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How to Write a Food Truck Business Plan – Download Template

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Want to look inside the business plan of a real food truck business? We’ve organized detailed business plan templates from successful food trucks and made them available to you in PDF and Word doc in this post. In addition to offer templates, we give you detailed instruction how to complete each section of the plan using this guide.

Before we dive in, keep in mind that it could take weeks if not months of planning to develop a business plan that’s helpful. Whatever time takes for you to write the business plan will be well spent. When researched correctly this document serves as the “game plan” for operating your entire mobile food business and sets the direction of your company.

Approach this document seriously because it can become the roadmap to operate your business and ensure you’re set up for success. When you’ve finished writing your plan, you should know where you plan to vend, estimated food costs, the marketing plan, and how you’ll raise money for the food truck. Pretty important stuff right? Let’s dig in.

Page Contents

Introduction

• Serious about Starting a Food Truck? Click Here To Get Our Free Food Truck Business Kit.

Download Business Plan Templates

Components of a business plan, executive summary:, food truck mission statement:, company concept and description:, market analysis:, management structure:, product line:, sales and marketing:, funding request:, financial projections:, bonus tips when creating your building plan, is creating a business plan a total waste of time.

I want you to get the most value possible out of your business planning process. Why? I believe having an accurate business plan gives you the best odds of success for operating a profitable food truck.

And if you’re going to be investing tens of thousands of dollars into a food truck or trailer, cooking equipment, and permits, why not invest a few days creating a detailed plan for how to run the business.

Here’s one example why going through this process can be helpful from our Annual Food Truck Academy class, where train future food truck owners how to start a food truck. One student completed her research estimating food cost, overhead, and anticipated sales as part of her business plan. Then she came back and revealed that based on her current plan, the food truck wouldn’t be profitable. After factoring in tax, labor, and food costs there were no profits left over.

Our student was initially discouraged by the numbers, but I was happy. It’s much better to identify a revenue short-fall before you start the business than months after when you see sales coming in, but can’t figure out why there’s nothing left in the bank account. As a result of the work invested on the front end through planning, she was able to evaluate her ingredient cost and pricing to create a business plan that set herself up for success.

Still, many first time food vendors don’t take the time to put in this work. It’s a shame because it’s so easily avoidable.

One more tip before we get into researching and writing the business plan, don’t get overly hung-up on the structure of the document. Unless you plan to apply for a small business loan (then you will need to be more concerned about formatting, but let’s worry about that later), you’re not going to be graded on how pretty the document looks or how nice the nice fonts and illustrations. This isn’t an assignment for school where you’re going through the motions to get a B.

Instead focus your energy on making this plan useful for your business. Find specific locations that you plan to sell food. Get the contact information for these venues to learn how you can get into them. Figure out your exact food cost and how much it’s going to cost to get permits in your area. Putting ink to paper or word document is going to make the operations of your business real.

Now let’s get on with making your game plan!

Note to Reader: This is part of a series of posts following the process of starting a food truck with Anthony Salvagno (featured in the image below) as he writes a business plan, seeks funding, develops a concept, builds a menu, and ultimately launches his first food truck. Listen to the audio lesson inside this post to learn more about writing a winning food truck business plan.

The person that doesn’t have one [a business plan] sets themselves up for failure. – Anthony Salvagno on the importance of thinking before leaping into a business.

Serious about Starting a Food Truck?  Click Here To Get Our Free Food Truck Business Kit.

In my opinion, this case study is most effective when listening to the audio and downloading the example that Salvagno was kind enough to provide for this post. I’ve also linked to other resources that can help you write your own business plan.

Download Business Plan – Yes, this is the PDF business plan used to acquire $5,000 for a food truck during a business pitch competition. This document is referenced in the companion podcast.

Download Business Plan Template – Here’s a sample template you can use and edit for your own truck.

SBA – Create Your Business Plan – The Small Business Administration (SBA) does an excellent job outlining the steps needed to create a business plan. It’s not food truck specific, but it gives you what you need and there’s plenty of valuable information here.

You can learn a lot by reading business plans for other food businesses like restaurants as well. Operating a profitable restaurant is similar to operating a successful mobile food business. The main different is that a trailer is that it’s mobile.

Below is an outline of the key sections you’ll need to complete for a standard business plan with a description of how each section applies to a food truck or trailer business. Complete each section and you’ve got yourself a real plan for your business my friend.

Keep in mind that if you’re creating this document for yourself and not a banker you don’t need to get fancy with the formatting. The important thing is to have a detailed plan for the business before you open. If you feel the burning desire to make this look nice, you can make formatting updates after the

This is an overview of the information contained in the business plan and should introduce the name of your food truck and the food you plan to serve. This section should only be one page in length. Give readers the high-level overview of what the plan. You’ll have plenty of opportunity to dive into the nitty gritty in the next sections of the document.

The purpose of this section in most business plans is to give prospective investors information about your startup. Lenders reviewing a small business loan might be another audience, although they will be much more focused on financial side of things. But for most of our readers this section is for you, a business partner, and potentially a spouse.

For our Executive Summary we included 2 – 3 sentences describing these important aspects of the business. The provides anyone reading this document with a general understanding of what the business is and how it expects to make money:

• The food item we plan to sell and specialize in.
• The key people that will manage the business. In this case, the food truck will be owned and operated by two partners.
• The business entity we plan to form. We formed an LLC.
• Where you plan to operate the business and hours of operation. Our initial plan had us operating 5 days per week for lunch and dinner.
• The basic marketing plan. Again you’ll dive into the details in the marketing and sales portion of the document.
• Projected cost to fund the business and anticipated revenue.
• Future goals. How will you know you’ve won? For some this will be a specific revenue number and for others this could be opening up a franchise with 100s of locations.

Again, unless you plan to bring on outside investors don’t worry too much about perfect formatting in the executive summary. This is to ensure you and your partners are clear on the high-level plan for the business.

The mission statement for a food truck can be as short as a sentence or as long as a paragraph. This statement should define what you plan to serve, who you will serve, and the ultimate vision for the business. When done right the mission statement should guide every major decision you make for the business.

Here’s the mission statement from our business plan as an example: 

To provide the residents of our city, young and old, an out of this world gourmet peanut butter and jelly inspired sandwich experience. We use local ingredients and provide gluten-free, contaminant-free products for those with special dietary needs.

When a mission statement is done right it should actually influence how you operate and run your business day to day. For example, since the utilization of local ingredients is part of our mission statement, we’ve got to actively be looking for local suppliers to buy inventory. If we don’t, we’ve failed.

We also need to consider the dietary needs of different groups of people. This impacts the sandwiches we put on our menu every day. Again, if we don’t do this, won’t reach the goal we’ve set out to achieve.

A mission statement can be the most influential part of the business plan when it’s used the right way. On the other hand, this guide can be forgotten when it’s not used to guide decisions. To learn more about making impactful mission statements, watch this interview to go deeper on the subject.

This is the fun part. Here you will describe what you hope the food truck will become, the food you plan to serve, and why you believe it will be a successful business. For most food trucks this section only needs to be a few paragraphs in length.

Make sure to include information on why your food is both desirable and unique to customers in the area. Also, if you have some type of theme, like an island theme for example, include little details like this in the description.

If you plan to operate something more mainstream like taco truck, take the time to express what it is that makes you different in your market. A common way food trucks differentiate themselves is through their ingredients or style. For example, you could be the only taco truck in town that uses organic, locally raised meats. Or you might be the only one in town that specializes in making fish tacos. Find a way to standout and offer something that isn’t available elsewhere.

You want folks that read this section to be able to clearly envision the kind of overall experience they’ll enjoy when visiting your food truck. Here are a few guidelines for writing this section:

• What food will you serve?
• How is your food different than other vendors in the area?
• Is there a specific type of consumer you want to attract?

As you can see from our own business plan, we differentiated ourselves through seasonal menu changes all the time and have menu options that cater to people that require a gluten-free diet. It’s also worth noting that our core product of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches is unique to the market.

Understand the players in your market before starting a business.

For smaller markets with a couple hundred thousand people living nearby this section might be short and include just 4 – 5 other trucks. However, if you’re entering a market like Los Angeles this section will be larger and more in-depth.

If you’re planning to enter a market that has 10 traditional taco trucks and you plan to start a traditional taco truck too, it will be to differentiate yourself from other vendors in the area.

Consider adding a spin to your own food concept like serving Asian tacos instead to provide local consumers will more variety and fill a potential need. If you’re not sure about the type of truck you want to create yet, looking at the market and seeing what type of food is missing can be a smart way to approach this.

In this area you’ll also want to identify the type of customer that will frequent your establishment. Any data about local trends that you can find will be useful to include as well like this report from IBIS World that forecasts growth in the United States food truck industry for the next 5 years. Google can be a good friend in locating the data to include in the document.

Most food truck owners start with a management structure of one.

This section is straightforward for most food vendors. You can list yourself as the owner and operator if that applies. But don’t forget about key employees or partners too. Many food trucks need a team of 3 – 5 employees to operate successfully during a lunch rush. Make sure these long-term players are accounted for.

In our business plan, it’s a partnership between brothers. The work load is split up between one brother operating the front of the house and marketing: accepting orders, booking new business and events, emailing and calling catering leads. The other brother focuses more on the chef duties including sourcing ingredients, cooking food, working with suppliers, and ensuring food quality.

Industry Survey Results: What is the Average Income of a Food Truck Vendor?

If you have more than one owner of the business this is where you want to take the opportunity to clearly define roles. This is an extremely important section of the document when multiple parties and their money are involved. By outlining everyones responsibilities in this document, it serves as a record of who was in responsible for certain aspects of the business. The more people involved, the more diligent you need to be with assigning tasks.

If it’s not written down, it’s easy for partners to recall things differently. This will help avoid conflict in the future for all parties involved. You need this.

The more stakeholders involved, the more complicated this section will be. You should also include investors and advisors in this section even when people aren’t excepted to help with the daily business operations. Outline what value these people have delivered to the business and what return they can expect in the future.

Ready-made meals can be a great way to diversify your product line.

Finally… This is the section you finally get to describe your food. I recommend outlining the main menu items and any signature dishes that you have in this section. But don’t stop at just the food that you plan to serve.

Other products and services that you plan to offer could include corporate catering gigs or weddings. These can be the biggest money makers for a mobile food vendor.

It pays to think outside the box too in this section. Some vendors that started out by serving food out the window of a truck exclusively have now begun to sell their trademark dishes in stores, online, or at restaurant. Don’t forget to think about possible paths for growth in the business.

• Previous guest of the show Martie Richie of Motley Crews is an excellent example of someone that is doing just that. They’ve expanded to selling snacks online through their e-commerce website and at local gas stations.
• Malcolm decided to open a restaurant to attain more consistent sales, especially through the slow winter months.

A food truck can serve as a mobile promotional platform.

How do you plan to market your business and get sales? One of the biggest factors that determine the success / failure of a lunch truck is location. Will you be able to get into major events or areas with a lot of potential customers?

One of the biggest favors you can do for yourself to input into your sales and marketing plan is to create a tentative list of places you might be able to vend. Get extremely granular with this task. In fact, it might even help to print out a map to evaluate where the best potential vending locations are in your area.

Here’s the information you should gather as part of this process. You can add this information inside the sales and marketing section of the business plan as you gather it. 

• Name of the vending location and cost details.
• Contact information including telephone, email, and address. Ideally a dedicated point of contact in charge of booking vendors.

Here are some locations that work well for food trucks:

• Farmer’s markets: You can usually find vendor information listed on the website.
• Annual events: Browse your cities website for a list of upcoming events like car shows, fairs, or parades.
• Social Media: One of the easiest ways to find good vending locations is to monitor the social media accounts of popular food trucks in your city. If they are vending somewhere, it’s probably a lucrative location that you might be able to vend at as well.
• Corporate Workplaces:  Big corporate employers with a few thousand employees working at a single location can be a good option for generating consistent lunch sales.
• Breweries and Wineries: Places like this often don’t want to build in a restaurant into their operations and partner with mobile food vendors to supply food to guests.

Pro Tip: Make sure to have a a lot of  different parking location options before getting started. Not every location you try is going to be profitable. By developing a big list of opportunities upfront, you won’t feel stressed about vending options because your dream vending location didn’t work out.

There are an endless number of tactics you can use to attempt to drum up business in the early days, but for most successful food business getting into events with big hungry crowds is the first step to building a brand locally and gaining traction. Learn more about finding profitable vending locations here.

Just another day on the food truck.

The key to a good funding request is knowing exactly how much money you need and having a detailed plan explaining how you plan to use it. For food truck owners, the biggest early expense will be in buying a food truck and the kitchen equipment installed onboard.

You should also account for the amount of money you’ve raised or have on hand in this section. In our business plan for example, we were looking at $55,000 all-in to start the business. This would include the purchase of a food truck, our initial inventory of food, and permits. Be extremely diligent in outlining how you intend to spend every dollar in this section. It will safe you time late in the process and lenders will appreciate your attention to detail.

We were able to bring $14,850 or 27% of that total investment to the table that was raised mostly through personal savings, a small crowd funding campaign, and winning a business plan contest. The remaining 73% was acquired through the help of a small business loan. Being able to start a real food business like this for below $15,000 out of pocket is pretty cool.

Reader’s Note: If you’re not planning to seek funding through a traditional bank (or are simply planning to take out a personal loan based on your credit history) you can technically disregard this section, although you should still analyze closely how you intend to spend your money.

If you plan on asking for friends and family for money this attention to detail can help too. Even if they’re not in the food industry, it’s easy to understand that a commercial oven or fridge could cost a few thousand dollars. If you have a specific use for funds that makes sense, it increases the likelihood of obtaining a loan with friendly terms amongst family.

This is an extremely important area to spend time on before starting a food truck. I’d argue this section is as important as the product, sales and marketing plan of the business plan. This section will offer your first insight into whether or not the business idea you have is going to work or not in its present form.

From a practical standpoint, the main thing you want to figure out is what your break-even point for the business is. In other words, how much food do you need to sell in order to pay all of your monthly expenses? This is a simple, but critical question you must find the answer to before getting started.

You can determine the break-even point for a food truck business with this formula: 

Fixed Costs / (Price – Variable Costs) = Bread Even Point

Here’s the due diligence you’ll need to complete to find the break-even point for your food truck:

• Add up the total monthly expenses you expect for the food truck to find your fixed cost number. This number will include loan payments, insurance, cell phone, and everything else you need to pay on a monthly. Use our guide to create a quick estimate of monthly costs.
• The price refers to how much you plan to charge customers and how many sales you anticipate in a given month. From your perspective the less sales you need to break even the better as it will.
• The variable costs is the expenses you put into cost of goods sold. In your case this if the food you’re selling. As you sell more, your variable cost will also increase because you need to buy more product. This is a good thing!

Based on your current fixed cost and variable cost estimates, find out how many total sales of your food total you would need to generate to pay all your bills. Does that number seem seem attainable based on the frequency you plan to vend each month?

Figuring out what your sales is going to be in the future will be the biggest leap of faith you make in the business plan. I always urge people to be being super conservative with sales estimates. You are going to have slow days and extremely busy days when you get out into the real world. Being financially ready for challenging times will make your business more resilient.

Forecasting Financial Projections:

In the financial projections, focus on estimating how much money you will make in the first year of the business. Investing too much time on longterm projections 5-years out doesn’t make any sense since you haven’t actually started the business yet. After the business has been operating for about a month, you’ll want to go back and review the previous estimates to ensure everything is making sense.

While estimating the projected revenue will require some guessing, figuring out startup and monthly operating expenses once the business gets going is much simpler. While there might be unexpected expenses that pop up before opening the business, you already know the monthly bills like insurance, phone, inventory, loan payments (if you have one), commissary.  Read our post that includes a spreadsheet on the Complete Breakdown of Food Truck Operation Costs for help researching this section.

Here are a few other quick tips for the financial projections section: 

• Always start a business with some extra capital on hand and establish an emergency business fund. We suggest $3,000 – $5,000 minimum. You don’t want to find yourself underfunded going into the second week so and not be able to purchase supplies. Unfortunately, break downs also happen in this business so you want to be ready for them.
• You’ll need to be comfortable making a few “educated guesses” in this section especially when it comes to revenue projections. Always be conservative with sales estimates. If you do end of exceeding expectations then that’s fantastic.
• The primary goal of completing this process is to understand how much money you’ll require to operate the business and break even on a monthly basis. After determining a break-even, find out how much it will require to pay yourself a comfortable wage after taxes.

This is the place to include your permit from the health department, photos of the vehicle, and other legal documents needed to operate a mobile food business. This is a good spot to add photos of food or people smiling and enjoying your meals at events (if you’ve vended at an event already). Add in anything else you feel could be helpful too.

Here are a few key concepts pulled straight from the audio companion of this guide.

• Don’t be afraid to ask current food truck owners for help when writing a plan. They have the best understanding of what the market looks like and may even help you to create more accurate market projections. Not everyone will be willing to lend a hand, but some might.
• The financial projections section is the most important and practical element of the business plan. You need this to be able to evaluate how much money you’ll to start the business and what prices you’ll need to charge for longterm success.
• Don’t invest a ton of your time into longterm projections especially years 3, 4, and 5 of the food truck. Restaurants come and go. You won’t be able to make accurate projections out that far anyway.
• You should be extremely detailed when estimating expenses. Including often overlooked items like sandwich wrappers, napkins, mops, buckets, and cleaning supplies. Knowing how much cash you need for day one of starting the truck right is critical.

Good question. That really depends on who you ask.

There’s a whole group of like savvy entrepreneurs and business people who don’t believe in the business plan at all. They’re like okay, you have this written document that you never ever use again. But then there’s this whole other group of people that actually believe in the business plan.

If you’re planning to try to get a traditional bank loan you will need to create a business plan. Having a written plan does not guarantee you will be approved for a loan. In fact, you might get turned down even with an okay credit history.

While it’s not perfect, I firmly believe going through the process of writing a business plan, when taken seriously improves your chances of success. You want to understand your competition. You want to understand where you plan to park. You want to have a few ideas about how you might market your business and what your overhead is going to be before starting the business. This document helps you make more educated decisions based on the work you’ve put in.

The Bottom Line: Will drafting a detailed business plan like this one take a long time? You bet it will. If you do it right, it could easily take a month or two to complete. But the benefits of doing so can be worth it and pay dividends for the life of your business.

So what’s the next step? I suggest enrolling in our free food truck business kit to learn more about the startup process. 

Want to start your own food business?

Hey! 👋I’m Brett Lindenberg, the founder of Food Truck Empire.

We interview successful founders and share the stories behind their food trucks, restaurants, food and beverage brands. By sharing these stories, I want to help others get started.

If you liked this story, sign up for our newsletter that includes our food business startup kit and most popular interviews sent straight to your inbox.

Know someone interesting that should be interviewed on the website? Tell us about them here. 

About the Author: Brett Lindenberg

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Food Truck Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Food Truck Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to create your food truck business plan.

We have helped over 100,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their food trucks.

Food Truck Business Plan Example & Template

Below is a template to help you create each section of your food truck business plan.

Executive Summary

Business overview.

Zesty Zane’s Food Truck is a new food truck located in Portland owned by local critically acclaimed chef, Zane Benedict. The menu will consist of popular food options that consist of burgers, sandwiches, gyros, and tacos uniquely made with the creativity and uniqueness that Chef Zane can offer. Chef Zane’s eclectic style and consistency make him a favorite among Portland foodies and his food truck will garner a loyal following amongst young professionals and college students.

Zesty Zane’s Food Truck will be located in the immensely popular food truck pod known as Cartopia. Chef Zane will receive lots of exposure by being a part of this community as there are plenty of neighboring food trucks, bars, nightlife, and entertainment options nearby. With the popular location of Cartopia and an impressive Instagram social media following, Zesty Zane’s Food Truck is destined to become a local go-to dining destination for anyone craving delicious, interesting fare at an affordable price.

Products Served

The following are the products to be offered by Zesty Zane’s Food Truck:

• Sandwiches & paninis
• Assorted non-alcoholic beverages

Customer Focus

Zesty Zane’s Food Truck will target customers in Portland who live, work, or socialize near Cartopia. This area is frequented by numerous young professionals, college students, and the late-night crowd who regularly eat at food trucks. Anyone seeking trendy dining options are the target customers of Zesty Zane’s Food Truck.

Management Team

Chef Zane has worked in the culinary industry for over ten years and is accustomed to the long, demanding hours of operating a kitchen. He attended culinary school in San Francisco and returned home to Portland to be a part of the world-renowned food scene that Portland has built for itself. After working under three award-winning chefs, Chef Zane is ready to venture out on his own and start his own business as a food truck.

Chef Zane Benedict will be the food truck owner and operator of his food truck. He will operate the food truck Tuesday through Sunday from 11:00 am until 1:00 am. Chef Zane will also employ two part-time cooks to assist him during peak hours of operation.

Success Factors

The following success factors will set Zesty Zane’s Food Truck apart from the competition:

• Exceptional cuisine made fresh with locally sourced ingredients.
• An eclectic menu that is unlike any other in the Portland food scene.
• Convenient location: Zesty Zane’s Food Truck will be located in a highly-trafficked food truck pod that is frequented by college students, young professionals, and night-life regulars.
• Delicious food at a good price. Zesty Zane’s food items will be cheaper than other food truck dishes without sacrificing quality.

Financial Highlights

Zesty Zane’s Food Truck is seeking $40,000 in debt financing to open its food truck. The funding will be dedicated for the purchase of the food truck, cooking supplies and equipment, working capital, three months worth of payroll expenses and opening inventory. The breakout of the funding is below:

• Purchase of food truck – $20,000
• Food truck kitchen supplies and equipment – $10,000
• Opening inventory – $2,000
• Working capital (to include 3 months of overhead expenses) – $3,000
• Marketing (website design and management) – $5,000

The following graph outlines the pro forma financial projections for Zesty Zane’s Food Truck:

Company Overview

Who is zesty zane’s food truck.

Zesty Zane’s Food Truck is a startup food truck business located in Portland, Oregon. The menu offerings are eclectic, made-to-order, bistro-type dishes served fresh and fast in the entertainment district of Portland. The ingredients are locally-sourced from independent food growers and artisans in and around the Portland region. The dishes are incorporated with an ingenious twist to commonly known popular food menu items. The menu options are simple dishes commonly seen at food trucks, but Chef Zane adds his own spin to the typical fare – sandwiches, gyros, burgers, and tacos all made his way unlike any other food establishment.

Zesty Zane’s Food Truck is owned and operated by Zane Benedict, a local Chef classically trained in culinary school and under the most prestigious chefs in Portland. Chef Zane is known for his creativity, consistency, and quickness in the kitchen and his dishes receive multiple positive reviews in the restaurants Zane has been employed. Chef Zane specializes in fine French, Italian, and Mediterranean cuisine with a creative twist not typically found in other restaurant establishments.

Zesty Zane’s Food Truck History

After graduating from culinary school in 2008, Chef Zane Benedict worked as a sous chef in three different restaurants in Portland. All of the chefs Zane worked under were award-winning, locally-acclaimed chefs that frequently trained their apprentices to prepare dishes up to their expectation and standards.

Chef Zane learned a great deal from these chefs and garnered a reputation himself for his creativity and consistency. Now that Zane feels he has learned as much as he can from the senior chefs, he would like to venture out on his own and start his own business. Due to the large amount of capital required to open a full-scale restaurant, Chef Zane decided a food truck business was the most cost-effective option for his operation.

Since incorporation, Zesty Zane’s Food Truck has achieved the following milestones:

• Developed the food truck’s branding image, social media, and website.
• Has a soft hold on a used food truck that recently went out of business.
• Developed and finalized the menu of the dishes Chef Zane will serve.
• Obtained a food permit license to be able to prepare and sell food and drinks in Portland County.
• Obtained a sales and use tax permit for use in Portland County.

Zesty Zane’s Food Truck Products

The following are the types of menu items Zesty Zane’s Food Truck will produce:

Food Truck Industry Analysis

Food truck vendors will continue to perform well over the next five years, benefiting from consumers with deeper pockets who are able to spend on pricier gourmet food options. Revenues are expected to increase to $1.4 billion during this time period.

Food Truck industry operators are expected to continue to experience growth, as generally positive economic conditions and momentum from the gourmet food movement propel growth.

Consumers nowadays demand higher-quality food, a wider variety of styles and tastes, better presentation and, most importantly, more healthy menu options. Therefore, operators that include healthy options on their menus will be best situated for success over the next five years. Vendors that continue to offer unique food options will also be in a strong position by carving out a niche and developing a loyal customer base.

The food truck industry will also benefit from an increase in the urban population, which is expected to comprise the majority of the US population in five years. The food truck industry benefits from agglomeration because it relies on high foot traffic. Additionally, urban dwellers are also more likely to purchase meals rather than cooking at home due to their above-average incomes and limited spare time.

Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market.

Zesty Zane’s Food Truck will target the population of Portland that frequently dines in the entertainment district. There is a large food truck area of Portland known as Cartopia, where Chef Zane will set up his business. This area is home to numerous dining establishments, nightlife, bars, clubs, and food trucks. The target market of this area are usually young professionals and college students who have disposable income.

The precise demographics for Portland, Oregon are:

Customer Segmentation

Zesty Zane’s Food Truck will primarily target the following customer profile:

• Local residents of Portland who partake in late-night activities such as socializing with friends or bar-hopping
• Business professionals that work and reside in the Portland Cartopia area – law offices, hospitals, clinics, insurance agencies, retail, and schools
• College students who are in search of fast, cheap, and trendy eats

Competitive Analysis

Direct and indirect competitors.

Zesty Zane’s Food Truck will be competing with other food trucks in the Portland community. A profile of each competitor is below.

Potato Champion

Potato Champion is a local favorite of Portland foodies that is also located in Cartopia. Started in 2008, Potato Champion quickly established itself as a fan favorite for late night food. Potato Champion serves a limited menu of hand cut, twice fried Belgian style fries, a variety of dipping sauces, and their own version of the Canadian classic Poutine, as well as other fry related dishes. They pride themselves in using the highest quality ingredients and focus on an inventive menu that combines tastes from all over the world with one of the most popular foods found on the globe, the french fry.

Potato Champion is open for lunch, dinner, and late-night. They are available for catering and delivery through Postmates. Followers of Potato Champion are also able to purchase swag from their store that includes music, bags, pins, and hoodies.

Started by John Eads in 2009, Pyro Pizza was built out of a 8’x16’ food cart that he custom-built with a cast iron wood fire oven. Aside from wood fired pizza, John also makes his own sodas using all real ingredients and natural cane sugar. John’s belief is that good ingredients make good food. His crew makes many components in-house and sources regional flour, pepperoni, sausage, blue cheese, soda ingredients, and seasonal produce all from Portland businesses and farms. In 2015, Pyro’s expanded to a new sandwich cart, Pyro’s Wicked Wiches – a scratch-made sandwich, soup, chips and cookie food cart.

Pyro’s serves an assortment of wood fire pizzas made from scratch. Their choices are margherita, marinara, arugula and mushroom, pepperoni, quattro formaggi, fennel sausage, veggie bianca, breadsticks, salads, and sodas.

Chicken and Guns

Chicken and Guns is another local favorite among Portland foodies. Also found in Cartopia, Chicken and Guns serves up Latin American chicken, wings, tacos, salad, soup, and their “guns” are crispy seasoned potatoes. The chicken is served by the quarter, half, or whole bird. Another item they are acclaimed for is their peruvian aji sauce, habanero carrot sauce and chimichurri sauce. They have been named the best fried chicken in Portland by the PDX Eater.

Chicken and Guns is open everyday from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm for takeout and delivery options. With a large Instagram and social media following, there is always destined to be a line at the Chicken and Guns food truck.

Competitive Advantage

Zesty Zane’s Food Truck offers several advantages over its competition. Those advantages are:

Food Truck Marketing Plan

Zesty Zane’s Food Truck will offer a unique value proposition to its clientele:

• Delicious food made fresh with locally sourced ingredients using exquisite techniques.
• Located in the ultra-hip food truck area known as Cartopia.
• Great food at a great price. The menu offerings of Zesty Zane’s Food Truck will be accessible to customers of all walks of life.

Promotions Strategy

The promotions strategy for Zesty Zane’s Food Truck are as follows:

Social Media

Zesty Zane’s Food Truck’s main source of marketing will be through social media, primarily their Instagram page. Chef Zane has become adept at taking appealing photographs of his dishes. He will post pictures of his menu and add details on the location and hours of operation. His food truck account already has over 3,000 followers and he posts daily “Coming Soon” teaser photos.

Zesty Zane’s Food Truck will be parked in the immensely popular food truck hub known as Cartopia of Portland. There are dozens of food trucks located in this pod and there is always a crowd of people. Cartopia hosts bands, art shows, shopping events, and other social gatherings to enhance the entertainment vibe of the pod. By being part of Cartopia, Zesty Zane’s Food Truck will receive lots of exposure and traffic.

SEO Website Marketing

Zesty Zane’s Food Truck plans to invest funds into maintaining a strong SEO presence on search engines like Google and Bing. When a person types in “local food truck” or “top food trucks in Portland”, Zesty Zane’s Food Truck will appear in the top three choices. Zesty Zane’s will also invest in their website also to ensure that it is user friendly, always up to date, and displays professional photographs of its menu items and location.

Third Party Delivery Sites

Zesty Zane’s Food Truck will maintain a presence on sites like GrubHub, Uber Eats, Doordash, and Postmates so that people looking for local food with the option of delivery will see Zesty Zane’s listed.

The pricing of Zesty Zane’s Food Truck will be moderate and on par with other food trucks so customers feel they receive value when purchasing their menu items.

Operations Plan

The operations plan for Zesty Zane’s Food Truck is relatively simple as its overhead and cost is small. The functional roles for its employees are as follows:

Operation Functions:

• Chef Zane will run the food truck operation. He will be in charge of inventory, menu creation, food truck marketing, customer service, and bookkeeping. Chef Zane will work every day that he chooses to open the food truck. Chef Zane plans on operating the food truck Tuesday through Sunday 11:00 am to 1:00 am.
• Two part-time cooks that will alternate helping Chef Zane during the hours of operation. As business picks up, there will be two cooks at the same time assisting Chef Zane during peak hours.

Milestones:

Zesty Zane’s Food Truck aims to open in the next 3 months. The following are the milestones needed in order to obtain this goal.

4/15/202X – Purchase food truck

5/1/202X – Finalize menu

5/15/202X – Social media and advertising campaign begins

6/1/202X – Finish cleaning up the food truck and prepare it for operation

6/10/202X – Purchase food and drink inventory, stock truck, and park it at Cartopia

6/11/202X – Grand Opening of Zesty Zane’s Food Truck

Zesty Zane’s Food Truck will be owned and operated by Chef Zane Benedict.

Chef Zane Benedict, Food Truck Owner

Chef Zane Benedict is a Portland native who attended culinary school in San Francisco and returned to Portland to become a part of the world-renowned food scene Portland is uniquely known for. Zane was trained under three different chefs at fine dining establishments in downtown Portland and was awarded Best Sous Chef of Portland in 2017. Chef Zane has won two local culinary competitions, placed runner-up in a statewide competition, and participated in a cooking competition show on the Food Network.

Chef Zane has received numerous awards for his creativity and consistency of his food while being able to prepare dishes in a short amount of time. His ability to prepare food under pressure allows him the unique skill of serving numerous customers without having them undergo long wait times. This will keep customers happy and coming back for more.

Financial Plan

Key revenue & costs.

The revenue drivers for Zesty Zane’s Food Truck will come from the menu items being offered daily.

The cost drivers will be the ingredients and products needed to make the menu items (oil, bread, meat, chicken, produce, drinks) as well as the cooking materials (pots, pans, bowls, plates, utensils, etc.). Other cost drivers will be the overhead expenses of payroll for the part-time employees and propane for the food truck.

Funding Requirements and Use of Funds

• Food Truck Marketing (website design and management) – $5,000

Key Assumptions

The following table outlines the key assumptions required in order to achieve the revenue and cost numbers in the financials and in order to pay off the business loan.

Initial Number of Customers Per Day: 50

Average Menu Item Cost: $9.00

Average Order per Customer: $15.00

Annual Cost for Maintenance of Truck: $10,000

Financial Projections

Income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, food truck business plan faqs, what is a food truck business plan.

A food truck business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your food truck business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can  easily complete your food truck business plan using our Food Truck Business Plan Template here .

What Are the Main Types of Food Truck Companies?

There are a variety of types of food trucks, each specializing in a specific type of cuisine or food item. There are food trucks that sell burgers, cookies, ice cream, tacos, pizza, sandwiches, salads and more.  

What Are the Main Sources of Revenues and Expenses for a Food Truck Business?

The primary source of revenue for food truck businesses is its food and beverage sales. 

The key expenses for a food truck business are food costs, salaries, and transportation expenses. 

How Do You Get Funding for Your Food Truck Business?

Food truck businesses are typically funded through small business loans, personal savings, crowdfunding and credit card financing.  A well-crafted food truck business plan is essential to securing funding.

What are the Steps To Start a Food Truck Business?

Starting a food truck business can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.

1. Develop A Food Truck Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed business plan for your food truck that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, the services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast.  

2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your food truck business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your food truck business is in compliance with local laws.

3. Register Your Food Truck Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your food truck business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws. 

4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your food truck business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms. 

5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations. 

6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events. 

7. Acquire Necessary Food Truck Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your food truck business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation. 

8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your food truck business. Food truck marketing includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising. 

Learn more about how to start a successful food truck business:

• How to Start a Food Truck Business

Where Can I Get a Food Truck Business Plan PDF?

You can download our free food truck business plan template PDF here . This is a sample food truck business plan template you can use in PDF format.

Other Business Plan Templates

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Food Truck Business Plan

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2. Company Overview

Provide detailed information about your food truck business in this section. It includes the food truck concept, name, location, legal structure of your business, and everything else about your business.

Here is an example of a business description made by the use of Upmetrics:

Also, do not forget to mention the type of food truck you are going to start, for instance, your business might be the one from below: 

• Gourmet food trucks 
• Taco trucks 
• Pizza trucks 
• Burger and sandwich trucks 
• Dessert trucks 

If you already have another local food truck and this is the other one, then write the business history about your food business.

After that, mention the vision and mission of your food truck business along with the future goals. Include the names, qualifications, and specializations of the owners.

3. Industry Analysis

The industry analysis will give you all the details about the food industry you are going to enter. It will support you in a better understanding of your business.

Here are some types of questions you might ask while conducting a food industry analysis:

• What is the current size of the food truck industry in the USA?
• What are the major trends in the food truck industry?
• Who are the huge players in the industry and what is their market share?
• How is technology affecting the food truck industry?
• What is the average price range and spending limit of the customers?

In short, industry analysis will help you have a better understanding of the market and support you in making informed decisions.

4. Competitive Analysis

Competitive analysis will help you to know the price point and positioning of your business in the food industry. This way you will also get to know about your direct and indirect competitors, as in other food trucks in your location.

Start your competitive analysis section by listing all your competitors with all their plus points and negative points. Some of the questions you might ask to know your competitors are:

• What food items does their menu include?
• What is their market share?
• What are their USPs and what do their customers like about them the most?
• How much does a food truck cost?
• What is their pricing strategy?
• What are the weaknesses through which you can have a competitive advantage?

After getting all the above answers, analyze your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to get a better understanding of your USPs.

This way you can get to know the USP of a food truck business. Once you get the USP, flaunt it in your own business plan.

5. Market Analysis

Competition in the restaurant industry is high, and to get a small gap to enter the market is a huge opportunity. Once you enter the market, it is time to define and mention your target market first.

Your target audience will depend on the type of food truck services you provide and the location of your food truck.

Once you know who you are going to serve, then understand the market by knowing the current trends and customer preferences. For example, some of the market trends for a food truck are:

• Health conscious diet
• Local sourcing
• Food transparency
• Kiosks (contactless ordering and payment)
• Creative menu items

At the end of the market analysis, do mention the regulatory environment a food business needs to follow in the particular location.

6. Sample Menu

One of the most necessary steps to launch your food truck business is designing the sample menu. Generally, food truck businesses provide fast-preparing meals.

A sample menu forces you to think about what will you make and serve your customers. Consider where you will store uncooked food, what you will need to prepare that food, and what you will use to serve that food to your customers.

Your menu should be in coordination with your target customers; for example, if you have students around the corner then design your menu with fast-serving dishes.

The menu is also a part of your branding, so keep the color and design of the menu the same as your food truck. Here is an example of including your menu in the food truck business plan:

7. Sales and Marketing Plan

You can see a food truck in the corner of every alley, so you need to reach customers and not wait for them to come to you. For that, you will need a food truck marketing strategy in place. Some of the strategies are:

Create a professional and mobile-friendly website including your location, contact information, and images of the food items you offer. This will help local customers find you online.

Social media marketing

Maintain active profiles on TikTok, Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, and all other major social media platforms to spread your reach. It will help your target market to recognize you and will interest them to visit your food truck.

Loyalty programs

Think of implementing a loyalty program to reward your existing customers. You can offer free food dishes, BOGO offers, discounts, or any other such thing. These programs can help you increase the customer retention rate and encourage them to visit your business more.

Community engagement

Participate in food truck gatherings, local events as a stall, and other fun food festivals. Engage with the local community by sponsoring or collaborating with local organizations. Building a strong local reputation can help you reach a wide customer base.

Email marketing

Send regular newsletters, special offers, discounts, and event invitations to everyone whose details you got from your website. Email marketing can be a powerful tool for customer retention and engagement.

8. Management team

Letting your readers or investors know who is behind your food truck will allow them to understand your business more.

The management team is all about who is behind the wheels of your food truck and what are their roles. If you are starting a new food truck, then showcasing your experienced managers or head chef will make your business look stronger.

Here is an example of a management team:

9. Business Operations

In the entire business plan we have talked about goals, but here is the point where you have to mention what will you do to fulfill those goals.

Everyday goals

They are the heart and soul of your food truck business. From buying the most qualitative food items to fulfilling customers’ needs and everything in between is included.

Long-term goals

It’s all about milestones: the moments that make you pop the champagne. Picture celebrating your 10,000th delivery, hitting that milestone sales figure you’ve dreamt of, or expanding your team.

10. Financial Plan

For a successful food truck business, you will need a proper financial plan with realistic financial projections. In this section add the financial statements like income statement, cash flow statement, and balance sheet for 3-5 years.

• Income statement

An income statement is also known as a profit and loss statement, which describes the profitability of the business by deducting expenses from revenue.

The income statement is one of the important things your investors will focus on. So, don’t be greedy and display huge impractical numbers.

• Balance sheet

Balance sheets display your assets and liabilities. Although they can contain a lot of details, like equity, goodwill, other intangible assets, etc.

• Cash flow statement

Your cash flow statement helps you see how much money you need to start or grow your business and avoid running out of money. This cash flow should be maintained even for certain months after launch that is before you start making profits.

Surprisingly, you can make a profit but still face financial problems that could lead to bankruptcy. Therefore, you will need proper cash flow planning to avoid such circumstances. Here is an example of a 5-year cash flow statement:

Why Do You Need a Business Plan for Your Food Truck?

If you are wondering why there is a lot more voice for a business plan, then consider this:

• A food-truck business plan offers a strategic direction to your business goals and helps you achieve them.
• A business plan will also help you understand the finances of your business and help you to secure funding.
• It will clarify the vision of your food truck, so you can focus on the daily operations.
• Also, it allows you to know specific risks you might face in the future, as a result, you will be prepared.

Now that you have plenty of reasons to have a food truck business plan, start writing one.

Related Food Truck Resources

• Food Truck Financial Plan
• How Much Does It Cost To Start A Food Truck
• How to Start a Food Truck Business

Download a Food Truck business plan template

Ready to kick-start your business plan writing process? And not sure where to start? Here you go, download our free food truck business plan pdf , and start writing.

This intuitive, modern, and investment-ready template is designed specifically for food truck businesses. It includes step-by-step instructions & examples to help in creating your own food-truck business plan.

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Write Your Business Plan with AI

Lastly! With the help of our food truck business plan template, you know how to write a business plan. So, you are a step closer to starting or expanding your food truck business exciting, right?

You know what else is exciting? Making your business planning process a lot smoother than this; yes, it is possible with the AI assistant of Upmetrics.

So, take a deep breath as we will take care of your business plan, and focus only on your business operations.

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Frequently asked questions, can i start a food truck business without a formal business plan.

You can start a food truck business without a professional business plan, but it is not advisable, as a business plan will act as your roadmap. If you are going to start your business with bootstrapping, then you can take the risk of not writing a food truck business plan.

How often should I update my food truck business plan?

Your food truck business plan is a live document. So, you can edit it wherever and whenever you want. Ideally, you can read and edit your business plan once a month or as many times as required.

What should I include in the financial projections section of the business plan?

In a food truck business plan, you will need various estimated financial statements like

• Break-even analysis
• Sales forecast
• Uses of Funds
• Financial ratios

What are some tips for writing a food truck business plan template?

Some tips for writing a food truck business plan are:

• Be clear and concise about your goals
• Use data and statistics to support all your claims
• Be practical and realistic about your financial projections
• Ask friends and family to give feedback on your plan
• Read and re-read it before presenting it to your investors

What is the ideal length for a food truck business plan template?

Generally, the length of a business plan is around 15-35 pages. It also depends on the audience of your business plan, the type of your business, and the type of your business plan. As for a one-page business plan, the length is going to be 1 page.

About the Author

Vinay Kevadiya

Vinay Kevadiya is the founder and CEO of Upmetrics, the #1 business planning software. His ultimate goal with Upmetrics is to revolutionize how entrepreneurs create, manage, and execute their business plans. He enjoys sharing his insights on business planning and other relevant topics through his articles and blog posts. Read more

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Your business is unique and will differ from any example or template you come across. So, use this example as a starting point and customize it to your needs.

2. Remember it's just an example

Our sample business plans are examples of what one business owner did. That doesn't make them perfect or require you to cram your business idea to fit the plan structure.

Use the information, financials, and formatting for inspiration. It will speed up and guide the plan writing process.

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But, if you don't plan to share your plan with anyone outside of your business—you likely don't need everything.

More business planning resources

10 Qualities of a Good Business Plan

How to Start a Food Truck Business

How to Write a Business Plan for Investors

How to Write a Food Truck Business Plan

How to Start a Business With No Money

Simple Business Plan Outline

How to Write a Business Plan

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How to Write a Food Truck Business Plan: Complete Guide

• January 3, 2023
• Food & Beverage

Whether you’re looking to raise funding from private investors or to get a loan from a bank (like a SBA loan) for your food truck, you will need to prepare a solid business plan.

In this article we go through, step-by-step, all the different sections you need in the business plan of your food truck . Use this template to create a complete, clear and solid business plan that get you funded.

1. Food Truck Executive Summary

The executive summary of a business plan gives a sneak peek of the information about your business plan to lenders and/or investors.

If the information you provide here is not concise, informative, and scannable, potential lenders and investors will lose interest.

Though the executive summary is the first and the most important section, it should normally be the last section you write because it will have the summary of different sections included in the entire plan.

Why do you need a business plan for a food truck?

The purpose of a business plan is to secure funding through one of the following channels:

• Obtain bank financing or secure a loan from other lenders (such as a SBA loan )
• Obtain private investments from investment funds, angel investors, etc.
• Obtain a public or a private grant

How to write your food truck’s executive summary?

Provide a precise and high-level summary of every section that you have included in the business plan of your food truck. The information and the data you include in this segment should grab the attention of potential investors and lenders immediately.

Also make sure that the executive summary doesn’t exceed 2 pages in total: it’s supposed to be a summary for investors and lenders who don’t have time to scroll through 40-50 pages, so keep it short and brief.

The executive summary usually consists of 5 major sub-sections:

• Business overview : start by introducing your food truck, its concept, menu and prices. Also add here where the food truck will be located (if static vs. mobile ; events vs. next to business / corporate centers) and the type of customers you will serve such as working individuals, teens, etc.
• Market analysis : summarise the market where you will operate and provide a brief about the target audience, market size , competitors, etc. No need to provide granular data here, save it for the Market Overview section later on (or the appendix). You must provide only scannable data points to keep potential investors and/or lenders hooked.
• People : introduce your food truck’s management and employee structure. Provide a brief (no more than a couple of sentences each) of the knowledge and experience of the team. Also, speak about your hiring plans.
• Financial plan : how much profit and revenue do you expect in the next 5 years? When will you reach the break-even point and start making profits? You can include here a chart depicting your key financials such as revenue, gross profits, and net profit
• Funding ask : what loan/investment/grant are you seeking? How much do you need? How long will this last?

Food Truck Financial Model

Download an expert-built 5-year Excel financial model for your business plan

2. Food Truck Business Overview

In this section, you will provide additional details about your food truck and explain why you chose the specific food truck idea. 

Your aim must be to answer some of the most important questions that your potential investors and/or lenders will ask. 

Here is a small list of such questions that you must address in the business overview segment:

• What is the rationale behind you opening a food truck today?
• What’s the food truck’s concept / menu and why did you select that one?
• What made you select that specific food truck idea?
• Who is your target audience?
• Where will the food truck be located? Will it be mobile or static?
• Will you cater events (e.g. concerts, festivals) or will it be a street food truck instead (next to offices for example)?
• What will be the legal structure of your company?

Let’s look at different subsections that you must include:

a) History of the Project

Any business must have two components:

• Passion & experience of the business owner
• Rationale behind starting this type of business today

Passion & experience

It is not necessary to have any prior experience with a food truck. As long as you are passionate about it and you know your market, you are good to go. 

However, if you have any experience, make sure that you are mentioning that. For example, you may have been a server or an operator in a food truck for 7 years and now you want to open your own food truck business.

No matter what, ensure that you demonstrate not just passion but also some industry knowledge that you must garner through thorough research.

Every business has a rationale behind its existence. What’s yours? Are you going to solve some problems that exist in the current food truck business scene? 

For example, there may be a rising demand for Thai food in your proposed area of operation but there are no food trucks offering Thai food. Thus, opening a Pad Thai Truck will allow you to cater to the rising demand.

You must also ensure that the market is conducive for the business to exist. For instance, if you are trying to sell expensive items to people who usually buy affordable food from food trucks, it doesn’t make sense. Thus, all your offerings must serve the existing needs.

b) Business Model

This is where you will talk about the business model and the type of food truck you want to open. Some points that you need to briefly describe include:

• Will you buy a new food truck, or will you buy an old one and remodel it?
• Will you open a food truck, a food cart, or a food trailer?
• What equipment, technologies, and tools will you need to operate your food truck?

What are the different types of food trucks?

There are three types of food trucks that you can open:

• Food Trailer : These are the largest of all and they can be up to 53 feet long. Food trailers can house full-sized restaurant equipment, cooking staff, and cleaning equipment.
• Food Cart : These are the smallest types of food trucks and usually have very few appliances. The appliances are usually small. They can house 1-2 staff members.
• Food Truck : These are the standard trucks that can be up to 26 feet long. They can house 1-3 cooking staff and usually require space-saving storage, countertop cooking equipment, etc.

The type of food truck you want to use will depend on the type of food you want to sell.

One thing that you must remember is that the type of food truck that you want to open must have enough target audience. 

For example, if people in your operational area prefer to buy hot dogs and donuts from food trucks, trying to introduce a food trailer offering community kitchen dishes will not appeal to people.

c) Products & Services

Of course, the food items that you will sell through your food truck will depend on the concept of your food truck and the relevant demand in the area.

Here are a few popular food truck concepts that you can consider:

• Vegan Food Truck : These trucks sell plant-based food items.
• Street Food Truck : These trucks sell food that is eaten right away. Some examples include pierogi, sliders, bahn mi, etc.
• Donut Truck : Well, they sell donuts and are more popular during breakfast hours.
• Pork Truck: They sell a wide range of food products made of pork such as pork ribs, pork sliders, bacon, etc.
• Fried Chicken Truck: Chicken legs, tenders, wings, etc. are common stuff sold through these trucks.
• Seafood Truck: These food trucks are more popular in the coastal regions where they can offer fresh catch. Of course, the menu can be massive or offer just a few items.

Thus, the food items you will sell will depend on the food truck concept. Since food trucks’ menus are typically rather limited (a few options only), it’s good practice to simply add here the menu list to your potential investors or lenders so they get a pretty good idea of your menu and concept.

d) Pricing Strategy

Your pricing strategy will depend on various factors like the type of food you will sell, the type of raw materials you will source, the special modifications you make, the packaging and serving material you will use, etc.

While it is possible to have a significant variation in your prices compared to your competitors, you must still ensure that the price variation is not significant. 

If you are charging more for similar products than your competing food trucks charge, there must be a proper justification.

Present a pricing chart for all the menu items that you intend to sell. Yes, it is possible to list all items with their prices because a food truck usually doesn’t sell too many products.

Offering a pricing table is important here as it will allow investors to tie your pricing strategy with your financial projections later on (see “Financial Plan” below).

e) Legal Structure

Finally, your business overview section should specify what type of business structure you want. Is this a corporation or a partnership (LLC)? Who are the investors? How much equity percentage do they own? Is there a Board of Directors? If so, whom? Do they have experience in the industry?

3. Food Truck Market Overview

A complete understanding of the market where you want to operate is important for the success of your business.

For example, if you intend to open a vegan food truck and partner with breweries & wineries to supply food to their guests, you will most likely fail: indeed, a Danish study found that people usually prefer non-vegetarian food along with alcohol.

It is vital to understand your target market and audience, your competitors, growth potential, etc. before you start a business. A food truck business is in no way different.

Therefore, you must cover 3 important areas here:

• Market trends : how big is the food truck industry in your area? What is its growth rate (or decline rate) and what are the factors contributing to its growth or decline?
• Competition overview : how many competitors are there? How do they compare vs. your business? How can you differentiate yourself from them?
• Customer analysis : who is your target audience? What type of food trucks do they prefer? When do they usually buy from food trucks? Do they display any seasonal behavior towards food preferences? What is their average spending on food trucks? Do your potential customers really want the food you intend to sell?

a) Food Truck Industry Status Quo

How big is the food truck industry in the US?

As per IBISWorld , the food truck industry in the US stands at $1.2 billion in 2022.

The industry is quite recent and has been literally exploding over the past 10 years: the industry grew on average at 6.4% per year from 2017 to 2022. In other words, the food truck industry doubled from $600 million to $1.2 billion in just 10 years..!

Also, there are 35,000 active food trucks in the US .

On average, food trucks generates sales of about $250,000 to $500,000 per year , or $20,000 – $42,000 per month. Another recent US study from FoodTruckEmpire was a bit less optimistic and showed that only 50% of food trucks generated more than $100,000 in sales per year.

How big is the food truck industry in your area?

Once you provide the overall picture of the US, divert your attention to the area where you want to operate. It might not be possible to find region or area-specific studies, and hence, you must estimate the size. Read our article on how to estimate TAM, SAM and SOM for your startup.

For example, based on the data above we can assume that on average food trucks generates around $250,000 in sales per year.

Therefore, if there are 20 food trucks in the location where you want to operate, you can assume that the food truck industry in your area is worth approximately $5 million .

How fast is the food truck industry growing in the area?

You must show the expected growth rate of the food truck industry in your area. Whilst, this information may not be available online you can easily assess your area’s food truck industry growth rate.

Indeed, you can use the number of food trucks as a proxy. For instance, if there were 17 food trucks in 2020 and 20 food trucks in 2022, the average annual growth rate is ~8%, not too far from the US national average (6.4%).

Note: if you area’s market growth rate is significantly lower or higher than the national average, try to check your assumptions and calculations first. Then, if all is correct, try to find an explanation: a growth higher than the US average might imply, for example, that your area was/is currently underserved by food trucks, and there is a lot of demand (customers) in comparison.

What are the current food truck market trends in your area?

It is vital to understand the trends of the food truck industry in your area. Understanding trends will allow you to devise marketing strategies.

Understanding trends won’t be easy. You must conduct research and talk with your target audience. Additionally, you must also study your competitors to understand their target audience, the products they sell, etc.

Some common questions you may ask the target audience include:

• What type of food trucks do they prefer?
• At what time of the day do they prefer to visit a food truck (breakfast, lunch, dinner)?
• How frequently do they visit food trucks?
• What type of foods do they usually order?

You can ask as many questions as you need to understand the evolving trends.

b) Competition Overview

Studying your competitors’ business models is vital. You need to understand what makes them successful or why they fail. A clear understanding of their food offerings, marketing strategies, etc., will allow you to provide a better service.

If your competitors are offering nearly the same products & services, then what is their market share and how do they market their products & services to attract new customers?

It is always a good idea to do some research (if necessary, physically visit your competitors without revealing your business intentions) and create a comparative table summarizing their product & service offerings, marketing strategies, target audience, etc.

Here is a sample table that you can use as a reference:

SWOT Analysis for a Food Truck

SWOT stands for Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats. It should be a summary of your business’ strengths and weaknesses along with opportunities and threats. It also helps potential investors to assess the risk and reward profile of your business.

Here is a sample that you can use as a reference:

• Strengths : Collective experience of 8 years as sous chef in 4 restaurants and a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts
• Weaknesses : Startup cost, zero reputation
• Opportunities : Growing number of local breweries and wineries looking to form a partnership with food trucks to supply food to their in-house guests
• Threats : Increasing cost of raw materials and increase in new food truck businesses in the area

c) Customer Analysis

This is the sub-section where you will provide a detailed analysis of your target audience. Some important points that you must include in your customer analysis include:

• Age and gender distribution (you can get local demographic data from census.gov )
• Frequency of food truck visits
• Average monthly income and disposable income
• Average spend (per order or per month)
• Average yearly or monthly spending on food at food trucks
• Type of food and food trucks preferred
• The expected price range for food
• Things they dislike about existing food trucks and what they expect to be improved
• Locations where the target audience is found more (wineries & breweries, corporate workplaces, farmer’s markets, annual events such as parades, fairs, car shows, etc.)

You can add as many data points as required to validate your business decision. The idea here is to display your deep understanding of the target audience and their needs, preferences, and expectations. This knowledge can help you to tailor your products & services to attract new customers.

4. Sales & Marketing Strategy

This is the section of your food truck business plan where you outline your customer acquisition strategy. You must answer here the questions below:

• What is your USP ?
• What are the different marketing strategies you will use?
• How do you intend to track the success of your marketing strategy?
• What is your CAC or customer acquisition cost?
• What is your marketing budget?
• What promotions and offers do you intend to provide for attracting new customers at the beginning?

Let’s expand a bit on a few questions below:

What marketing channels do food truck businesses use?

A few marketing channels that food truck businesses typically use are:

• Online food truck listings and apps (see here a full list for the US)
• Online reviews (e.g. Google reviews)
• Social media content and ads
• Partnerships with other businesses (e.g. corporates, events, etc.)
• Print media (newspaper ads, flyers, etc.)
• Word-of-mouth, recommendations, etc.

It is not necessary to use all channels. You can start by focusing on a few of them. You can include other marketing strategies later.

Also, you must have a fair and nearly accurate estimate of your marketing budget. Failure to display a well-planned and adequate cash flow for advertising and marketing can lead to investors losing confidence. That’s because investors are fully aware that if adequate funds are not allocated for marketing, the business will be derailed before becoming a success.

What is your unique selling proposition (USP)?

In other words, how do you differentiate yourself vs. competitors? This is very important as you might need to win customers from competitors.

A few examples of USPs are:

• Uniqueness : you may be the first food truck business offering Thai food
• Organic food : We use high-quality and organically farmed products and real ingredients sourced from nearby organic farms
• Price : affordable food & menu for the quality vs. competitors
• Location : the food truck may be located in a busy street

Your USP will depend on your business model, competitor analysis , and target audience. Whatever your USP be, it should appeal to your potential customers and attract them. Plus, The USP you offer should be convincing enough for investors and lenders.

5. Management & People

You must address 2 things here:

• The management team and their experience/track record
• The organizational structure : different team members and who reports to whom?

a) Management

Small businesses often fail because of managerial weaknesses. Thus, having a strong management team is vital. Highlight the experience and education of senior managers that you intend to hire to oversee your food truck business.

Describe their duties, responsibilities, and roles. Also, highlight their previous experience and explain how they succeeded in their previous roles.

It is also important that you explain how their experiences and qualifications help you in implementing the food truck you are proposing. If they have specialized training, and experience (such as a degree in culinary arts, 8 years of experience as a sous chef working under celebrity chefs, etc.), add that information.

b) Organization Structure

Even if you haven’t already hired a manager, service attendant, driver, and kitchen staff, you must provide a chart of the organizational structure defining the hierarchy of reporting.

6. Financial Plan

The financial plan is perhaps, with the executive summary, the most important section of any business plan for a food truck.

Indeed, a solid financial plan tells lenders that your business is viable and can repay the loan you need from them. If you’re looking to raise equity from private investors, a solid financial plan will prove them your food truck is an attractive investment.

There should be 2 sections to your financial plan section:

• The startup costs of your project (if you plan to open a new food truck, renovate your existing truck, etc.)
• The 5-year financial projections

a) Startup Costs

Before we expand on 5-year financial projections in the following section, it’s always best practice to start with listing the startup costs of your project. For a food truck, startup costs are all the expenses you incur before you open your food truck and start making sales . These expenses typically are: the truck, cooking equipment, licenses and permits.

Logically, the startup costs vary depending on the size of your truck, the quality of the cooking ware, and the permits you must apply for.

On average, it costs $60,000 – $180,000 to start a food truck in the US .

Note that these costs are for illustrative purposes and may not be fully relevant for your business. For more information on how much it costs to open and run a food truck, read our article here .

b) Financial Projections

In addition to startup costs, you will now need to build a solid 5-year financial model for your food truck.

Your financial projections should be built using a spreadsheet (e.g. Excel or Google Sheets) and presented in the form of tables and charts in the business plan of your food truck.

As usual, keep it concise here and save details (for example detailed financial statements, financial metrics, key assumptions used for the projections) for the appendix instead.

Your financial projections should answer at least the following questions:

• How much revenue do you expect to generate over the next 5 years?
• When do you expect to break even?
• How much cash will you burn until you get there?
• What’s the impact of a change in pricing (say 15%) on your margins?
• What is your average customer acquisition cost?

You should include here your 3 financial statements (income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement). This means you must forecast:

• The number of covers (customers or orders) over time ;
• Your expected revenue ;
• Operating costs to run the business ;
• Any other cash flow items (e.g. capex, debt repayment, etc.).

When projecting your revenue, make sure to sensitize pricing, cost of raw materials (food supplies) and your sales volume. Indeed, a small change in these assumptions may have a significant impact on your revenues and profits.

7. Use of Funds

This is the last section of the business plan of your food truck. Now that we have explained what your food truck’s business model and concept are, what is your menu, your marketing strategy, etc., this section must now answer the following questions:

• How much funding do you need?
• What financial instrument(s) do you need: is this equity or debt, or even a free-money public grant?
• How long will this funding last?
• Where else does the money come from? If you apply for a SBA loan for example, where does the other part of the investment come from (your own capital, private investors?)

If you raise debt:

• What percentage of the total funding the loan represents?
• What is the corresponding Debt Service Coverage Ratio ?

If you raise equity

• What percentage ownership are you selling as part of this funding round?
• What is the corresponding valuation of your business?

Use of Funds

Any food truck business plan should include a clear use of funds section. This is where you explain how the money will be spent.

Will you spend most of the loan / investment in paying your employees’ salaries? Or will it cover mostly the cost for the lease deposit and the renovation?

Those are very important questions you should be able to answer in the blink of an eye. Don’t worry, this should come straight from your financial projections. If you’ve built solid projections like in our food truck financial model template , you won’t have any issues answering these questions.

For the use of funds, we also recommend using a pie chart like the one we have in our financial model template where we outline the main expenses categories as shown below.

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Food Truck Business Plan Template

Download our template and start creating your food truck business plan today.

Updated June 25, 2023 Reviewed by Brooke Davis

Are you ready to start a food truck business? You will have many questions at this beginning stage, and a sample food truck business plan can help you find answers.

With the right food truck business plan, you will be better prepared to find investors and get your company on the road.

A food truck costs less to start up than a brick-and-mortar business, but it still requires capital to get going.

Once you know how to write a business plan for a food truck, you can seek the money you need to get started and outline a plan for success.

Why You Need a Business Plan for Your Food Truck Business

How to write a business plan for a food truck, food truck business plan sample.

Many people think: “It’s a food truck; it’s simple. Why do I need a business plan?” A food truck requires planning, just like any other successful business. It would be best if you answered questions like:

• What food will you sell?
• Is there a demand for your product?
• Who will be your customers?
• Where will you travel?
• What are your startup and ongoing costs?
• What will your revenue look like?

A business plan sets the essential details you need for yourself and anyone looking to invest. Successful food truck businesses create a consistent schedule of where they will be and how they will communicate their location.

They know how they will buy their products and how much they will mark up to make a profit.

You must plan accordingly if you invest tens of thousands into a food truck. If you want others to support you, they need to know what they are getting into.

A food truck business plan lays out important details to attract the right kind of capital investors.

To develop your business plan, you must be prepared to cover critical topics and include the correct information.

If you use the template and complete each section correctly, you will have a well-formed business plan for you and potential investors.

1. Executive Summary

The first section of your food truck business plan should be the executive summary. This is an introduction and overview for whoever is reading the plan. It should make an excellent first impression and offer concise information without too much detail.

The executive summary highlights what your food truck business will look like and how it will be successful. It is considered by many to be the most crucial section of your business plan.

As for any startup business, you must build a solid case for the idea’s merit and why others should get financially involved. A typical executive summary includes sections such as:

• The target market for the food truck
• The business model
• Marketing and sales strategies
• Competition in the area
• A financial analysis
• Who the owners and staff will be
• An implementation plan
• What food will you offer, and why is it appealing

This section can contain a mission statement that describes your business values and philosophy. It should focus on concrete and achievable future goals for the company.

2. Management Team

Your business plan should include ownership information and details about the management team. A detailed outline of responsibilities sets the tone for how your food truck will run and makes expectations clear to everyone involved.

It also demonstrates to investors that you have considered how you will run your business effectively.

Ownership information should include the following:

• Full names of all owners
• The legal structure of the business (limited liability company, sole proprietorship, partnership, etc.)
• Percentage of ownership for each owner
• Types of ownership (partner interests, capital expenditure basis, stocks)

You also want to include information that fully outlines and profiles your management team. For each individual, this should have their

• Full legal name
• Position and summary of responsibilities
• Education and background
• Any relevant prior employment
• Past business success
• Food industry training or recognition
• Salary and benefits information

3. Products and Services

This is the section where you talk about the most essential part of your business — the food you will sell. Your business plan’s products and services section should include the full menu you plan to use at the opening.

If your full menu isn’t yet prepared, get it done to include it in the business plan. Including a fully designed menu shows you are ready to start your food truck immediately.

This section will also address:

• How will you order supplies
• Product costs and sale prices
• Why customers will eat your product over others
• How the product offerings will change over time
• How will you measure product sales success

Addressing each of these details is important to investors. It also provides guidelines to keep your good ideas practicable and achievable in a competitive food truck business market.

4. Customers and Marketing

Knowing who will buy your product is vital to a food truck business plan. This section will outline who will be interested in your food and why they will buy it. Are you focusing on a certain demographic, or is your food pleasing to many different types of customers?

You must outline this information and provide sufficient facts. One of the most common mistakes in business plans is to make statements without supporting evidence.

Your market research should be included here to show why you will have customers who will utilize your business.

Marketing is a key factor in the success of a food truck. How you advertise can make or break your brand recognition and ultimately affect your sales.

Your business plan should answer questions like:

• Will your truck contain brand advertising and logos?
• Will you have a social media presence? If so, what will it look like?
• Will you advertise on TV, radio, or other methods?
• Where will you go to sell your food? How will you let customers know where you will be?

This information is crucial and should be addressed in detail in this section. Be specific with your marketing strategies.

Vague information demonstrates that you have failed to clearly outline how you intend to advertise your food truck to the public.

5. SWOT Analysis

This section should address your business’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The SWOT section is a framework used to evaluate how a company will compete in the market.

It analyses internal and external factors affecting your food truck’s success. It uses realistic and fact-based data, not your best hopes. This section should utilize actual data-driven market research.

The analysis should focus on why the product line will be successful against its competition. It should answer questions like:

• What is our competitive advantage?
• Where can we improve?
• What threats does our company face?
• What technology or other resources can we use to expand our market?

Answering these questions in detail provides key insights into how your food truck business will succeed despite any challenges.

With this information, investors can be assured their capital is wisely invested, and you are the right choice.

6. Financials

This section focuses on financial projections for the food truck company. It offers information about how your business will perform. Your financial information should address your break-even point and how you will exceed that amount.

The owners and investors must know how much money it will take to cover expenses, much less see a profit.

This section should also include:

• Financial projections based on mathematical models
• Monthly expenses for the business for supplies, employees, and more
• Price points for products
• Variable costs of goods, gasoline, truck maintenance, and more
• Projected revenue

This information should be backed up with complex data from your market research.

7. Operations

This section will outline the nitty-gritty operational details of your food truck business. It will include information related to products and services but will also outline crucial details like:

• Potential vending locations
• Business hours
• Business licensing and other legal requirements
• How many employees will you hire, what are their wages, and any benefits
• Food truck design
• Cooking and cleaning procedures

These crucial details show how you will get the job done each day. Every business owner understands it takes work — not just a great idea — to succeed.

Investors know this too, and will look for your business operations plans.

8. Appendix

The appendix is the place to include legal documents and other important information relevant to the rest of your business plan. Here you can provide the following:

• Copies of legal permits
• Photos of the product
• Customer reviews
• Market research on which your data was based
• Other relevant information
• Letters of reference
• Regulatory and Compliance Requirements

This section is meant to bolster the rest of your business plan and end on a positive note. Pictures of smiling people eating your food may leave a positive image for anyone who has read your business plan.

The appendix is flexible and meant to give you options.

Legal Templates can provide a free sample food truck business plan to help you get started. Whether you are just beginning the process or ready to look for investors, we can help.

Use a template builder to build your business plan step-by-step. See the food truck business plan sample below:

You can download a business plan in Word format here  or start creating your food truck business plan using our document builder.

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Sample Business Plan For a Food Truck Business

Writing a business plan is an essential part of starting a successful food truck business. It acts as the guiding document that outlines the goals and objectives, informs decisions, and helps to secure the financing needed to launch the venture, whether it be from lenders or investors. For new food truck business owners, having access to a sample business plan can provide invaluable direction and insights on how to create their own food truck business plan .

Download our Ultimate Food Truck Business Plan Template

Having a comprehensive business plan in place is vital for any successful food truck venture. It will serve as the foundation for your operations, setting out the goals and objectives that will help guide your decisions and actions. A well-written business plan can also give you clarity on realistic financial projections and help secure financing from lenders or investors. An example of a food truck business plan is a great resource to draw upon when creating your own business plan to ensure that all the key elements are included in your document.

Below is an example food truck business plan to help you see what one should look like. It can provide a good starting point for writing a business plan for your food truck. However, it is not nearly as comprehensive and successful in raising capital for your food truck as Growthink’s Ultimate Food Truck Business Plan Template . But it can help you write a food truck business plan for your business.

Food Truck Business Plan Example – Barbecue Brothers On Wheels

Table of contents, executive summary.

• Company Overview

Industry Analysis

Customer analysis.

• Competitive Analysis

Marketing Plan

Operations plan, management team, financial plan.

  Download the Food Truck Business Plan Sample PDF here.

Barbecue Brothers On Wheels is a family-owned and operated BBQ food truck business founded by brothers John and David. After successfully operating their flagship mobile kitchen for the last five years, they are now looking to expand their operations and open up a second location. To do this, the Barbecue Brothers have crafted a comprehensive business plan that outlines their goals and objectives, as well as the steps they will take to achieve them.

The Barbecue Brothers plan to open their second food truck in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. With over one million people living within a five-mile radius, the brothers intend to capitalize on this large population by providing delicious and affordable BBQ cuisine that is prepared on-site with high-quality ingredients. To stand out from their competition, the Barbecue Brothers will offer unique menu items such as pulled pork sandwiches, beef brisket tacos, and smoked turkey wraps.

To fund this expansion effort, the Barbecue Brothers are seeking $250,000 in startup capital from Angel investors. This money will be used for purchasing a new truck and equipment as well as setting up the necessary kitchen space. With a successful track record of satisfied customers, the Barbecue Brothers believe they have what it takes to succeed in this highly competitive industry and are eager to get started on their next venture.

By following this business plan, the Barbecue Brothers will be able to reach their goal of becoming one of the top BBQ food truck businesses in Los Angeles. With your support, we can make our dream a reality and bring delicious BBQ cuisine to even more people.

Company Description

Barbecue Brothers On Wheels is a family-owned and operated BBQ food truck business that has been serving customers in Los Angeles for the past five years. Founded by brothers John and David, the business has quickly become one of the most popular mobile BBQ kitchens in town. With an emphasis on using only high-quality ingredients, they specialize in mouthwatering pulled pork sandwiches, beef brisket tacos, smoked turkey wraps, and other savory favorites.

The Barbecue Brothers have forged successful partnerships with many local businesses as well as organizations such as schools and corporate events which helps to expand their reach beyond just downtown Los Angeles. Their flagship food truck has been consistently recognized for its excellent customer service rating across all online sites helping them build a loyal following throughout their community.

John and David recognize the importance of giving back to those who are less fortunate than them so all profits generated from catering jobs are donated to local charities such as soup kitchens around Los Angeles county. Through these efforts combined with delicious recipes unique to this business, Barbecue Brothers On Wheels has achieved great success in developing its brand identity over the last five years but now they look towards further expansion into more locations within the Los Angeles area.

The food industry in the Los Angeles area is growing rapidly and becoming increasingly competitive. Food trucks offer an exciting alternative to traditional restaurant dining, allowing customers to enjoy high-quality, fresh, and affordable meals without having to commit to a single location. Over the past decade, food trucks have become increasingly popular in major cities across the US, with cities such as Los Angeles boasting over 2,000 licensed food trucks.

The main competition for Barbecue Brothers On Wheels is other food trucks in the area offering similar menu items. This competition forces businesses to stay ahead of their competitors by constantly innovating and reinventing their recipes and menu offerings. In addition, they must create a strong customer loyalty program that will encourage repeat customers and remain competitive on pricing due to a large number of options available to consumers.

Finally, Barbecue Brothers On Wheels must be prepared to scale quickly in order to keep up with the growing demand for mobile dining options in LA county. With careful planning and strategic investments, Barbecue Brothers On Wheels can succeed in this highly competitive market by setting itself apart from the competition.

The customer analysis for Barbecue Brothers On Wheels should focus on two main target markets: mobile diners, and BBQ aficionados.

Mobile Diners : Mobile diners are those individuals who prefer to dine outside of a traditional restaurant setting, either at food trucks or other outdoor locations like events or festivals. These customers tend to be younger, single professionals or families with young children who are looking for convenience, affordability, and delicious meals. They also care about being able to support local businesses and the community.

Psychographics of this target demographic includes people on the go; tech-savvy consumers who are comfortable using online platforms for research and ordering; adventurous eaters who enjoy trying new foods; and those looking for a unique dining experience.

To reach these individuals, Barbecue Brothers On Wheels should invest in an effective digital marketing strategy that includes social media channels as well as online advertising.

BBQ Aficionados : The second target demographic for Barbecue Brothers On Wheels is barbecue aficionados – customers who have an affinity for barbecue cuisine and a preference for authentic flavors. These customers often look beyond just the taste of the food but also seek out restaurants that can offer something special in terms of atmosphere, customer service, quality ingredients, and presentation.

Psychographic characteristics of this group include adventurous foodies seeking out the best barbecue in town; those with a strong appreciation for craftsmanship in their meals; fans of small businesses looking to support local entrepreneurs; and those with a passion for cooking will appreciate the emphasis on high-quality ingredients used by Barbecue Brothers On Wheels.

To reach this audience effectively, Barbecue Brothers should consider investing in traditional print marketing materials such as flyers or brochures that can be distributed at popular BBQ joints around Los Angeles County. Additionally, they could participate in local festivals that draw large numbers of barbecue enthusiasts from all over California making sure to bring enough samples so everyone can get a taste of their signature dishes.

Competitor Analysis

For a BBQ food truck business like Barbecue Brothers On Wheels, competitor analysis is essential for success. In the highly competitive Los Angeles food truck industry, it is important to identify the main competitors and understand their strengths and weaknesses. Doing so will allow Barbecue Brothers to set themselves apart from the competition by offering something unique that will draw in customers.

The main competitors of Barbecue Brothers On Wheels are other BBQ-focused food trucks in Los Angeles County. These include notable names such as The Rib Whip, Pig Out Delights, Smoke N’ Grillers, and Hog Heaven BBQ.

The Rib Whip is known for its specialty sandwiches featuring slow-cooked meats paired with signature sauces and fresh vegetables on a hoagie roll. They cater to both lunchtime and evening crowds alike, serving up large portions at a reasonable price. Strengths of The Rib Whip include quality ingredients, generous portion sizes, affordability, convenience, and excellent customer service. However, one area where they could improve is the level of creativity in their menu offerings which may not be appealing to more adventurous or experimental eaters looking for something new every time they visit The Rib Whip.

Pig Out Delights serves classic BBQ favorites such as ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, macaroni and cheese topped with bacon bits, and sweet potato fries. Their signature dishes are made using locally sourced ingredients whenever possible and come in generous portions that can easily be shared among two or three people. Strengths of Pig Out Delights includes freshly prepared meals made with high-quality ingredients at very fair prices as well as attentive customer service that many customers have come to expect from this establishment. Unfortunately due to its location away from popular downtown areas like Hollywood or Downtown LA, some customers are unable to try out this delicious cuisine unless they make a special trip out there- something many LA locals might not be willing to do just for some good BBQ!

Smoke N’ Grillers offer classic American BBQ fare such as brisket sandwiches slathered in house-made barbecue sauce along with sides like cornbread muffins or coleslaw salad. They focus on providing generous portions at an affordable price point while allowing customers to customize their own meals with various toppings and condiments. Strengths of Smoke N’ Grillers include their location in a busy part of town, competitive prices, and their ability to accommodate special dietary requests. On the other hand, Smoke N’ Grillers could improve its menu by offering more creative and unique dishes that can differentiate them from the competition.

Finally, Hog Heaven BBQ is a gourmet BBQ food truck that serves up only the finest cuts of meat prepared with signature rubs and sauces. They focus on delivering high-end dining experiences at an affordable price, setting them apart from other BBQ establishments in the area. Strengths of Hog Heaven include their commitment to using only the freshest ingredients, their quality service, and their delicious dishes that consistently wow customers. However, they could improve by diversifying their menu with more budget-friendly options or dishes that cater to different dietary needs.

By understanding their competition, Barbecue Brothers On Wheels can identify areas of improvement as well as opportunities to stand out and attract more customers. They can focus on providing unique dishes that are only available at their food truck and focus on delivering excellent customer service. Additionally, they can look into utilizing local ingredients whenever possible in order to appeal to customers who are conscious of where their food is coming from. By doing these things, Barbecue Brothers On Wheels can become a leader in LA’s BBQ scene.

Barbecue Brothers On Wheels is the newest BBQ food truck to hit Los Angeles. Our mission is to provide customers with an unforgettable dining experience that combines quality ingredients, generous portions, and unique flavors for a price that can’t be beaten.

Our Product : We offer classic American BBQ fare such as brisket sandwiches slathered in house-made barbecue sauce enhanced by our signature rubs and sauces. All of our dishes are freshly prepared using locally sourced ingredients whenever possible and come in generous portion sizes that can easily be shared among two or three people.

Price : At Barbecue Brothers On Wheels, we understand that value matters just as much as flavor so we strive to keep our prices competitive without sacrificing quality or taste. You won’t find better deals anywhere else!

Promotion : We will promote through digital channels such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter along with local advertising campaigns like print ads in newspapers and magazines. Additionally, word-of-mouth referrals from satisfied customers are key to helping us spread the word about Barbecue Brothers On Wheels!

Place : Our food truck is conveniently located on busy city streets where commuters have easy access during their lunchtime break or while they’re running errands. We also offer catering services for events such as office parties and family gatherings.

At Barbecue Brothers On Wheels, our goal is to provide customers with an unforgettable and unique dining experience. Our daily operations focus on delivering quality food that is freshly prepared using locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. Every day we will start by preparing the sauces and rubs for our signature dishes as well as preparing the sides. Once all of the ingredients are prepped and ready, we will begin cooking on-site to ensure that every order is served hot and fresh.

Staff Requirements:

For the successful day-to-day operations of Barbecue Brothers On Wheels, we need a team of dedicated individuals.

• Chef – To prepare the signature dishes using fresh ingredients and signature sauces.
• Cashier – To take orders and process payments in a timely manner.
• Food Runner – To deliver orders to customers quickly and accurately.
• Cleaner – To make sure the food truck is clean and presentable for customers.

We need a variety of supplies in order to run our business effectively. This includes ingredients, paper products, cleaning supplies, and small wares. We will focus on sourcing all of our supplies from local vendors to ensure that we are using quality ingredients while supporting the local economy.

Our menu consists of classic American BBQ fare such as brisket sandwiches, pulled pork, and ribs. We also offer sides like slaw, potato salad, and baked beans. In addition to our regular menu, we will offer daily specials that can range from tacos to nachos.

Customer Service:

At Barbecue Brothers On Wheels, we strive to provide our customers with the best possible experience. Our goal is to make sure every customer is satisfied by delivering excellent customer service that is prompt and friendly. Additionally, we will listen to feedback and make changes as necessary to ensure that customers are always happy with their experience.

The safety of our customers and staff is paramount. We will adhere to all regulatory standards and best practices when it comes to food handling and sanitation. Additionally, anyone working in the food truck must wear protective gear such as gloves, masks, and hats.

John and David are the co-founders of the Barbecue Brothers On Wheels. John, who has a background in culinary arts, is the head chef and primary visionary of the business. He oversees operations and ensures that all dishes are made with the finest ingredients. His passion for barbecue stems from his childhood in Texas where he fell in love with the art of making authentic, mouth-watering barbecue.

David is an experienced business professional and handles the administrative side of the operation. He focuses on marketing, financials, and customer relations. His goal is to make Barbecue Brothers On Wheels a household name by providing unbeatable quality and service.

With their founding Members John and David teaming up, Barbecue Brothers On Wheels is set to be the go-to BBQ food truck for city dwellers.

At Barbecue Brothers On Wheels, we understand that the financial aspect of running a business is integral to its success. We have formulated a financial plan that will help us achieve our goals and ensure the longevity of our business.

Startup Costs:

To get our business up and running, we need to cover a variety of startup costs such as purchasing equipment, leasing a truck, and acquiring ingredients.

Operating Costs:

Once we are open for business, our operating costs will include labor and overhead expenses. We plan to keep these costs in check by implementing cost-saving methods and leveraging technology to streamline processes.

Revenue Model:

Our revenue model relies on selling our signature products and daily specials at a fair price. We will also pursue additional revenue streams such as catering and delivery services.

Profitability:

Our goal is to achieve profitability within two years of launching the business. We plan to do this by increasing revenue through catering services and expanding our customer base, as well as reducing expenses by maximizing efficiency and maintaining ongoing cost-saving practices. Additionally, any profits will be reinvested into the business to further expand our services and capabilities.

Commitment to Excellence:

At Barbecue Brothers On Wheels, we are committed to delivering the highest quality product and service possible. We strive to use only the freshest ingredients and prepare our dishes with care. Our staff is highly trained in customer service, food safety, and proper food handling techniques.

We understand that quality is paramount and that is why we will never sacrifice our standards. We want to build a long-lasting business that customers can trust and rely on for delicious, mouth-watering barbecue cuisine.

Sample Menu

• Fried Catfish
• Pulled Pork Sandwich
• Smoked Sausage Platter
• Hand-cut French Fries
• Baked Beans
• Collard Greens
• Corn Bread Muffins
• Cobbler Pie

Financial Projections

Balance sheet.

[insert financial statement]

Income Statement

Cash flow statement, food truck business plan example pdf.

Download our food truck business plan pdf here. This is a free food truck business plan example to help you get started on your own food truck plan.  

How to Finish Your Food Truck Business Plan in 1 Day!

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your food truck business plan?

With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

Business Plan Template for Food Truck

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Starting a food truck business requires careful planning and a solid strategy. You need a business plan that not only captures your mouthwatering concept but also convinces potential investors of its profitability. That's where ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Food Trucks comes in!

With this template, you can:

• Outline your unique food truck concept, menu, and target market to stand out in the crowded food industry.
• Create a comprehensive financial projection that includes startup costs, revenue streams, and expenses to ensure profitability.
• Develop a winning marketing strategy to attract hungry customers and build a loyal following.

Don't let your dream of owning a successful food truck fade away. Use ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Food Trucks to turn your delicious vision into a reality.

Business Plan Template for Food Truck Benefits

Starting a food truck business can be a thrilling but challenging endeavor. By using the Business Plan Template for Food Truck, entrepreneurs can enjoy a range of benefits, including:

• Clearly defining the concept and vision for the food truck business
• Identifying the target market and understanding customer preferences
• Creating a comprehensive financial projection to secure funding and manage expenses
• Developing a strategic marketing plan to effectively promote the food truck and attract customers
• Ensuring a cohesive and well-structured plan to present to potential investors or lenders.

Main Elements of Food Truck Business Plan Template

When starting a food truck business, having a solid business plan is essential. ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Food Truck provides you with the necessary structure to outline your concept, target customers, financial projection, and marketing strategy.

Here are the main elements of this template:

• Custom Statuses: Track the progress of each section of your business plan with statuses like Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do.
• Custom Fields: Use custom fields like Reference, Approved, and Section to add additional information and keep everything organized.
• Custom Views: Access different views such as Topics, Status, Timeline, Business Plan, and Getting Started Guide to easily navigate and visualize your business plan.

With ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Food Truck, you can efficiently communicate your vision to stakeholders, secure funding, and set your food truck business up for success.

How To Use Business Plan Template for Food Truck

If you're starting a food truck business, the Business Plan Template in ClickUp can help you stay organized and focused. Follow these steps to create a comprehensive business plan for your food truck venture:

1. Define your concept and target market

Start by clearly defining your food truck concept and identifying your target market. What type of cuisine will you offer? Who is your ideal customer? Understanding your concept and target market will help shape the rest of your business plan.

Use the Board view in ClickUp to brainstorm and organize your ideas for your food truck concept and target market.

2. Research your competition

Conduct thorough research on other food trucks in your area or those that operate in a similar market. Identify their strengths, weaknesses, and unique selling points. This will help you develop strategies to differentiate your business and offer something special to your customers.

Create tasks in ClickUp to track your competitor analysis and gather insights.

3. Outline your menu and pricing strategy

Create a detailed menu plan, including the dishes you'll offer, pricing, and any special promotions or deals. Consider factors such as ingredient costs, preparation time, and customer preferences. Develop a pricing strategy that ensures profitability while remaining competitive in the market.

Use the Table view in ClickUp to create a menu and pricing spreadsheet for your food truck.

4. Plan your operations and logistics

Outline the logistics of running your food truck business, including your daily operations, equipment needed, staffing requirements, and sourcing of ingredients. Consider factors such as permits and licenses, food safety regulations, and vehicle maintenance. A well-planned operations strategy will help ensure smooth and efficient operations.

Create custom fields in ClickUp to track operational details and deadlines.

5. Develop your marketing and sales strategy

Create a comprehensive marketing and sales strategy to attract customers and generate revenue. Identify your target audience and develop strategies to reach them effectively, such as social media marketing, partnerships with local businesses, or participating in food truck events. Determine your pricing tiers and sales projections to set realistic goals.

Use the Calendar view in ClickUp to schedule marketing campaigns and track important marketing and sales milestones.

By following these steps and using the Business Plan Template in ClickUp, you'll have a well-structured and detailed plan to guide your food truck business forward.

Get Started with ClickUp’s Business Plan Template for Food Truck

Entrepreneurs in the food industry who want to start a food truck business can use the Business Plan Template for Food Truck in ClickUp to create a comprehensive plan that covers all aspects of their venture.

Here's how to make the most of this template:

Hit "Add Template" to sign up for ClickUp and add the template to your Workspace. Make sure you designate which Space or location in your Workspace you'd like this template applied.

Invite relevant team members or guests to your Workspace to start collaborating.

Use the Topics View to outline your business plan and break it down into manageable sections.

The Status View will help you track the progress of each section of your business plan. Use the four different statuses: Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do.

Utilize the Timeline View to set deadlines and create a visual representation of your business plan's timeline.

The Business Plan View provides a comprehensive overview of your entire plan, allowing you to easily navigate and review all sections.

Use the Getting Started Guide View to provide step-by-step instructions for team members who are new to the project.

Customize the template by adding custom fields such as Reference, Approved, and Section to provide additional information and track important details.

By using the ClickUp Business Plan Template for Food Truck, you can streamline the process of creating a detailed and professional business plan, ensuring that you cover all the necessary aspects to launch a successful food truck venture.

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A History of Moscow in 13 Dishes

Jun 06 2018.

War, hunger, and some of the world’s great doomed social experiments all changed the way that Moscow eats.

Moscow, the European metropolis on Asia’s western flank, has always been a canvas for competing cultures. Its cuisine is no different. The ancient baselines of winter grains, root vegetables, and cabbage acquired scaffolding from both directions: eastern horsemen brought meat on sticks, western craftsmen brought pastries, and courtly French chefs came and drowned it all in cream.

History has a place on the plate here, as well: war, hunger, and some of the world’s great doomed social experiments from Serfdom to Communism to Bandit Capitalism all changed the way that Moscow eats. So in the spirit of all of those grand failures, we—a Russian chef and an American writer—will attempt here to reduce the towering history of this unknowable city to 13 dishes, with some Imperial past but a special emphasis on the more recent decades of culinary paroxysms as Moscow emerged from its Soviet slumber.

Olivier Salad

To visualize the long marriage between French and Russian cuisines, picture Peter the Great, on a diplomatic sojourn to Paris in 1717, a “ stranger to etiquette ”, meeting the 7-year-old boy-king Louis XV and lifting him in the air out of sheer elán. These things were simply not done, and yet, there they were. Peter’s joyful (and often envious) fascination with all things French took hold, among other places, in the kitchen. He brought French chefs back to his palaces, and then the lesser nobility followed suit, and when the first restaurants emerged in Moscow, they also spoke French. The Hermitage Restaurant, which was open from 1864 until history intervened in 1917, had a Francophone Belgian named Lucien Olivier as a chef, and he made a salad that was a perfectly unrestrained combination of French flavors and Russian ingredients: grouse! Veal tongue! Proto-mayonnaise! The ingredients now tend toward the pedestrian—boiled beef, dill pickles, various vegetables all bound with mayonnaise—and it has become a staple of Russian cuisine, especially on New Year’s. And yes, if you’ve ever seen the lonely Ensalada Rusa wilting behind the sneezeguard of a Spanish tapas bar, that is supposed to be a successor to the Olivier. But in Moscow, you should eat Matryoshka ’s version, which is not the original recipe but has some of that imperial richness: crayfish, quail, sturgeon caviar, and remoulade, all under a translucent aspic skirt, for 990₽ ($16).

There’s a type of expression around bottling things—bottled lightning, summer in a jar, etc.—that feels very apt here. What exactly is bottled with vareniye (jam)? A lot more than just fruit. These jams, which tend to be thinner than western varieties—with whole berries or fruit chunks in syrup—are bottled with a lot of Russian identity. There’s the Russian love of countryside. Deep dacha culture of summer cottages and personal orchards. Traditional naturopathy (raspberry vareniye taken with tea will fight fever). And above all, friendship is bottled here— vareniye made from the overabundance of fruit at one’s dacha is the most typical Russian gift, real sharing from real nature, even in the often-cynical heart of Europe’s largest megacity. Visitors who are short on lifelong friendships in Moscow can pick some up fine vareniye at any Lavka Lavka shop (we recommend the delicate young pine cone jam) or, curiously enough, at many Armenian stores.

Borodinsky Bread

The clinical-sounding title of Lev Auerman’s 1935 classic Tekhnologiya Khlebopecheniya ( Bread Baking Technology) doesn’t promise scintillation. But Auerman’s recipe for rye bread changed Russian bread forever. An older legend had it that the bread was baked dark for mourning by a woman widowed in the battle of Borodino in 1812, but the real birth of the bread came from Auerman’s recipes. A modification on sweet, malted Baltic breads, Auerman’s Borodinsky bread was 100% rye and used caraway or anise. The recipe has evolved a bit—today it is 80% rye and 20% wheat high extraction flour and leans more on coriander than caraway. But its flavor profile (sweet, chewy) as well as its characteristic L7 mold —a deep brick of bread—has made it easily identifiable as the traditional, ubiquitous, every-occasion bread of Moscow. You can buy it everywhere, but the Azbuka Vkusa high-end markets have a reliably good sliced version.

Buckwheat Grechka

Look closely at those Russians who have followed their money to live in London, or are vacationing in Cyprus or Antalya. See the slight melancholy that not even cappuccinos or sunshine can erase. It’s not because Russians are gloomy by nature; it’s probably because there is no real grechka outside of Russia and Ukraine, and that is devastating. Buckwheat grain and groats— grechka (or grecha in Saint Petersburg)—are deep in the culture. It’s a wartime memory: May 9 Victory Day celebrations feature military kitchens serving buckwheat like they did at the front. It’s a little slice of Russian history that lies somewhere between oatmeal and couscous. In Moscow, eat it at Dr. Zhivago with milk (180₽/US$2.90) or mushrooms (590₽/US$9.50), and rejoice.

Mimoza Salad

This fantastically expressive egg-and-canned-fish salad is a testament to Soviet ingenuity—it’s the ultimate puzzle to make a drastically limited food chain sparkle—and the universal human thrill of layering foods. The geological creation starts with a base layer of fish, then layers of grated cooked potato, mayonnaise, shredded cheese, grated carrots, sweet onion, diced egg whites and then capped with a brilliant yellow crumble of boiled egg yolk. It sits there on the plate, dazzling like the flowering mimosa tree it is named after. The taste? Well, it’s comfort food. Pick some up to go at any Karavaev Brothers location —the excellent deli chain sells it for 650₽ (US$10.40) a kilo.

It seems odd, almost impossible, to imagine a time in Russia before shashlik. It’s meat on a stick, something that all humans should have had on the menu since at least the time of Prometheus. But shashlik as we know it know—cubes of marinated meat cooked with vegetables over a mangal grill—didn’t really take off in Russia until the early 1900s. And due to a lack of suitable meat in much of the Soviet era (there were no meat cattle herds, only dairy), we’re starting the clock on shashlik in the late Soviet period. Despite its relatively recent (re)appearance, it is now the ubiquitous grill phenomenon of Russia, a welcome ritual of summer.

Much of Russian cuisine has borrowed heavily from Central Asia and further east over the millennia ( pelmeni anyone?), but plov is a striking example of an entire eastern dish making its way directly into Russian households. With the collapse of the Soviet Union and upheaval in many Central Asian Soviet Republics, mass economic migration to Moscow took off in the late 80s and early 90s. Central Asians today are the lifeblood of the Moscow labor force (part of up to 10-12 million Central Asian migrants living in Russia), and plov—rice steamed in stock with meat and vegetables—has jumped from the migrant communities to the homes of Muscovites everywhere. It has developed an unfortunate reputation for being a food that even finicky kids will eat, so there is a lot of harried domestic plov being made. But you can get a fully expressed Uzbek version at Danilovsky Market, online at plov.com , or at Food City—the surf-and-turf Tsukiji of Moscow.

The Big Mac

So many of the difficulties in American-Russian relations come down to one foundational attitude problem: The Americans (that’s half of this writing duo) were incredibly, distressingly smug through the entire fall of the Soviet Union. We mistook Soviet failure for an American victory, and that made all the difference. What does that have to do with a Big Mac? Well, when Russia’s first McDonald’s opened on Pushkinskaya in 1990 and 5000 people turned out to wait in line for the first taste of America, we back home in the states mistook it for culinary and commercial superiority. But there was something more complicated happening: Russians had been denied Western goods for so long and with such force that any outside identity was much-needed oxygen. And the long-term victory, as McDonald’s has continued to thrive in post-Soviet Russia, really belongs to the local franchise, which used higher-quality ingredients than in the U.S. and created a chain that was successful not because of its American identity but because of its Russian modifications. We wouldn’t recommend eating at any McDonald’s, especially not when there is Teremok for your fast-food needs, but having a soda in the original location is one way to sit and ponder the sin of hubris. And to use the free toilet and Wi-Fi.

The crown jewel of Levantine meat preparations, perhaps the single greatest street meat in the world: Shawarma. It first came to Moscow with a shawarma joint across from the Passazh mall, opened in the early 90s by Syrian cooks who dazzled masses with their sizzling, spinning, spiced meat emporium. Lines that stretched into the hundreds of people weren’t uncommon in those heady early days. And even though the original spot closed many years ago, Moscow shawarma only grew from there, mutating into the beast it is today, where you’re likely to find chicken, cabbage, mayo and a thin tomato sauce all combining to make the Levant a distant memory.

Fish Tartare aka Sashimi

One result of the aforementioned American smugness is that the West seemed surprised at how rapidly 1990s Russia assimilated some of the most hardcore capitalist traits, including but not limited to conspicuous consumerism. Moscow’s new elite was very, very good at that. What could be more conspicuous that recreating a restrained, exclusive seafood cuisine from Japan in the chaotic, landlocked megacity of Moscow? The very improbability of high-end sushi and sashimi in Moscow fueled much of its allure, and even though the trends have moved on from sushi, you can still tell the emotional attachment that the oligarch class has to those formative wastes of money. Sumosan restaurant started in Moscow back in 1997 and has since expanded to Monte Carlo and Londongrad , where they serve a dish that they call Fish Tartare, among others, in their restaurants and through their private jet catering service.

Blue Cheese roll

If the early elite sushi restaurants in Moscow were the frivolous edge of a food phenomenon, then Yakitoriya , a chain which started in the late 1990s, democratized it with affordable sushi rolls geared to local tastes. The Blue Cheese Roll, available now on their menu, seems like the apex (or nadir) of the Russianized roll: salmon, smoked eel, cucumber, cream cheese, Blue Cheese sauce. It might not be Jiro’s dream, but a true Russian middle class, one that can work honestly, earn meaningful salaries, and have a freaky sushi roll at the end of the week just like the rest of us—that’s something worthing dreaming for. Blue Cheese Roll, Yakitoriya, 417₽ (US$6.70)

If you’re American, have you ever wondered why tacos took over middle America but sopes remain virtually unknown? It’s curious how a country can assimilate some foods from their neighbors and but remain blissfully ignorant of others. That may explain what took place two years ago in Moscow, when the city seemingly discovered, as if for the first time, the bagged awesomeness that is khinkali , a soup dumpling from Russia’s southern neighbor Georgia. It became very trendy very quickly, and khinkali joints sprouted across Moscow like griby after a rain. But it wasn’t just that dish: what they were serving was a bit of the imagined southern, sybaritic lifestyle of the Caucasus, as promised in restaurant names like Est’ Khinkali Pit Vino ( Eat Khinkali Drink Wine ). Your best bets are at the stately Sakhli , around 100₽ (US$1.60) per soft, fulsome dumpling, or the more modernized Kafe Khinkalnaya on Neglinnaya Street , 100₽ (US$0.80) a dumpling.

We have named burrata—yes, that Italian alchemy of cheese and cream—the Perfect Dish of Moscow 2018, if only because it is the Dish of the Moment, ready to be enjoyed at the height of its faddishness now, and equally ready to be replaced when the city decides to move on. Read Anna Maslovskaya’s masterful breakdown of why—and where—to eat burrata in Moscow.

Top image: Olivier salad with chicken. Photo by: Kvector /Shutterstock

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The Perfect Dish: The Moscow Burrata

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