Costs of having a food truck
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Starting a mobile food business isn’t cheap. Here are some of the costs:
• The vehicle: You can buy a basic, unequipped new truck for up to about $75,000. Used delivery trucks, which can be converted to food trucks, can go for about $20,000.
• The gear inside: Customizing the interior of a truck can cost as much as $300,000, including design, kitchen gear and generators.
• The cool exterior: It costs about $4,000 to have the vehicle wrapped in fancy vinyl graphics.
• Supplies: Expect to spend $3,000 or more on pans and containers for storage and $80 per month on towels. To-go containers can cost $32 per case.
• Leasing: If shelling out all that cash on a truck makes you squeamish, consider leasing one. It will cost about $4,000 per month and include the truck, permits, maintenance, cleaning, some insurance, some supplies and a place to park it.
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