A food truck usually has 5-10 signature dishes that form the basis of your revenue. Many food truck owners estimate their food cost, but that can cost you thousands of euros per year. In this article you'll learn step-by-step how to calculate the exact food cost of your five main menu items.
Why calculating food cost is crucial for food trucks
Food trucks have a different cost structure than restaurants. You have less overhead, but also less control over your environment. That's why it's extra important to keep your food cost sharp.
⚠️ Note:
Food trucks often have higher waste due to limited refrigeration space and unpredictable busy periods. Always factor in 10-15% waste in your cost price.
The food cost formula for food trucks
The basics remain the same as for restaurants:
Food cost % = (Ingredient costs per portion / Selling price excl. VAT) × 100
For food trucks, VAT of 9% applies to food (same as restaurants). So a burger of €12.00 incl. VAT = €11.01 excl. VAT.
- Always calculate excl. VAT for food cost
- Include all ingredients (also sauces, garnishes)
- Don't forget packaging (containers, bags, napkins)
- Factor in waste (10-15% extra)
Step-by-step: calculating five menu items
We'll use an example food truck with these five bestsellers:
💡 Example menu:
- Gourmet burger - €12.00
- Loaded fries - €8.50
- Pulled pork sandwich - €10.00
- Caesar wrap - €9.00
- Fish & chips - €11.50
Menu item 1: Calculating the gourmet burger
All ingredients for one gourmet burger:
💡 Example: Gourmet burger cost price
- Bun (artisanal): €0.85
- Beef (150g): €2.40
- Cheese (cheddar): €0.45
- Lettuce, tomato, onion: €0.60
- Sauces (mayo, ketchup): €0.25
- Packaging: €0.15
Subtotal: €4.70
+ 12% waste: €0.56
Total cost price: €5.26
Selling price €12.00 incl. VAT = €11.01 excl. VAT
Food cost: (€5.26 / €11.01) × 100 = 47.8%
⚠️ Note:
47.8% is too high! For food trucks, 35-40% is standard. This burger needs to be more expensive or the cost price needs to come down.
Overview: calculating all five items
Repeat the above method for each dish:
💡 Example: Complete menu analysis
- Gourmet burger: 47.8% food cost (too high)
- Loaded fries: 32.1% food cost (good)
- Pulled pork sandwich: 38.9% food cost (acceptable)
- Caesar wrap: 35.2% food cost (good)
- Fish & chips: 41.3% food cost (on the high side)
Average food cost: 39.1%
What to do with the results
Now that you know the food cost of your five items, you can take action:
- Above 40%: Raise the price or lower the cost price
- 30-40%: Perfect range for food trucks
- Below 30%: Maybe you can lower the price for more volume
Food truck specific tips
Food trucks have unique challenges:
- Limited storage space means more frequent purchasing (higher prices)
- No ability to use leftovers the next day
- Weather dependency can affect your sales
- Location changes mean different target groups
💡 Food truck tip:
Keep a simple daily log of sales per item per location. After a month you'll see patterns: which dishes sell best where?
Digital help with cost price calculation
Manual calculation takes time that you as a food truck owner don't have. Between driving, shopping, cooking and selling, there's little room for Excel sheets.
An app like KitchenNmbrs helps food truck owners to:
- Automatically calculate cost prices
- Track ingredient prices per supplier
- Quickly see which dishes are most profitable
- Keep recipes consistent (even if you have help)
How do you calculate food cost of five menu items? (step by step)
Make a list of all ingredients per dish
Write down each ingredient with exact quantity per portion. Don't forget: sauces, garnishes, packaging and cooking oil. Also include herbs and spices, even though they're small amounts.
Look up current purchase prices
Check your invoices from the last month for realistic prices. Convert to price per gram or per piece. Suppliers regularly raise prices, so don't use old data.
Calculate cost price per portion including waste
Multiply quantity × price per ingredient. Add everything up and factor in 10-15% waste for food trucks. This is your total cost price per portion.
Calculate food cost percentage
Divide cost price by selling price excl. VAT and multiply by 100. For €5.26 cost price on €11.01 selling price: (5.26 / 11.01) × 100 = 47.8% food cost.
Analyze and adjust where needed
Above 40% is too high for food trucks. Raise the price, reduce portions or find cheaper ingredients. Below 30% means you might be too expensive for your target group.
✨ Pro tip
Start with your three best-selling dishes. If those have good food cost, your food truck is probably running profitably. You can optimize the other items later.
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
What is a good food cost for food trucks?
For food trucks, 30-40% food cost is standard. This is slightly higher than restaurants due to more waste and higher purchase prices from smaller volumes.
Should I include packaging in the cost price?
Yes, absolutely. Containers, bags and napkins cost money and are part of your cost price. For a burger this can be €0.10-0.20 per portion.
How often should I recalculate my food cost?
At least monthly, or immediately if suppliers raise prices. Food truck ingredients fluctuate more than restaurants due to smaller purchase volumes.
What if my food cost comes out too high?
You have three options: raise the price, lower the cost price (cheaper ingredients or smaller portions), or accept that this dish is not very profitable but attracts customers.
Does food cost differ per location where I stand?
The cost price stays the same, but your selling price can vary per location. At expensive locations you can charge higher prices, which lowers your food cost percentage.
📚 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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