Food Truck Business Plan

---
name: food-truck-business-plan
description: "Creates food truck business plans with menu strategy, location planning, permits checklist, and revenue projections. Use when launching or scaling a food truck business."
allowed-tools: Read Write Glob
metadata:
  author: matthewhitcham
  version: "1.0"
---

# Food Truck Business Plan

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:
- Create a business plan for launching a food truck
- Plan menu, location strategy, and operations for a mobile food business
- Build revenue projections and startup cost estimates
- Compile a permits and licensing checklist for your market

**DO NOT** use this skill for restaurant business plans, catering-only businesses, or food product manufacturing. This is for mobile food truck businesses.

---

## Core Principle

A FOOD TRUCK BUSINESS SUCCEEDS ON THREE THINGS: A FOCUSED MENU THAT EXECUTES FAST, LOCATIONS WITH HUNGRY CROWDS, AND OPERATIONS LEAN ENOUGH TO PROFIT ON $15 AVERAGE TICKETS.

---

## Phase 1: Brief

### Required Inputs

| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|-------|------------|---------|
| **Cuisine concept** | "What type of food? What is your niche?" | No default — must be provided |
| **Market** | "What city or region will you operate in?" | No default — must be provided |
| **Budget** | "What is your total startup budget?" | $50,000-$100,000 |
| **Experience** | "Do you have food service experience?" | Some experience |
| **Goals** | "Full-time income, side business, or testing a restaurant concept?" | Full-time income |
| **Timeline** | "When do you want to start operating?" | 3-6 months |

**GATE: Confirm the brief before building the plan.**

---

## Phase 2: Plan

### Business Plan Sections

1. **Concept and Menu** — What you serve and why it works from a truck
2. **Market Analysis** — Target customer, competition, location strategy
3. **Operations** — Truck, equipment, staffing, commissary
4. **Permits and Licensing** — Everything required to operate legally
5. **Financial Projections** — Startup costs, operating costs, revenue forecast
6. **Marketing** — How customers find and follow you

### Menu Strategy

**Rules for food truck menus:**
- 5-8 items maximum (speed and inventory control)
- Average prep time under 5 minutes per order
- At least one vegetarian option
- Items that travel well (no soupy or fragile dishes)
- Price range: $8-16 per item (target $12-14 average ticket)
- At least 40% food cost margin (target under 35%)

### Location Strategy

| Location Type | Pros | Cons |
|---------------|------|------|
| **Lunch spots (offices/industrial)** | Predictable, high volume | Weekday only, seasonal |
| **Events and festivals** | High volume, premium pricing | Inconsistent, entry fees |
| **Breweries and taprooms** | Built-in crowd, repeat customers | Revenue share, limited hours |
| **Night markets** | Weekend revenue, food-focused crowd | Setup effort, competition |
| **Catering and private events** | High ticket, guaranteed revenue | Booking lead time, logistics |
| **Commissary or food hall** | Fixed location, lower overhead | Less brand visibility |

**GATE: Confirm menu concept and location strategy before writing financials.**

---

## Phase 3: Build Financial Plan

### Startup Costs

```
## Startup Cost Estimate

| Item | Low Estimate | High Estimate |
|------|-------------|---------------|
| Truck (used, equipped) | $30,000 | $60,000 |
| Truck (new, custom build) | $75,000 | $150,000 |
| Kitchen equipment | $5,000 | $15,000 |
| Permits and licenses | $1,000 | $5,000 |
| Initial inventory | $1,000 | $3,000 |
| Branding and wrap | $2,500 | $5,000 |
| POS system | $500 | $1,500 |
| Insurance (first 6 months) | $2,000 | $5,000 |
| Working capital (3 months) | $5,000 | $15,000 |
| **Total** | **$47,000** | **$109,500** |
```

### Monthly Operating Costs

```
## Monthly Operating Costs

| Item | Estimate |
|------|----------|
| Food and supplies (COGS) | 30-35% of revenue |
| Truck payment (if financed) | $500-1,500 |
| Fuel | $300-600 |
| Commissary rental | $500-1,500 |
| Insurance | $300-800 |
| Permits and fees | $100-300 |
| Staff (if applicable) | $2,000-5,000 |
| Marketing | $100-300 |
| Maintenance and repairs | $200-500 |
| POS and technology | $50-150 |
```

### Revenue Projections

```
## Revenue Scenario Analysis

**Assumptions:**
- Operating days: [X] per week
- Average customers per service: [X]
- Average ticket: $[X]

| Scenario | Days/Week | Customers/Day | Avg Ticket | Weekly Revenue | Monthly Revenue |
|----------|-----------|---------------|-----------|----------------|-----------------|
| Conservative | 4 | 60 | $13 | $3,120 | $12,480 |
| Moderate | 5 | 80 | $14 | $5,600 | $22,400 |
| Optimistic | 6 | 100 | $15 | $9,000 | $36,000 |
```

---

## Phase 4: Polish

### 1. Permits and Licensing Checklist

```
## Permits Checklist (research requirements for your specific city/county)

- [ ] Business license
- [ ] Food handler's permit (for all staff)
- [ ] Mobile food vendor permit
- [ ] Health department inspection and permit
- [ ] Fire department inspection (if required)
- [ ] Commissary agreement (required in most jurisdictions)
- [ ] Vehicle registration and commercial insurance
- [ ] Sales tax permit
- [ ] Parking permits for specific locations
- [ ] Event vendor applications (for festivals and markets)
- [ ] Zoning verification for planned operating locations
```

### 2. Operations Checklist

```
## Daily Operations

**Pre-Service:**
- [ ] Prep food at commissary
- [ ] Load truck and check inventory
- [ ] Verify truck equipment (generator, fridge, gas)
- [ ] Drive to location and set up (30-60 min)
- [ ] Set up POS, signage, and menu board

**During Service:**
- [ ] Serve customers, target under 5 min per order
- [ ] Monitor inventory levels
- [ ] Track sales via POS

**Post-Service:**
- [ ] Clean and sanitize truck
- [ ] Return to commissary, store perishables
- [ ] Record sales, food waste, and notes
- [ ] Prep ingredient orders for next day
```

### 3. Quality Checklist

```
## Food Truck Business Plan Checklist

- [ ] Menu is 5-8 items with under 5-minute prep times
- [ ] Target food cost is under 35%
- [ ] Location strategy identifies 3-5 operating locations
- [ ] Startup costs are itemized with low and high estimates
- [ ] Monthly operating costs are projected
- [ ] Revenue projections include conservative, moderate, and optimistic scenarios
- [ ] Permits checklist is researched for the specific market
- [ ] Commissary arrangement is identified
- [ ] Branding and truck design planned
- [ ] Break-even analysis completed
```

---

## Example

**Concept:** Korean BBQ tacos, Austin TX

**Menu (6 items):**
1. Bulgogi Taco (3 pack) — $14
2. Spicy Pork Taco (3 pack) — $13
3. Tofu Taco (3 pack) — $12 (VG)
4. Korean Loaded Fries — $10
5. Kimchi Quesadilla — $11
6. Iced Horchata — $4

**Location rotation:**
- Mon-Wed: Downtown office district (lunch 11am-2pm)
- Thu: Local brewery (5pm-9pm)
- Fri-Sat: Food truck park (11am-9pm)
- Sun: Farmers market (9am-2pm)

**Revenue (moderate scenario):** $22,400/month, $6,720 COGS (30%), $8,400 operating expenses, $7,280 monthly profit before taxes

---

## Anti-Patterns

- **Menu too large** — 15 items from a truck means slow service, high waste, and complex inventory. Keep it under 8.
- **No commissary plan** — most cities require a licensed commissary for prep and storage. Research this before buying a truck.
- **Buying before permitting** — buy the truck after confirming you can get the permits. Regulations vary wildly by city.
- **Ignoring weather** — rain and extreme heat kill food truck revenue. Budget for weather-related downtime.
- **No social media presence** — food trucks depend on followers knowing where to find you. Post your location daily.

---

## Recovery

- **Permits are more complex than expected:** Hire a local food truck consultant or connect with your city's small business development center. Many offer free guidance.
- **Revenue is below projections:** Test new locations. Track sales by location and day to identify the best and worst spots.
- **Food cost too high:** Reduce menu to your top 4 sellers. Negotiate with suppliers or find lower-cost ingredients that maintain quality.
- **Truck breaks down:** Budget for repairs ($200-500/month) and have a backup plan — catering or commissary pop-up — for days the truck is down.