How much revenue is possible on a food truck your first year?

#1 · Oct 11, 2024, 11:30 am

I saw a post for that Susie’s Food Truck made $250K in sales in only a year of being in business. About a year ago, the founder wrote down a goal of making $250k in her first year running the food truck. And within a year, he hit that target!

They’ve priced their offerings so that the average sale is $16.55. In just about a year, they’ve managed to make 15,427 sales, bringing in over $250k in revenue. That’s pretty impressive for a food truck, although I don't know the profit margin on this. The founder of this business also started a YouTube channel and seems really good at marketing. Here's the revenue numbers as proof:

1 year sales numbers

So, I’m wondering—are these results pretty common for food truck owners? Or is this story on the more exceptional side? Would love to hear from others in the community about their first-year experiences.

It looks like the menu focuses on crowd favorites like:

Chicken Wings & Tenders with a wide range of sauces:
- Susie’s Sauce
- Sweet Teriyaki
- Lemon Pepper
- Hot, Mild, Blazin’ Sweet Chili
- Garlic, Dry Ranch, and more
Lemon Pepper Turkey Wings
Soul Rolls
Bam Bam Shrimp Fries
Saucy Chicken Fries
Regular Fries

#2 · Oct 11, 2024, 11:34 am

Here's the screen shot for revenue proof as well so I think it's legit:

1 year sales numbers

#3 · Oct 12, 2024, 9:03 am

$250K is awesome for your first year in business. Just wanted to share my numbers and maybe give some insight for anyone thinking about running a food trailer. I haven't hit this number yet.

Last year, I made $112,455 selling chicken sandwiches and fries out of my trailer. It’s a simple concept of different chicken sandwich options (classic, spicy, BBQ, etc.) and hand-cut fries. Nothing fancy, just really solid food.

Here’s a breakdown of how I made $112,455 in sales over the year:

Average price per chicken sandwich combo (includes fries): $12
I sold 10,204 chicken sandwich combos.

I only worked 34 weeks to generate this revenue and average 300 sales or $3,600 per week. But keep in mind those are averages. Some weeks, I didn't less than $2,000 in the early spring. I live in Minnesota so our selling season is mostly in the spring - fall months.

Just keep in mind to factor in slower days, cancellations, or events with lower turnout. Things eventually even out. Hope that helps! Everyone's food truck journey is going to be a little different.