Food Truck Profitability Calculator

Profitability is found by subtracting variable costs (ingredients) and fixed costs (pitch fee, fuel, wages) from daily revenue. Revenue equals portions times price. Daily profit is revenue minus the ingredient cost of all portions minus fixed costs. The margin shows what share of revenue is profit.

Fixed costs are expenses independent of the number of portions in a day: pitch or event fee, fuel and electricity, wages, vehicle depreciation and insurance. In the calculator you enter them as a single daily amount. The higher the fixed costs, the more portions you must sell to break even.

Ingredient cost is usually 25-35% of the dish price, which with reasonable fixed costs yields an operating profit of roughly 10-20% of revenue. The result depends on location, customer count and season. The calculator shows the margin as the share of daily profit in revenue. A negative margin means a loss that day.

The calculator assumes 22 working days as a typical number of trading days for a food truck operating on weekdays. This is a simplification, as some trucks also work weekends or have seasonal breaks. If you work a different number of days, treat the monthly profit as indicative.

Food cost is the cost of raw materials for one portion: meat, bread, vegetables, sauces and packaging. It is a variable cost because it grows with the number of portions. In the calculator you enter it per portion. Keeping the food cost low but realistic is the basis of a healthy margin.

You break even when daily profit is zero, meaning the unit margin (price minus ingredient cost) covers the fixed costs. You find the break-even portions by dividing fixed costs by the difference between price and ingredient cost. In the calculator, lower the portions until profit drops to zero.

The most effective levers are selling more portions (better location, events) and raising the unit margin by optimizing food cost. Cutting fixed costs also helps. Selling add-ons such as drinks increases the average ticket. The calculator shows how each change affects profit.

No. The calculator shows operating profit before income tax and without the owner social contributions. To get real take-home income, subtract income tax and social and health contributions from the profit. For a full settlement, use dedicated tax calculators.

Street food is highly seasonal: in summer and at festivals sales can be several times higher than in winter. The same truck can be profitable in season and lose money off-season. It is therefore worth computing profitability for several scenarios: a weak, average and very good day.

No. The calculator is informational and used for a quick estimate of operating profitability. A full business plan should account for startup costs, seasonality, marketing, taxes and risk. Treat the results as a starting point for deeper analysis.