Maintenance script at 15:14, 23 February 2026

2026-02-23T15:14:07Z

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[[Category:Strategy]]
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{{Panel|title=Frequently Asked Questions|content=Quick answers to common player questions. Click any link for the deep dive.}}

== Getting Started ==

=== Where should I put my first food truck? ===
The [[Locality|University Area]] or [[Locality|Residential Area]] are your best bets. [[Customer_Segmentation|Students]] and Parents are the most forgiving customer segments — they don't demand premium quality and there's reliable foot traffic. See [[Getting_Started]] for a full walkthrough.

=== What should my first recipe be? ===
Simple and cheap. Your Level 0 staff cap quality at 40 points, so premium ingredients are wasted money. Focus on filling, affordable meals that Students love. Keep your COGS at 30-40% of your selling price.

=== How should I price my food? ===
Start with cost-plus [[Pricing|pricing]]: calculate your ingredient cost per meal, then add a 60-80% markup. Adjust based on what actually sells. If your COGS creeps above 40% of the selling price, raise prices or cut ingredient costs.

== Staff and Training ==

=== Should I train my staff or buy better ingredients? ===
'''Train first.''' Always. Your staff's [[Training_and_Development|training level]] caps food quality — even the best ingredients can't overcome untrained staff. A Level 0 cook maxes out at 40-point food no matter what you feed into the recipe.

=== What's the most important training level? ===
Level 0 to Level 1 gives the biggest percentage jump: 40 to 50 points, a 25% improvement in both quality and speed. Every level matters, but early levels give the best return on investment.

=== Why aren't my staff reaching Level 6? ===
Not all employees can reach Michelin Maestro. Each candidate has a maximum training potential set when you [[Recruiting_Talent|hire]] them. Check this stat when recruiting — you may need to hire someone new with higher potential.

=== My staff keep quitting. What do I do? ===
Raise wages. Low pay causes low [[Morale_and_Welfare|morale]], which leads to high turnover. It's almost always cheaper to pay well and retain trained staff than to constantly rehire and retrain from Level 0.

== Money and Finance ==

=== Should I take out a loan? ===
Only if the investment will generate more revenue than the loan costs. Never borrow to cover operating losses — that just adds interest on top of your problems. [[Loans]] have a 5% processing fee and interest that depends on your debt-to-equity ratio plus the central bank rate. See [[Banking]].

=== Why do interest rates keep changing? ===
The [[Economics|economy]] cycles through boom and recession over the course of 1 game year (compressed from 10 real years). The central bank adjusts rates — lower in recession to stimulate borrowing, higher in boom to cool things down.

=== How do I stop losing money? ===
Check the [[Troubleshooting]] page for a step-by-step diagnostic. The most common causes are: wrong prices for your district, ingredients too expensive for your training level, over-ordering (waste), and being in the wrong [[Locality|location]].

== Customers ==

=== How do I attract Managers, Foodies, or Influencers? ===
Premium [[Customer_Segmentation|segments]] are demanding. You need: the right truck type (Maxi Burger Wagon or bigger for Influencers and Environmentalists, Mini Burger Trailer or bigger for Foodies), high training level (Level 4+), quality recipes, and the right [[Locality|location]].

{| class="wikitable"
|+ '''Premium Segment Requirements'''
|-
! Segment !! Minimum Truck !! Best Location !! Notes
|-
| Influencers || Maxi Burger Wagon || Shopping Centre || Low price sensitivity
|-
| Foodies || Mini Burger Trailer || Tourist Zone || Demand high quality
|-
| Managers || Any || Business District || Very low price sensitivity, highest spenders
|-
| Environmentalists || Maxi Burger Wagon || Residential || Moderate price sensitivity
|}

=== Why aren't customers buying my food? ===
Several things to check: Is your price too high for the segment? Does your recipe match what they want? Is service too slow (each [[Training_and_Development|training level]] adds 10 speed points)? Does your stand look appealing? See [[Troubleshooting#Customers Are Not Buying|Troubleshooting]] for the full checklist.

=== What's the most profitable customer segment? ===
[[Customer_Segmentation|Managers]] have the lowest price sensitivity and the highest spending. But they demand top quality — Level 4+ staff, premium ingredients, and a great-looking stand. You'll find them in the Business District.

== Operations ==

=== My ingredients keep expiring. What do I do? ===
Order less. Track your actual daily usage and match your orders to real demand. Use FIFO (first in, first out) to rotate stock. If you're using auto-replenishment and it over-orders, switch to manual. See [[Inventory_Management]].

=== When should I upgrade my truck? ===
Upgrade when your current truck limits your growth: you can't reach target segments (Influencers need Maxi+, Foodies need Mini+), your storage is too small (frequent stockouts), or you need more employee capacity.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ '''Business Unit Progression'''
|-
! Truck !! Storage
|-
| Startup Burger Bike || 8 units
|-
| Maxi Burger Wagon || 16 units
|-
| Mini Burger Trailer || 24 units
|-
| Burger Master || 32 units
|-
| Happy Big Burger || 48 units
|-
| Giant Burger || 64 units
|}

=== How do I know when to expand to a second location? ===
When your first truck is consistently profitable, staff are at Level 3+, you have cash reserves, and your reputation is solid. Don't expand while your first truck is still losing money — see [[Common_Mistakes#Mistake 5: Expanding Too Early|Common Mistakes]].

== See Also ==
* [[Getting_Started]]
* [[Quick_Reference]]
* [[Troubleshooting]]
* [[Common_Mistakes|Common Mistakes]]

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Maintenance script at 15:14, 23 February 2026