Great question! I’ve been very interested in starting a food truck business and have always wondered how much it would cost to get set up. I’ve done a bit of research to gauge the average startup costs for food truck businesses in Australia and this is what I’ve found:

• Purchasing a vehicle and commercial fitout: $50,000 to $180,000

• Insurance: $200 p/month

• Daily operating costs:

• Business registration: $100 to $700

• Permits and licenses 

The biggest cost is of course the vehicle and making sure it’s equipped to function as a commercial kitchen. It all depends on how complex your truck kitchen is and the type of equipment you need. There’s also the actual mechanics of the vehicle itself and ensuring it’s well serviced and maintained to avoid regular trips to the mechanic. 

You also need to set a budget aside for marketing and branding so that people know about your business. The food truck industry is getting increasingly competitive so your food truck needs to stand out from the crowd. This includes setting up a website, logo design, social media marketing, search engine optimisation (SEO), etc. 

It would be great to hear from some food truck business owners to see if there are any other startup costs you need to think about, or if there’s anything major I’ve missed on this list!