2025 Food Truck Statistics

Food Truck Profit Surveys thousands of food truck owners each year to provide the most up-to-date data

Food Truck Industry Trends

Average Revenue for food truck in 2025 in the US is $346,000.
91% of food trucks in the US are independent operations.
In 2025, the most common food type for a food truck was Mexican food.
The average food truck in 2025 employed 1.8 full time employees.
Due to inflation and other factors from 2020 to 2025 the average operating costs to run a food truck has increased 7.9%

The average wait time expected by a food truck customer is 7 minutes; the average actual wait time is 12 minutes.
The average spend per food truck customer in 2025 is $12.50
92% of customers say they choose food trucks for convenience and quick service.
Most food truck patrons find them at festivals (47%), business districts (34%), and college campuses (19%).
60% of customers say they return to the same food truck if they had a good experience, indicating strong brand loyalty.

On average, a food truck needs to obtain at least 6 different permits, licenses, or registrations to operate legally.
It takes up to 37 business days on average to complete all regulatory steps to start a food truck in a typical U.S. city.
Over 70% of major U.S. cities have zoning restrictions that limit where food trucks can park and operate - especially near brick-and-mortar restaurants.
Most food trucks are subject to health inspections 1–2 times per year, but some cities require quarterly or even monthly inspections

Our annual survey found that nearly 9 in 10 food truck owners rely on digital tools — from mobile POS systems to social media schedulers — making tech adoption a near-universal part of running a truck.
Square remains the most common POS platform, but one-third of surveyed owners reported switching to alternatives like Toast or Clover to handle loyalty programs and higher order volumes.
Cashless sales still relevent: 82% of owners said that cards and mobile payments now make up the vast majority of their transactions, with cash mainly used at festivals or special events.

Just 9% of surveyed owners reported operating more than one truck or moving into a brick-and-mortar location, underscoring how most trucks remain single-unit businesses.
Owners who reported diversifying into catering or semi-permanent partnerships (like breweries or office parks) said these channels provided their most reliable weekly revenue.
More than 60% of owners in our survey said they reached profitability within the first year — giving many the confidence to consider expanding into a second truck, commissary kitchen, or storefront after only a short startup phase.