Picture this: your food truck's crushing it at lunch rush, but your profit margins are mysteriously thin. Food trucks operate with different cost structures than brick-and-mortar restaurants, often resulting in higher food costs. Many mobile food entrepreneurs miscalculate by overlooking packaging and location-specific expenses.
Normal food cost for food trucks
Food trucks typically run a food cost between 35% and 45%. That's higher than restaurants (28-35%), but food trucks have different operational advantages:
- No building rent (but location fees)
- Less staff needed
- Lower overhead costs
- No table service and dishwashing
💡 Example food truck burger:
Hamburger selling price: €8.50 incl. 9% VAT
- Selling price excl. VAT: €7.80
- Bun: €0.65
- Meat (150g): €2.10
- Vegetables and sauce: €0.45
- Packaging: €0.25
Total food cost: €3.45 / €7.80 = 44.2%
Why food trucks can have higher food cost
Food trucks offset higher food costs with savings in other areas:
- No rent: Restaurants pay €3,000-10,000/month rent
- Less staff: 1-2 people vs. 5-8 in a restaurant
- No utilities: Gas generator vs. fixed connection
- No interior: €50,000+ savings on setup
⚠️ Heads up:
Don't forget packaging costs! Containers, bags and cutlery cost €0.20-0.50 per portion. You need to include this in your food cost.
Food truck specific costs
Beyond ingredients, you've got extra expenses that traditional restaurants don't face:
- Truck fuel: €30-60 per day
- Location fees: €25-150 per day
- Generator fuel: €15-25 per day
- Packaging: €0.20-0.50 per portion
💡 Daily cost calculation example:
Food truck with 100 portions per day:
- Fuel: €45
- Location: €75
- Generator: €20
- Packaging: €30 (100 × €0.30)
Total: €170 / 100 portions = €1.70 per portion extra
Calculate food cost for your food truck
The formula remains identical to restaurants:
Food cost % = (Ingredient costs + Packaging costs) / Selling price excl. VAT × 100
The key difference? Add packaging costs to your ingredients.
💡 Complete calculation:
Pulled pork sandwich €9.50 incl. VAT:
- Selling price excl. VAT: €8.72
- Bun: €0.75
- Pulled pork (120g): €2.40
- Coleslaw: €0.35
- Sauce: €0.25
- Packaging: €0.30
Food cost: €4.05 / €8.72 = 46.4%
High food cost warning signs
For food trucks, it becomes problematic if your food cost exceeds 50%. Based on real restaurant P&L data, there's too little left for:
- Your salary as owner
- Truck maintenance
- Insurance and taxes
- Buffer for slow days
⚠️ Heads up:
Food trucks face more unpredictable days due to weather and cancelled events. Make sure you earn enough on good days to compensate for slow days.
Tips for lower food cost
Here's how to keep your food cost manageable:
- Buy smart: Larger quantities from wholesalers
- Limited menu: 5-8 items instead of 20+ like restaurants
- Multi-purpose ingredients: Same sauce for multiple dishes
- Cheap packaging: Buy per 1,000 units, not per 50
Tools like KitchenNmbrs help you track food cost per dish and quickly identify which items generate maximum profit. Useful if you want to optimize your menu for better margins.
How do you calculate food cost for your food truck?
Gather all costs per portion
Write down the costs of all ingredients, including packaging, cutlery and napkins. Also add small things like salt, pepper and oil that you use.
Calculate selling price excluding VAT
Divide your menu price by 1.09 to get the price excluding 9% VAT. For example: €8.50 / 1.09 = €7.80 excluding VAT.
Divide total costs by selling price
Divide your total costs by the selling price excluding VAT and multiply by 100. This gives you your food cost percentage per dish.
✨ Pro tip
Track your top 5 menu items' food costs every 2 weeks during peak season. Supplier price fluctuations can quietly erode your margins by 3-5% before you notice.
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
Should I include packaging costs in my food cost?
Absolutely. Packaging is part of your product and can cost €0.20-0.50 per portion. This significantly impacts your margin and should be factored into every calculation.
What is a good food cost for a dessert food truck?
Dessert food trucks can often achieve lower food cost (25-35%) because sugar, flour and eggs are relatively cheap compared to meat and fish. Sweet treats typically have better ingredient margins.
Can I maintain the same food cost as restaurants?
No, food trucks have different cost structures. 35-45% food cost is normal for mobile operations, while restaurants typically maintain 28-35%. Your savings come from reduced rent and staffing costs.
📚 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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