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What's the Right Car for Hauling 2,000 Burritos? Three food startups explain how they chose their fleet.

By Michael Frank

This story appears in the October 2016 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »

Ever wonder how food startups choose the right cars for their companies? These three startups let us in on their decision-making.

Dang Foods (Berkeley, Calif.)

Toyota Prius

Dang Foods (Berkeley, Calif.)

"We make all-natural foods like coconut chips and onion chips, and want to mirror that ethos in sustainable practices across the company. So we use solar panels and green cleaning products at HQ and recyclable shipping, and we chose the Toyota Prius for our company cars. As hybrids, they save us money on gas and reduce emissions. It's a bonus that the car is modern, unique and fun, which fits with our brand palette."
-- Vincent Kitirattragarn, founder

Vital Farms (Austin, Tex.)

Subaru Outback

Vital Farms (Austin, Tex.)

"Our founder made his early egg deliveries with his Outback. When it came time to purchase a fleet, we followed industry recommendations and bought seven pickup trucks, but we were struck by how pricey those gas-guzzlers were. Almost out of a sense of nostalgia, we considered switching to the Outback. It ticked every box: great gas mileage, all-wheel drive, remarkable reliability. Today we have a fleet of 13 that we use to service our farms. We chose white to portray a sense of transparency and honesty: We aren't trying to hide any dirt with a white car."
-- Russell Diez-Canseco, president and COO

Pancheros Mexican Grill (Coralville, Iowa)

Jeep Renegade

Pancheros Mexican Grill (Coralville, Iowa)

"We're a fast-casual burrito franchise across the Midwest, and our fleet is made up of five new Renegades. They act as great billboards wrapped in our branding, but they're also functional: We can efficiently transport equipment -- like the 100-plus-pound tortilla press we use, or the 2,000 burritos we recently brought to a local dance marathon. Our brand needs cars that are meant to go to work."
-- Barry Nelson, VP of operations

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