Project Charter For Project Bay Shore Food Truck ✓ Solved

Project Charter for Project Bay Shore Food Truck. Develop a

Project Charter for Project Bay Shore Food Truck. Develop a project charter outlining the purpose, justification, objectives and success criteria, scope and boundaries, high-level requirements, risks, milestones, budget, stakeholders, roles, and approvals.

Context: Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, founded in 1996, operates two Tampa stores; the south location is temporarily closed. The project proposes opening a Bayshore food truck to expand the brand in south Tampa, leveraging the successful North Dale Mabry location.

Include authority from Tampa city, licenses, and driver requirements; technical requirements (freezers, fridges, ice cream containers); location on Bayshore; risk considerations regarding space for full ice-cream varieties.

Budget and costs: A food truck license costs about $347 per year; trucks cost between $50,000 and $200,000; the summary budget including paperwork and purchasing a truck can be around $150,000.

Stakeholders: CEO/Founder, Director of Brand Development, Director of Corporate Operations; Assigned project manager; Project sponsor; Assumptions and constraints should be documented.

Paper For Above Instructions

Introduction and purpose. The project charter serves as the formal authorization to launch Project Bay Shore Food Truck and establishes the framework for planning, execution, monitoring, and closure. It documents the business reason for the initiative, expected benefits, and alignment with Jeremiah’s Italian Ice strategic objectives. This charter translates the problem statement—limited footprint in south Tampa and the opportunity to extend brand reach on Bayshore—into a structured plan that can guide decision makers and project teams. In project management terms, the charter defines the project’s existence, constraints, ownership, and high-level requirements, enabling stakeholders to commit resources and resolve ambiguity before detailed planning begins (PMI, 2021). (PMI, 2021)

Business justification and context. Jeremiah’s Italian Ice has built a strong brand since its founding in 1996 and operates two stores in the Tampa market. The south Tampa location has remained closed temporarily, suggesting an opportunity to re-engage customers through on-the-go service that complements existing retail venues. A Bayshore-area food truck aligns with consumer behavior in walkable/bike-friendly districts and can attract traffic along a popular corridor. By leveraging the proven success of the North Dale Mabry store, the Bayshore truck could expand brand awareness, drive incremental revenue, and test a mobile model with lower fixed costs relative to a brick-and-mortar expansion. This justification is consistent with broader best practices for food-service franchising and brand extension, which emphasize channel diversification and site-specific market testing as pathways to growth (PMI, 2021; Kerzner, 2022). (PMI, 2021) (Kerzner, 2022)

Objectives and success criteria. Primary objectives include obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals (Tampa city authority), securing a food truck license, acquiring a suitable vehicle, installing required refrigeration and storage equipment, establishing a Bayshore launch route, and achieving initial sales milestones. Success criteria encompass (1) licensure and permit approvals within 90 days, (2) vehicle acquisition and fit-out completed within 120 days, (3) first 90 days of operation meeting or exceeding a predefined daily revenue target, (4) customer satisfaction metrics above a fixed threshold, and (5) a scalable model that supports seasonal adjustments and potential expansion to additional high-foot-traffic corridors (PMI, 2021). (PMI, 2021)

Scope and boundaries. The project scope includes the design and deployment of a single Bayshore-area food truck serving Jeremiah’s Italian Ice products, with limited ice-cream varieties due to space constraints on a mobile platform. It excludes full-scale storefront renovations, a second vehicle, or a standalone sit-down facility at this stage. The truck will operate within Bayshore corridor parameters and will follow all local zoning, health, and transportation regulations. The charter defines boundaries around regulatory compliance, equipment needs, staffing, branding, and initial route management, while leaving product mix decisions to the brand strategy team and operations leadership (SBA, 2023). (SBA, 2023)

High-level requirements. Business requirements include obtaining city authority and a vehicle license to operate a mobile food venue, as well as a valid food truck driver license. Technical requirements include refrigeration equipment (freezers, fridges) and ice-cream containers capable of maintaining product integrity in mobile conditions. The project also requires branding assets suitable for street vending, a simple point-of-sale setup, and a schedule that aligns with Bayshore foot traffic patterns. Location placement on Bayshore must consider parking, proximity to walking routes, and safety concerns (City of Tampa, 2020). (City of Tampa, 2020)

High-level risks. Key risks cover space constraints limiting product variety on the truck, regulatory delays affecting licensing, weather-related sales variability, supply chain disruptions for core ingredients, and potential competition in the Bayshore area. The team will develop a risk register and mitigation strategies, including phased offerings, contingency plans for seasonal demand, and strong supplier relationships to manage perishables (PMI, 2021; NRA, 2021). (PMI, 2021) (NRA, 2021)

Assumptions and constraints. Assumptions include continued brand demand in south Tampa, stable regulatory environments, and successful collaboration with city authorities. Constraints involve budget caps, truck availability, and schedule dependencies related to permitting timelines. The project team will document assumptions and continually test them against real-world conditions to reduce uncertainty (Kerzner, 2022). (Kerzner, 2022)

Stakeholders and roles. Key stakeholders identified include the CEO/Founder, the Director of Brand Development, and the Director of Corporate Operations. An assigned project manager will coordinate day-to-day activities and serve as the primary point of contact with city authorities, suppliers, and the Jeremiah’s leadership team. The project sponsor remains the organization’s executive leadership, providing strategic guidance and ensuring alignment with broader corporate objectives (PMI, 2021). (PMI, 2021)

Milestones and schedule highlights. Expected milestones include (1) regulatory scoping and approvals, (2) procurement of a suitable food truck, (3) vehicle fit-out and branding, (4) soft launch and route validation, and (5) revenue review and scale-up planning. A high-level schedule aligns with local permit cycles and typical food-truck procurement timelines. The cost estimates and schedule considerations reflect typical market ranges for trucks and licensing (City of Tampa, 2020; SBA, 2023). (City of Tampa, 2020) (SBA, 2023)

Budget summary. The anticipated line items include regulatory fees (~$347/year for a license), truck purchase or lease (roughly $50,000–$200,000), outfitting costs, branding, insurance, and working capital for the initial operating period. A conservative total budget around $150,000 is referenced to cover paperwork and vehicle acquisition, consistent with industry ranges for mobile ice-cream ventures in mid-size markets (SBA, 2023; Visit Tampa Bay, 2020). (SBA, 2023) (Visit Tampa Bay, 2020)

Summary and next steps. The Bay Shore Food Truck project represents a strategic, low-capital pathway to enhance Jeremiah’s Italian Ice brand presence in a high-traffic area and to test a mobile format in a new market segment. The charter signals commitment to regulatory compliance, safe and efficient operations, and data-driven performance monitoring. If approved, the next steps involve formalizing the project charter into a detailed project plan, securing approvals, and initiating vendor engagement and permitting processes (PMI, 2021; SBA, 2023). (PMI, 2021) (SBA, 2023)

References

  • Project Management Institute (PMI). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 7th edition. Project Management Institute, 2021.
  • Kerzner, Harold. Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. Wiley, 12th edition, 2022.
  • ProjectManagement.com. How to Write a Project Charter. 2018.
  • U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Start Your Own Business: Create a Business Plan and Gather Permits. 2023.
  • City of Tampa. Business Permits and Licenses: Food Trucks. 2020.
  • City of Tampa (tampagov.net). Food Truck Permits. 2020.
  • Jeremiah’s Italian Ice. About Jeremiah’s Italian Ice. 2020.
  • Entrepreneur. How to Start a Food Truck Business. 2020.
  • National Restaurant Association. Mobile and Non-Storefront Food Service Regulations. 2021.
  • Visit Tampa Bay. Bayshore District and Street Food Opportunities. 2020.

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