Food trucks are expanding in Merced. This is what it costs to run one
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Initial food truck investments range widely, from $40,000 trailers to $260,000 trucks.
- Operators face lower overhead but must comply with zoning and health regulations.
- Merced food trucks need location approval, business licenses and health inspections.
What does it cost to buy a food truck?
The cost of a food truck depends on the specific equipment inside. There is also a significant cost difference between food trailers, which must be towed, and food trucks, which have their own engines.
Christopher Avila and Estella Ivarra own three trailers and one truck, selling agua frescas. Avila said their first trailer was 16 feet and cost $40,000; their newest truck cost $260,000. He also said it was easier for him to get a loan for a food truck than a brick and mortar store.
What kind of equipment is inside a food truck?
Food trucks can have stoves, griddles, fryers, refrigerators, freezers, ovens or other equipment depending on the specific needs of the business.
Lavon Wallace, owner of Racks R Us Ribs, had his truck custom built in Portland, Oregon to accommodate two smokers he uses to cook ribs and tri-tip, as well as an oven he uses to bake cornbread. Avila bought his trailers, but designed a custom refrigeration system for agua frescas.
What are the benefits and challenges of working in a food truck?
Food trucks can have significantly fewer regulations as well as upfront savings compared to standard restaurants, Avila said.
“When you have a storefront, you always have more utilities you got to pay more, usually the insurance is a little bit higher, the rents are a lot more expensive, and basically, it’s never yours,” he said. “Food truck, once you pay it off, hey, that’s yours.”
He said one of the major drawbacks however is the temperatures inside trucks when cooking during the summer. Bruce Rodriguez, who works at Mexican-food-truck Las Cinco Estrellas, said the pace of working in a food truck can also be very hectic when orders come in.
Where can food trucks operate?
Food trucks are only allowed under city rules to park in certain areas like downtown, commercial and industrial districts.
Some vendors set up at permitted food truck parks where they pay rent to the land owner. Avila said the rent for his space at Valley Eats is $2,200 per month, though he said other spaces closer to the main road cost more.
What regulations do food trucks face?
Food trucks must have business licenses and be inspected by the county health department for food safety. However, inspections are at the department’s office rather than inspectors coming to trucks like at conventional restaurants, according to Wallace and Avila.
Merced requires planning commission approval for each site where the truck will be set up for more than one hour a day. The planning commission can also include limits about when trucks can operate and can require a certain amount of parking spaces or bathroom facilities.
Wallace said he also had to get his trailer registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles.
