Street Food Vendor Monthly Operating Budget

What a good one includes

• Detailed Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) broken down per menu item to ensure your ingredient costs stay under your target percentage.
• Variable operating expenses including propane, generator fuel, biodegradable packaging, and merchant processing fees.
• Fixed overhead costs such as commissary kitchen rent, food truck insurance, and annualized health department permit fees broken down monthly.
• A clear break-even calculator that tells you exactly how many units or total dollars you must bring in daily to cover your costs.
• Pitch and booking fees for markets, festivals, or private catering events to evaluate the profitability of different locations.
• A dedicated buffer for food spoilage and wastage, which is essential for accurate inventory forecasting in mobile hospitality.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Forgetting to budget for commissary or prep kitchen rental fees, which are legally required in most jurisdictions even if you cook on the truck.
• Failing to account for fuel costs for both the vehicle transport and the generator running your refrigerators and cooking equipment.
• Underestimating food spoilage and prep waste, which can quietly eat up to ten percent or more of your raw ingredient budget.
• Neglecting to factor in credit card processing fees, which take a consistent bite out of every digital transaction at the window.

Frequently asked questions