Picture this: you're running a food truck but have no clue if you're actually making money hour by hour. Most food truck owners wing it with rough estimates, then wonder why profits disappear. The solution lies in calculating your exact hourly revenue requirements.
Gather all fixed costs per day
Start by adding up all the costs you incur every day, regardless of how much you sell. These are your fixed daily costs.
- Food truck rental or depreciation (daily portion)
- Insurance (daily portion)
- Fuel for the day
- Pitch permit or market fee
- Gas/electricity for equipment
- Your own salary (how much do you want to earn per day?)
💡 Example fixed costs per day:
- Food truck rental: €80
- Fuel: €25
- Pitch fee: €40
- Gas/electricity: €15
- Your salary: €120
Total fixed costs: €280 per day
Calculate your average food cost percentage
Add up the ingredient costs of your most popular dishes. Divide this by the selling price (excluding VAT) and multiply by 100.
Formula: Food cost % = (Ingredient costs / Selling price excl. VAT) × 100
💡 Example food cost calculation:
Burger menu for €12.50 (incl. 9% VAT):
- Selling price excl. VAT: €12.50 / 1.09 = €11.47
- Ingredient costs: €3.20
Food cost: (€3.20 / €11.47) × 100 = 27.9%
⚠️ Critical point:
Always calculate with prices excluding VAT. The price on your menu includes 9% VAT for food. Many food truck entrepreneurs forget this and think their food cost is lower than it actually is.
Determine your operating hours per day
Add up how many hours your food truck is actually open for customers. These aren't your total working hours, but only the hours you can sell.
- Lunch service: for example 11:30 - 14:30 = 3 hours
- Dinner service: for example 17:00 - 21:00 = 4 hours
- Total: 7 selling hours per day
Calculate your required revenue per hour
Now you can calculate how much revenue you need per hour to break even and make a profit. From years of working in professional kitchens, I've seen operators struggle because they skip this crucial step.
Formula: Revenue per hour = Fixed costs per day / (Selling hours × (100% - Food cost%)) × 100
💡 Example calculation:
- Fixed costs: €280 per day
- Selling hours: 7 hours
- Average food cost: 28%
Calculation: €280 / (7 × 0.72) = €280 / 5.04 = €55.56 per hour
This means: you need to generate at least €56 per hour to break even.
Add profit margin
Breaking even isn't enough. You also want to make a profit. So add 15-25% to your required revenue per hour.
💡 Example with profit margin:
- Break-even revenue: €56 per hour
- Desired profit: 20%
Target revenue: €56 × 1.20 = €67 per hour
Check your reality
See if your target revenue is realistic for your situation. If you need to generate €67 per hour and your average transaction is €8, then you need 8-9 customers per hour.
- Busy lunch location: 10-15 customers per hour achievable
- Quiet evening: 3-5 customers per hour realistic
- Festival/event: 20+ customers per hour possible
⚠️ Reality check:
If your required revenue per hour isn't realistic for your location, you need to either lower your costs, raise your prices, or find a better location. Hope alone isn't a business plan.
How do you calculate your required revenue per hour? (step by step)
Add up all fixed costs per day
Make a list of rent, fuel, pitch fee, insurance and your own salary. Add up everything you pay every day, regardless of your revenue. This gives you the fixed costs per day.
Calculate your average food cost percentage
Take your 3-5 most popular dishes and calculate the food cost. Add up the ingredient costs and divide by the selling price excl. VAT. The average of these percentages is your food cost.
Divide fixed costs by available selling hours
Use the formula: Fixed costs / (Selling hours × (100% - Food cost%)). This gives you the minimum revenue per hour. Add 15-25% for profit.
✨ Pro tip
Track your revenue every 90 minutes during service. If you're behind your €67/hour target after the first hour and a half, immediately adjust with flash promotions or upselling to hit your daily €469 minimum.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need to include VAT in my revenue calculation?
For cost price calculation you always calculate excluding VAT. But your actual revenue (what comes in) is including VAT. Keep this difference in mind when planning.
What if I have different prices for lunch and dinner?
Then calculate for each service separately. Lunch often has lower prices but more volume, dinner has higher prices but fewer customers. This way you see which service generates the most.
How often should I update this calculation?
Check your actual figures against your calculation monthly. If fuel prices rise or you move to a more expensive pitch, recalculate your required revenue per hour immediately.
What if I don't reach my target revenue?
Then you have three options: lower costs, raise prices, or find a better location. First look at your food cost - often there's still profit to be made there.
Should I include bad days in my calculation?
Yes, calculate with a realistic average. If you have 2 bad days per week due to weather or season, you need to generate extra revenue on the good days to compensate.
How do seasonal fluctuations affect my hourly revenue needs?
During slow seasons, you'll need higher hourly targets to compensate for fewer operating days. Calculate separate targets for peak and off-season periods to maintain profitability year-round.
📚 Sources consulted
- EU Verordening 852/2004 — Levensmiddelenhygiëne (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 853/2004 — Hygiënevoorschriften voor levensmiddelen van dierlijke oorsprong (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 1169/2011 — Voedselinformatie aan consumenten (2011) — Official source
- NVWA — Hygiënecode voor de horeca (2024) — Official source
- NVWA — Allergenen in voedsel (2024) — Official source
- Codex Alimentarius — International Food Standards (2024) — Official source
- FSA — Safer food, better business (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- BVL — Lebensmittelhygiene (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- Warenwetbesluit Bereiding en behandeling van levensmiddelen (2024) — Official source
- WHO — Foodborne diseases estimates (2024) — Official source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) — https://www.food.gov.uk
The HACCP standards shown in this application are for informational purposes only. KitchenNmbrs does not guarantee that displayed values are current or complete. Always consult the FSA or your local authority for the latest regulations.
Written by
Jeffrey Smit
Founder & CEO of KitchenNmbrs
Jeffrey Smit built KitchenNmbrs from 8 years of hands-on experience as kitchen manager at 1NUL8 Group in Rotterdam. His mission: give every restaurant owner control over food cost.
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