Most food truck owners think they just need to beat restaurant prices to succeed. That's completely wrong. Your mobile kitchen has unique costs that demand strategic pricing, not random guesswork based on what the brick-and-mortar place down the street charges.
Why pricing in food trucks is different
Food trucks operate with a completely unique cost structure. Sure, you've got lower rent than restaurants, but you're dealing with fuel costs, permit fees, and storage limitations that sit-down establishments never face. These factors directly impact how you price.
💡 Example cost structure food truck:
Monthly fixed costs:
- Truck depreciation/lease: €800
- Insurance: €150
- Fuel: €400
- Permits: €200
- Gas/electricity: €100
Total fixed costs: €1,650/month
The basic formula for food truck prices
You start with your food cost, just like any food business. Food trucks typically run 25-30% food cost - slightly tighter than restaurants because you're operating with fewer staff members.
Basic formula:
Minimum selling price excl. VAT = Ingredient costs ÷ (Desired food cost % ÷ 100)
💡 Example calculation:
You make a gourmet burger:
- Meat: €2.80
- Bun: €0.60
- Vegetables/sauce: €0.90
- Fries: €0.70
Ingredient costs: €5.00
At 28% food cost: €5.00 ÷ 0.28 = €17.86 excl. VAT
Selling price incl. VAT: €17.86 × 1.09 = €19.47
Location-specific adjustments
Your price needs to match where you're parked. Festival crowds behave differently than office workers grabbing lunch. Consider these factors:
- Target audience: Students vs. office workers vs. festival-goers
- Competition: What are other food trucks in the area charging?
- Location costs: Expensive pitch = higher price needed
- Volume: Busy location = more sales = potentially lower margin
⚠️ Note:
Never drop below your minimum price, even for "volume." Selling more at a loss accelerates bankruptcy.
Allocating fixed costs
Food trucks carry relatively hefty fixed costs that must be recovered through sales. Something most kitchen managers discover too late is that you can't just ignore these costs in your pricing calculations. Calculate your average daily covers and allocate a portion of fixed costs per dish.
💡 Example allocation:
Fixed costs: €1,650/month = €55/day (30 days)
Average 80 covers/day
Fixed costs per dish: €55 ÷ 80 = €0.69
Add this to your ingredient costs for the full cost price
Accounting for seasons and events
Food trucks face dramatic seasonal swings. Winter sales often drop 40-60% compared to summer peaks. Factor this into your pricing strategy:
- Summer months: Higher volumes allow competitive pricing
- Winter months: Lower volumes require higher prices for survival
- Events/festivals: Premium pricing justified by exclusive location access
- Lunch vs. evening: Different price points for different dayparts
Practical tools and control
Keep your pricing sharp through regular monitoring:
- Update ingredient prices monthly
- Calculate food cost per dish weekly
- Analyze which dishes drive the most revenue
- Adjust prices immediately after cost increases
Tools like KitchenNmbrs automatically track cost prices and quickly calculate new selling prices after supplier price increases.
How do you calculate the right selling price? (step by step)
Calculate your complete ingredient costs
Add up all costs: main ingredient, side dishes, sauces, packaging. Don't forget anything, including napkins and plastic cutlery. This is your cost price per dish.
Determine your desired food cost percentage
For food trucks, 25-30% is standard. At 28% food cost, you divide your ingredient costs by 0.28. This gives you the minimum selling price excluding VAT.
Allocate fixed costs per dish
Divide your daily fixed costs (fuel, permits, depreciation) by your average number of covers. Add this amount to your ingredient costs.
Add VAT for final price
Multiply your price excluding VAT by 1.09 (for 9% VAT on food). This is your final menu price. Round to a practical amount (€19.50 instead of €19.47).
✨ Pro tip
Track ingredient price changes from your top 3 suppliers every 2 weeks. Supplier price increases of 8-12% can slash your profit margins by half if you don't adjust quickly.
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
Can I charge the same prices as a restaurant?
Often yes, sometimes even more. You've got lower rent but higher mobility costs. Festival-goers happily pay restaurant prices for quality food.
How often should I adjust my prices?
Check ingredient prices monthly. Adjust when costs increase by more than 5%. Seasonal adjustments also make sense for cash flow management.
What if my competitor is cheaper?
Focus on quality and service instead of starting a price war. Calculate your minimum viable price and never go below that, regardless of volume promises.
How do I calculate the impact of packaging costs?
Add up all packaging costs per dish: container, lid, cutlery, napkin, bag. This typically runs €0.50-€1.50 per portion, depending on your concept and local regulations.
📚 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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