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Navigating the Costs: Your Complete Checklist of Food Truck Expenses
You’ve created the perfect food truck concept with the best menu items and offerings. Now you’re ready to start buying a food truck and make your dream a reality. While the food truck itself is the most prominent expense, it’s not the only thing you need to account for in your financial plan. This blog will go over the ultimate checklist of food truck expenses to help you properly plan for your food truck business.
Food Truck Vehicle
The food truck itself is the most obvious and prominent expense out of the entire business. Depending on the needs of the foods you will be preparing, you’ll need to customize it to fit your needs. The size and features of the truck will affect how much you’ll spend. At San Diego Food Truck Pros, we are extremely dedicated to offering our clients the opportunity to have their very own custom-built food truck that is not only 100% functional and in line with local regulations, but the embodiment of your vision. Contact us to learn about your options and get an idea of the cost of your food truck.
Startup Truck Expenses
The food truck itself isn’t all that’s needed to start opening up your doors. You’ll first have to pay for certain startup costs. This includes:
- Licensing
- Registration
- Permits
The requirements and associated fees will vary based on where you’re going to be operating at. In order to accurately calculate those expenses, check in with the cities where you’ll be running your food truck.
Food Truck Equipment
Every type of cuisine requires different equipment. For example, if you’re selling seafood, you will require the use of good fridges to keep the ingredients fresh. If you’re going to be frying food, your food truck will require fryers. Different types of equipment your truck might need include:
- Refrigerator
- Grill
- Fryer
- Oven
- Exhaust fan
- Warming lamp
- Generator
The cooking equipment isn’t all. You have to ensure that you have the proper tools and cleaning equipment to sanitize your gear. Don’t forget about disposable products that will be needed to serve the food, such as utensils, napkins, and plates.
Food Truck Food Supplies
The cost of your food will largely depend on the type of food you will be serving. A simple menu with few choices accounts for lower food costs compared to an extensive menu with complex dishes and many options. However, as a general rule, the cost of the food itself usually accounts for 25-38% of your revenue. We recommend pricing out all of the ingredients to help you get an estimation of how much you’re going to be spending on food.
Food Truck Operating Costs
Operating costs are the ongoing expenses incurred from the normal day-to-day running of a business. Food truck insurance is one of the most crucial operating expenses. It’s essential to have one as it protects your big food truck investment. Other operating costs include:
- Fuel
- Truck maintenance
- POS system
- Internet or cell service
- Staff wages and benefits
Every food truck is different and requires different needs; however, getting a rough estimation of your entire food truck business will enable you to create a better financial plan to ensure its success. Knowing all the costs will help you generate a workable budget and get proper funding. We hope this checklist of food truck expenses helped you get a better idea of what you should account for in your food truck business financial plan. San Diego Food Truck Pros can help you identify and calculate your food truck needs. Give us at
(858) 221-3095, or contact us by clicking here.
We're your go-to custom food truck and trailer builders based in sunny San Diego, CA. Serving the entire South California region, we turn your culinary dreams into mobile reality.
