The truck’s in place, the kitchen’s up and running, the food’s good – and yet nobody’s turning up. So make sure you check the location just as carefully as you do the vehicle and the menu.
The four types of use and what they offer
Almost every food truck serves several of these. Anyone who relies on just one will either have a problem with capacity utilisation or a problem with the weather.
| Type of project | Daily turnover | Cost per day | Predictability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial estate, lunchtime | 400 – 900 € | 0 – 80 € | high |
| Weekly market | 500 – 1.200 € | 40 – 150 € | high |
| Festival, town fair | 1.500 – 6.000 € | 300 – 1.500 € | low |
| Company party, wedding | 800 – 3.000 € | How to get there | very high |
The figures vary enormously. A festival can bring in 6,000 euros or, if it rains, 800 – for the same stall fee. Anyone who makes a living solely from festivals has a business that depends on the weather. Whether a gig covers fixed costs or turns a profit can only be determined by your own calculations.
Use of public land
DE Germany
AT Austria
CH Switzerland
Industrial estates: the underrated bread and butter
Lunch in the industrial estate is unspectacular and rarely seen on Instagram. However, it is the most reliable source of income a food truck can have: the same people, at the same time, every week.
A location works when three things come together:
- Plenty of people within walking distance. Rule of thumb: it becomes worthwhile if there are 300 or more employees within a five-minute walk; it’s a good deal if there are 800 or more.
- No canteen. A business with its own canteen is not a customer, but a competitor with a home advantage.
- A space that someone is allowed to give you. That’s the tricky bit.
How to access the space
Operating on public land requires a special use permit from the local council – processing takes weeks, and the fee is usually between 20 and 60 euros per day. The quicker option is to use private land: a company’s car park belongs to the company.
The conversation is easier than most people think. For the business, having a food truck on the doorstep is a perk for the staff that costs the business nothing. Many agree when asked – and almost nobody asks.
Things to bear in mind: A specific proposal rather than an open-ended question. Not ‘might I park at your place?’, but ‘I’d like to park in the rear car park on Tuesdays from 11.30 am to 2.00 pm; I don’t need electricity and I’ll take my rubbish away with me’. If you address any concerns upfront, you’re more likely to get a ‘yes’.
You can find specific dates on our website: In the section Events Featuring street food festivals, town fairs and markets in Germany, Austria and Switzerland – including stall fees and application deadlines.
Weekly markets
Markets are regulated and therefore predictable – but also difficult to gain access to. Stalls are usually allocated for years at a time, and market managers prefer traders who turn up reliably every week.
You almost always get your foot in the door through standing in for someone: if you step in when someone’s off, you’ll end up on the list at some point. That takes one season, sometimes two.
Festivals and town fairs
This is where the biggest profits are made – and the biggest losses incurred. The stall fee is payable in advance; the weather comes later.
| Model | How it works | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed fee | €200–1,500 per day, payable in advance | you’re on your own |
| Revenue share | 10–20 per cent of turnover | shared |
| Mixed | A small basic fee plus a percentage | mostly fair |
A word of caution for the first season: A new food truck operator with no experience shouldn’t pay a €1,200 stall fee for a festival they know nothing about. Ask colleagues who were there last year – people in food truck groups are happy to share information about where it was worth it and where it wasn’t.
Catering: the sector with the best profit margins
Company parties, weddings and staff parties can be planned based on agreed quantities and prices. Cancellations, weather, waiting times and changes remain potential risks. Set out the scope of services and responsibilities in the quote.
Fixed-rate packages are common: a call-out fee plus a price per person, usually between 18 and 35 euros for a food truck. From around 40 guests upwards, it becomes worthwhile for both parties.
How many locations are needed
A food truck that operates twelve days a month needs three to five fixed locations on a rotating basis – plus one-off opportunities. A single location becomes oversaturated: the same people don’t buy the same things every day.
A fixed weekly schedule has proved its worth: Monday at Industrial Estate A, Tuesday at the market, Wednesday at Industrial Estate B, Thursday free for catering, Friday at Industrial Estate C. Customers get used to the routine, and you can plan your shopping accordingly.
Tell us where you are. A food truck that operates without prior notice sells to people who happen to pass by. A food truck with a weekly schedule on Instagram or a simple website sells to people who make a special trip to visit. A fixed weekly schedule makes it easier for regular customers to find the next location.
How much a location should cost
Is this pitch worth it?
Enter the figures for a specific day’s work. The figure below shows the turnover at which you start making a profit.
Including your own hours.
Staff costs and travel expenses are charged per event, not per day – whilst the stall fee is usually charged per day. The calculator distinguishes between these.
A useful guideline: the stall fee should not exceed ten per cent of expected turnover. For a daily turnover of 800 euros, that amounts to 80 euros. Anything above that must be justified by something else – visibility, new customers, a catering lead.
Work out in advance how much a day costs you before the first portion is sold. The Cost calculator The figure is shown in the cost item.