Picture this: you're running a food truck at a festival, generator humming away, thinking you're making decent profit on each dish. But you've forgotten to factor in the diesel burning through your generator and the maintenance costs piling up. Those hidden expenses can quietly eat away at your margins without you even realizing it.
Why include generator costs?
Running off-grid means you're carrying extra costs that brick-and-mortar restaurants never deal with:
- Fuel: Diesel or petrol for your generator
- Maintenance: Service, oil changes, repairs
- Depreciation: Your generator wears out and needs replacement
- Sound insulation: Sometimes extra provisions needed
These costs sit on top of your normal ingredients. Don't pass them on? You'll earn way less than you think.
⚠️ Note:
Generator costs aren't a fixed daily amount. They depend on how much you run it. So calculate them per portion.
Calculate your generator costs per hour
First, figure out what your generator costs per hour. You'll need this to break it down into individual dishes.
💡 Example calculation per hour:
5kW generator running 8 hours per day:
- Fuel: €1.60/liter diesel, consumption 2 liters/hour = €3.20/hour
- Maintenance: €800/year ÷ 250 working days ÷ 8 hours = €0.40/hour
- Depreciation: €3,000 purchase ÷ 5 years ÷ 250 days ÷ 8 hours = €0.30/hour
Total generator costs: €3.90 per hour
Calculate costs per portion
Now you'll calculate how much generator costs per dish. This depends on two factors:
- Preparation time: How many minutes does it take to make this dish?
- Equipment: What part of your generator capacity do you use?
For most food truck dishes, assume 15-30% of your total generator capacity during prep. It's the kind of thing you only learn after closing your first month at a loss - every appliance running simultaneously drains more power than you'd expect.
💡 Example: Preparing a burger
Preparation time: 8 minutes per burger
- Generator costs: €3.90/hour = €0.065/minute
- Preparation time: 8 minutes
- Capacity usage: 25% (grill + fryer + lighting)
Generator costs per burger: 8 × €0.065 × 0.25 = €0.13
Add to your normal cost price
Add generator costs to your ingredients and other expenses. This gives you your real cost price.
💡 Complete burger cost price:
- Ingredients (bun, meat, vegetables): €2.80
- Packaging (box, napkin): €0.35
- Generator costs: €0.13
Total cost price: €3.28
At selling price €8.50 (excl. 9% VAT = €7.80): food cost = 42%
Without generator costs your food cost would be 40%. That 2 percentage point difference costs you hundreds of euros in profit annually.
Keep it simple with fixed percentages
For daily operations, you can work with fixed percentages per dish type:
- Cold dishes: 2-3% of ingredient costs (cooling/lighting only)
- Hot dishes: 4-6% of ingredient costs (grill, fryer, etc.)
- Complex dishes: 6-8% of ingredient costs (multiple appliances running long)
⚠️ Note:
Check your percentages regularly. Rising fuel prices can significantly increase your generator costs without you noticing.
Monitor your actual consumption
Keep track of how much fuel you actually consume. Many generators use more than manufacturers promise, especially as they age.
Measure for one week:
- How many liters of fuel per day
- How many hours the generator ran
- How many portions you made
This way you get your actual costs per portion instead of estimates.
How do you calculate cost price with generator costs? (step by step)
Calculate generator costs per hour
Add up fuel, maintenance and depreciation. Divide by number of running hours per year. Example: €3,000 fuel + €800 maintenance + €600 depreciation = €4,400 per year. At 2,000 running hours = €2.20 per hour.
Determine preparation time and capacity per dish
Measure how many minutes each dish takes and what part of your generator you use. A burger on the grill, for example, uses 25% of your total capacity for 8 minutes.
Calculate generator costs per portion
Multiply: (cost per minute) × (preparation time) × (capacity percentage). Add this to your ingredient costs for your total cost price per portion.
✨ Pro tip
Track your actual fuel consumption for 14 consecutive days across different event types - festivals burn through 40% more fuel than street markets due to extended hours and higher equipment usage.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
Was this article helpful?
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to include generator costs if I can also use grid power?
Yes, if you regularly work at locations without power. Calculate what percentage of your turnover you make with the generator and include that percentage of your generator costs in your average cost price.
How do I calculate maintenance and depreciation if I just started?
Calculate 15-20% of the purchase price per year for maintenance and depreciation combined. A €3,000 generator costs you about €450-600 per year extra on top of fuel.
Can I pass on generator costs in my selling prices?
Absolutely. Generator costs are real business expenses that you need to recover. Increase your prices by €0.10-0.20 per dish to cover these costs, depending on your preparation method.
What if my generator uses much more than expected?
Measure your actual consumption for one week and recalculate. Old or poorly maintained generators can use 50-100% more fuel. Sometimes it's worth investing in a more efficient generator.
How do I track generator costs without much administration?
Work with fixed percentages per dish type. Count your fuel costs each week and divide by number of portions made. This way you see if your percentages still hold without daily tracking.
Should I calculate generator costs differently for peak vs slow periods?
Yes, during busy periods you're running at higher capacity and making more portions per hour, which spreads the cost thinner. Track your fuel consumption separately for peak lunch rushes versus slower evening periods.
📚 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.
Food cost tools made for food trucks
Small menu, big impact on your margin. KitchenNmbrs is light, fast and mobile — perfect for food truck entrepreneurs who need to count every cent. Try it free for 14 days.
Start free trial →