How Sameer Siddiqui Started a Pakistani Food Truck

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When Sameer Siddiqui decided to launch RickShaw Stop, a Pakistani food truck in San Antonio, he didn’t rush into the venture on a whim. He made sure every detail was thought out, every stone turned over, and every possible mistake had a contingency plan. “If you don’t do your homework, you’re setting yourself up for failure,” Siddiqui says with a calm intensity, the kind of conviction you only get after spending nearly a year developing your business plan.

Sameer’s commitment to research is impressive. Siddiqui spent months observing food trucks already thriving in the area. “I would go out there and count the number of customers at food trucks on different days,” he says. This kind of groundwork might sound tedious, but for Siddiqui, it was invaluable. “The more research you put in on the front-end, understanding the landscape, the better your chance for success will be.”

RickShaw Stop, serving up dishes like samosas and spicy chicken wraps inspired by his Pakistani heritage, was born out of this meticulous preparation. But despite his exhaustive research, Sameer admits that the process doesn’t have to take as long as his own. “I don’t think everyone needs to spend a year on the homework portion,” he concedes. “But trust me when I say, if you don’t create a business plan, you’re going to miss a lot.”

The execution wasn’t just about the food; it was about building a system that worked—one that wouldn’t burn him out. Siddiqui is the first to admit that a one-man show isn’t sustainable. “You can only work 20-hour days for so long before you’re mentally and physically exhausted,” he explains. That’s why his team became critical to RickShaw Stop’s success, with his mother as the culinary mastermind and his wife playing a pivotal role in PR and social media. “I could never have done this alone,” he emphasizes.

The first year didn’t come without sacrifices either. Siddiqui took no salary, reinvesting everything back into the business to ensure it had the staying power he envisioned. “If you’re thinking you’ll make money right out the gate, you’re probably in the wrong business,” he says bluntly. “It takes time to build something lasting.”

Consistency, he believes, is RickShaw Stop’s secret sauce. “You have to be consistent—in your food, in your service, in how you show up online,” Siddiqui stresses. His truck’s ever-updated website and social media presence helped draw in food bloggers and influencers, crucial tastemakers in the modern food scene. “We got on Eat St. by reaching out through social media,” Siddiqui says, underscoring the importance of marketing in today’s culinary world. “Word-of-mouth is still gold, but having a strong online presence is everything.”

Outside the Rickshaw Stop.

As RickShaw Stop’s reputation has grown, so has the customer base. Siddiqui made it a point to become friends with his customers, remembering names and orders, fostering community. “You have to build relationships. That’s what keeps people coming back,” he explains.

He’s wary of handing over control of that connection, however. “Be cautious about hiring a PR person,” he advises. “No one will tell your story better than you.” For Siddiqui, it’s personal. It’s not just about serving up great food; it’s about the connections he’s built, the team he’s assembled, and the hours spent crafting a vision that’s bigger than just a truck.

Sameer also stresses the importance of building a team to ensure the success of a food truck and your personal sanity. After all one can only work 20 hour days for so long before becoming totally and mentally exhausted. Siddiqui has built a team around his mother, the head chef of RickShaw Stop. His wife is also an active and essential part of operating the business and does a lot of the PR / social media participation.

Developing the Menu

The menu development process began long before the truck hit the streets. Siddiqui’s mother, the head chef, became the culinary anchor for RickShaw Stop. “My mom’s cooking is what inspired me,” Sameer explains. “She’s always been the best cook in the family, and I knew her food would stand out.” The challenge was translating those homemade dishes into a street food format—one that could be consistently prepared, quick to serve, and still deliver the bold, comforting flavors of traditional Pakistani cuisine.

Sameer approached menu development with the same methodical approach he used for the rest of his business. He tested dishes over and over, ensuring they could be executed with the speed and consistency that a food truck demands. “It’s one thing to cook for a few people at home, but it’s another to make the same dish 50 or 100 times a day,” he says. “We had to make sure every item could be replicated under pressure.”

Samosas and kebabs quickly became menu staples, offering an introduction to the rich spices and textures of Pakistani food without overwhelming first-timers. But Siddiqui was also adamant about keeping things fresh and evolving. “The menu needs to reflect what your audience wants,” he says. “If they’re asking for something or you notice a trend, don’t be afraid to tweak your offerings.”

Customer feedback played a huge role. “We’d test different recipes with friends and family, then tweak based on what they liked and didn’t like,” Sameer says. “Once we hit the streets, our customers became the ultimate test group.” That open line of communication with the people who ate at RickShaw Stop was key in refining the menu. “It’s not just about what you think works—it’s about what your customers keep coming back for.”

Sameer also kept the menu intentionally limited. “Too many options can be a logistical nightmare,” he says. “We didn’t want to complicate things in the kitchen or confuse our customers.” Keeping it simple allowed him and his team to focus on quality, ensuring every dish was made right, every time. And while the menu might look small, it packs a punch. “Each item needed to be something we could proudly stand behind,” Siddiqui adds.

There’s almost too much information in this interview as Siddiqui covers the importance of being consistent, the importance of customer loyalty, along with he and his wife’s inspiration for starting RickShaw Stop. Just listen to the interview already!

I used to sit in parking lots and count their [food trucks] customers. Things like that. – Sameer Siddiqui on doing competitive research for Rickshaw Stop.

I don’t think I we’d have the success if it wasn’t for my wife and my business background. But it’s one of those things that we’re trying to take the best out of those backgrounds and put them into something brand new. – Sameer Siddiqui on taking advantage of his business background.

What You’ll Learn

• The importance of doing the homework and writing a business plan to set yourself up for success.
• How Sameer conducted his competitive research by counting the number of customers eating at other food trucks.
• Why Sameer invested almost a year writing and researching his business plan.
• If you don’t create a business plan, you’re going to miss a lot.
• How the daily operations of a food truck can become a management nightmare: taxes, supplies, and of course working with people.
• The disadvantages of not coming from a culinary background that lead to mistakes.
• Why Sameer didn’t take a salary for the first year of his business.
• Learn Sameer’s “secret to success” and why he believes they are regularly ranked in the top food trucks in the country.
• How the food, social media, up-to-date web presence, word-of-mouth advertising, and being consistent have benefited RickShaw Stop.
• Why it’s critical to become friends with your customers.
• The importance of catering to bloggers, influencers and other taste makers with influence.
• How RickShaw Stop reached out to Eat St. on social media and eventually were featured on the show.
• Why Sameer built a team to operate his food truck.
• Why you should be cautious about hiring a PR person for your food truck.

Mentioned in This Episode

Eat St. Season 4 – Check out RickShaw Stop being featured on an episode of the popular television series broadcast on the Cooking Channel.

Anthony Bourdain – One of the inspirations behind RickShaw Stop. There’s actually a menu item named the “Tony” in his honor.

iTunes – Listen to us and leave a review on iTunes. You might even get mentioned on the show.

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