Hatch

The hatch is the serving opening cut into the side of the van, usually with a sliding window and a small counter. Everything is passed across it, from cones to change, and the menu boards are normally arranged around it. The server works on one side of it and the queue forms on the other, so it is the busiest spot on the vehicle.

Its position is a practical planning point. In the UK most vans serve from the nearside, the pavement side, so customers are not standing in the road. At an event, the hatch should face the guests and an open area where a queue can form, not a wall, a flower bed or a car park. When you send us details of your venue, it helps to say where guests will be gathered, so we can position the van with the hatch facing them.