Industry Benchmarks

Food Truck

Food trucks have lower overhead than brick-and-mortar restaurants but face unique costs: commissary kitchen fees, permits, fuel, and event booking. Location selection and menu simplicity are the biggest profit drivers.

Key Benchmarks for Food Truck

Net Profit Margin

6–9%

After all expenses, taxes, and overhead

Gross Margin

50–65%

Revenue minus cost of goods sold

Labor Cost

~25% of revenue

Total labor as a share of top-line revenue

Overhead

~15% of revenue

Rent, utilities, insurance, admin costs

Break-Even Timeline

~12 months

Average time for a new business to break even

Cost Split

30% fixed / 70% variable

Typical fixed vs variable cost ratio

Recommended Calculators for Food Truck

Break-Even Calculator

Find exactly how many units or how much revenue you need to cover all costs.

Cash Flow Forecast

Project your cash position over 12 months with growth and seasonal inputs.

Markup & Margin Calculator

Understand the difference between markup and margin to set the right price.

Can I Afford to Hire?

Combines break-even, employee cost, and cash flow into one clear hiring answer.

What Food Truck Business Owners Should Know

Margins matter more than revenue. A food truck business with 9% net margins on $500K revenue is healthier than one with 6% margins on $1M. Use the Markup & Margin calculator to find your sweet spot.

Know your break-even number. Most food truck businesses take ~12 months to break even. The Break-Even calculator shows exactly how many sales you need.

Labor is your biggest lever. At ~25% of revenue, labor costs in food truck are significant. Before hiring, run the Can I Afford to Hire? calculator.