (ha) I hope it's useful, or encouraging, for someone.
At Tenth Of October, I want to be more than someone who makes a design and walks away. I want to be a partner who runs alongside people starting their own shops. I've also written about why I started the studio in A design studio in Australia, for Japanese businesses.
It varies a lot depending on your situation. For me, it took about a year from the first idea to my first market. Building the truck and the council paperwork tend to take time, so I recommend starting those conversations early.
Yes, they do. For example, Tasmania has a statewide registration for mobile food businesses, while in South Australia you need to lodge a Food Business Notification with your local council and get a permit for each place you trade. Check the official information for your state and council.
Yes, you can. The key is to ask early when you don't understand something, and to keep a written record of your conversations, such as emails. Having someone you can talk things through with in Japanese makes it a lot less stressful.
I recommend starting at the naming stage. If your logo and colours are decided before the truck is built, everything from the exterior to the signage and noren can have a consistent look from day one.
The information about rules and regulations in this article is based on official sources as of 18 October 2026.
Tell us about your business, in English or Japanese. A link or a few photos is a fine place to start. No pressure.
Get in touch →9 problems design can solve
Not long after moving to Tasmania, I put my savings into an onigiri (Japanese rice ball) food truck. The result was a pretty decent failure. Still, I learned a lot from it, the hard way. In this article I share that story, along with a step-by-step guide to starting a food truck the way I would do it now.
I had moved to Tasmania, but day after day went by without any design work turning up. So I decided to do something about it: this could even become part of my portfolio! I used the savings I had at the time and started an onigiri food truck.
It began on a whim, something like: "There's nowhere to get Japanese food! I miss it! Isn't anyone doing this? Fine, I'll do it myself!" I thought onigiri was something even I could manage, and it would help me build a design portfolio too. That was about as deep as my thinking went.
But I had no idea what I was doing. I had only just moved, so I didn't know anyone, and since it was the countryside, there weren't many people around anyway. Looking back, Tasmania has a very strong sense of community. When you know people, things move easily, but when you don't know anyone, it was often hard to even get people to hear you out.
There was far more to do than I had imagined. Coming up with a business name, registering the business, registering with the council, building the food truck and getting it approved, checking the conditions for approval, dealing and negotiating with suppliers, contacting markets and checking their stallholder conditions, working with the truck builder, and following up with people who never replied. On top of that: the menu, promotional materials, packaging, deciding what to sell, and tastings and tweaks.
In the end, it took about a year from the first idea to my first market. My English is better now, and I think I could do it much faster today. But back then I wasn't confident in English, and I couldn't bring myself to ask the builder or the council, "How is this going?" or "When do you think it will be ready?" I feel that made everything take even longer.
Somehow I got to the point where I could sell, and finally started trading at markets. The markets started at 6 am, so I would get up in the middle of the night, prepare everything, hitch the big trailer to the car and drive. My husband helped me a lot with the driving.
Even so, when customers told me the food was delicious, or said "Your food truck is so cute!", it really lifted my spirits.
I had been accepted into some bigger markets and events, and just as I was thinking "Right, let's do this!", COVID arrived. Every market and event I had booked was cancelled. There was nothing anyone could do about that. Tasmania had very few cases at the time, and travel within the state was even being encouraged, so I think we were lucky in that sense.
In the end, my heart just wasn't in it anymore, and I sold the food truck.
That said, because I started very small and without borrowing any money, stopping was simple: I sold the food truck, and that was that. Looking back, that is one thing I'm still glad I got right.
Now I see it as a valuable experience. I learned the whole process of getting a shop up and running, and I felt, deep down, just how amazing people in hospitality are. I have huge respect for everyone who keeps working hard to bring good food to their customers, whatever it takes.
And I went through all of it myself: the anxiety of starting a new business, the loneliness, the frustration when things don't move the way you want, and the language and cultural barriers.
From here on, this is how I would go about it now. Rules differ between states and councils, and they can change, so please always check the latest official information and talk to your local council.
The first things to decide are your product, your customers and where you will sell. If you look into the markets and events you want to trade at (their dates, the crowd, the stall fees, and what other vendors are there), you will start to see what you might sell and what it will cost you. I skipped this part on a whim, and it made things harder later on.
To run a business in Australia, you first need an ABN (Australian Business Number). If you trade under a name other than your own, you need to register a business name with ASIC (for either 1 or 3 years). You can also apply for an ABN and register a business name at the same time through the Business Registration Service.
For GST (goods and services tax), you need to register once your annual turnover (GST turnover) reaches $75,000 or more, and you must register within 21 days of that happening.
Once you've chosen a name, check that no other business is already using it, and that the domain and Instagram handle are available. That way you won't have to change your name later.Any business that sells food needs to notify or register with its local council. For a food truck, the general rule is to notify the council where the vehicle is normally kept. The finer details, however, differ from state to state.
In Tasmania, for example, a mobile food business that moves between several events applies for "Statewide registration" with its home council. Registration is usually renewed every 12 months, and while it is valid you don't need to notify other councils. However, registration is not a licence to "sell anywhere": you still need permission for each location and approval from event organisers.
In South Australia (SA), every business that sells food lodges a Food Business Notification with its local council. For a mobile business, that's the council where the vehicle is kept. On top of that, to trade in public places such as by the roadside, you need a permit from each council (a Mobile Food Vendor Permit).
A food truck has to follow the same food safety rules as a regular shop (Standards 3.2.2 and 3.2.3 of the Food Standards Code). For example: a dedicated handwashing sink (with warm running water, soap and single-use paper towels), drinkable water, a fridge that can keep food at 5°C or below, and equipment that can keep hot food at 60°C or above.
Keep your communication with the builder in writing as much as possible, for example by email, and check the completion date yourself. Waiting because it feels awkward to ask, like I did back then, is the best way to lose time. Gas and electrical fittings may need to meet state safety standards or have certificates, so check with both the builder and the council.
Since December 2023, a new rule called Standard 3.2.2A has applied to food service businesses and others that handle unpackaged, ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food. If it applies to you, you need things like a Food Safety Supervisor with a certificate obtained within the last 5 years, and food safety training for staff who handle food. Rice dishes like onigiri count as food that needs temperature control, so check with your council whether your business is covered.
Markets, events and council permits will often ask for proof of Public Liability Insurance. For example, one SA council's permit application requires $20 million in cover. The amounts and conditions vary from place to place, so check before you apply.
Contact the places you want to trade at yourself, and check their conditions (fees, trading hours, whether power and water are available, and the documents they need). It's very common not to hear back, so if a week or so goes by, it's perfectly fine to get in touch again.
At a market, customers choose where to eat in a few seconds as they walk past. A menu board that shows, even from a distance, what you sell, how much it costs and what to try is essential. Packaged food also has labelling rules (Part 1.2 of the Food Standards Code).
Ask friends and neighbours to taste your food, and ask them not just about the flavour but also about the price, the portion size and the wait. If you share your preparations on Instagram before you open, more people will turn up on day one. Letting people know your dates and locations every time is also an important part of the job that comes with running a food truck.
Ever since then, a thought has stayed with me. Design would be the main thing, of course, but how reassuring it would have been to have someone I could quickly ask for advice, or say "What do you think of this?" or "I haven't heard back. Should I contact them again?"
The idea for this design studio started from wanting to be that kind of person for others. But for a long time I kept thinking my design skills weren't good enough yet, and that I needed to keep sharpening them.
In Tasmania, I cared for my mother-in-law and said goodbye to her, welcomed a new life when my child was born, and pushed through as a freelancer. After many days, and many long, cold Tasmanian winters, I finally feel that things are moving in the direction I want.
Of course, I also have plenty of lovely encounters and happy memories from Tasmania. It was an unknown island with few Japanese people, and all I knew about it was the Tasmanian devil. Those days of trial and error and struggling on have definitely made me who I am today.
I've wandered off topic a little, but even when you fail, it leads to something later on. The food truck was a big failure, but it turned out fine in the end! That's the story. It's also a little bit of self-promotion: I haven't only ever done design! (ha) I hope it's useful, or encouraging, for someone.
At Tenth Of October, I want to be more than someone who makes a design and walks away. I want to be a partner who runs alongside people starting their own shops. I've also written about why I started the studio in A design studio in Australia, for Japanese businesses.
It varies a lot depending on your situation. For me, it took about a year from the first idea to my first market. Building the truck and the council paperwork tend to take time, so I recommend starting those conversations early.
Yes, they do. For example, Tasmania has a statewide registration for mobile food businesses, while in South Australia you need to lodge a Food Business Notification with your local council and get a permit for each place you trade. Check the official information for your state and council.
Yes, you can. The key is to ask early when you don't understand something, and to keep a written record of your conversations, such as emails. Having someone you can talk things through with in Japanese makes it a lot less stressful.
I recommend starting at the naming stage. If your logo and colours are decided before the truck is built, everything from the exterior to the signage and noren can have a consistent look from day one.
The information about rules and regulations in this article is based on official sources as of 18 October 2026.
Tell us about your business, in English or Japanese. A link or a few photos is a fine place to start. No pressure.
Get in touch →9 problems design can solve
