Food Truck Economics: Locations, Ticket Size, Food Cost, Events & Break-even
Cost every plate and price it to a food cost target, find the best spot with AVERAGEIFS, model the lunch queue at the window, decide which events pay, put permits, commissary, fuel and generator on one monthly clock, cost the crew per shift, plan a rainy season and find break-even meals per day and the truck's payback: 8 graded labs on a fictional taco truck.
The first lesson is free — no account needed.
About this course
A food truck economics course that runs one fictional taco truck, Little Ember Taco Truck, in a spreadsheet, for food truck owners and future owners, caterers and business students. You cost every plate from grams and prices per kg and price it to a 30% food cost target, average a month of services by location with AVERAGEIFS to find the best spot, turn seconds per order into window capacity and model the lunch queue, decide which events pay under flat and percentage fees, put commissary, permits, fuel and generator on one monthly cost, cost the crew per shift with payroll on-costs and labour %, plan the season with a rainy-year scenario, and find the break-even meals per service day and the payback of the truck. Fictional truck and illustrative numbers. Permits, fees and wages vary, so check local rules. Not financial advice. The first lab is free.
Lessons
- Menu Costing and Food Cost %Free
- Sales by Location and Day: Finding the Best Spot Pro
- Throughput: Orders per Half Hour at the Window vs the Queue Pro
- Event Fees: Flat vs % of Sales, and Which Events Pay Pro
- Commissary, Permits, Fuel and Generator: the Monthly Cost Base Pro
- Labour per Shift: Paid Hours, Labour Cost and Labour % Pro
- Weather and Seasonality Scenarios Pro
- Break-even Meals per Day and Truck Payback Pro