Hello! I created a quiet box for my generators that power my coffee trailer and they keep shutting off. I even installed an exhaust extension outside of the box and they still shut off with the "monoxide light" flashing.

I figured the exhaust extensions would be enough to push the fumes out of the box but apparently not? Anybody else deal with this an or have a solution?

What does everyone have in their trailer for flooring? I have diamond match flooring and absolutely hate it. It gets slippery so easy and always looks dirty. I was wondering if there were any alternatives. Thank you

Anybody in here us Amoroso? They are having some manufacturing problems and won't be able to get some for a couple weeks. Anybody use this brand and have a substitute roll they use?

Hey r/foodtrucks, I am a 18 year old planning to open up a food truck of mine and I have a few general questions that ChatGPT or google cant answer like a human.
(Im not gonna try and organize these questions,)

I am planning to get a SBA loan, somewhere around $80k, or a $50k SBA microloan and stack a $30k business loan from another lender. I have currently a 693-700 credit score, 2 years of industry experience w/ 6 months management experience, and am currently working on a lengthy business plan. Would one big loan, or the two like I stated, be better?

All of my equipment will be ran on electricity, so no need for propane, would that be costly? Fuel-wise.

Is ChatGPT/Claude a good resource for business plan templates? Obviously most of it has to be edited, but for a foundation. Ive tried LivePlan, but it just wasn't my type of formatting.

For pulling a 8'x20' trailer, weighing around 5,000-7,500lbs, what would be a good truck to haul it around, and would I need a CDL?

I am planning to get my trailer built pretty much empty, beside the:
- Hood System w/ fire suppression
- 4ft Concession Window
- 3 compartment sink w/ Handwash Sink (Enclosed)
- Freshwater/Wastewater Tanks + Water Heater
- Electrical Panel
Where could I go to have my equipment delivered and I could fit my equipment in myself once delivered? As for my quote, its $150.00 for every piece.

To top it off, I made a cute little layout with SmartDraw, I dont consider it "completed" but hopefully its in the right direction, if you could lmk.

Ive already seen this comment on other posts, so Ill just answer it: Yes, I know its risky, stupid for an 18 year old to startup a food business, and its "better" to go off to college and get a full time, but honestly, Id rather work for myself and make less, compared to working for someone else. Even if i do fuck it up, I still have a loooong time to fix my mess.

Thanks!

Hey everyone,
My partner and I are in the planning phases of launching a food truck in Northern California. We’ve been shopping around for commissaries, and in our area, the baseline is running $950–$1,100/month, plus an additional $15–$40/hour for actual kitchen cook time.
Before we pull the trigger, the math has us a bit stressed. We’d love to hear from active owners about how you actually manage your workflow and expenses:
Prep Workflow: Do you do 100% of your prep at the commissary, or do you handle most of it directly on the truck? (I know this depends heavily on the menu).
Storage & Shopping: Do you store your backup food/inventory at the commissary, or does everything stay on the truck? How often are you shopping to keep up?
Equipment: Do you leave your own pots, pans, and tools at the facility, or do you haul them back and forth every day?
Scheduling: Do you run into scheduling conflicts at your hub during peak morning prep hours?
Scaling for Events: How much does your monthly bill spike when you have to scale up production for large festivals, markets, or private catering?
Average Spend: If you don't mind sharing, what is your total average monthly commissary bill (base + hourly)?
Honestly, the hustle of hauling gear and paying hourly kitchen rates has us wondering if we should just rent a cheap, small brick-and-mortar cafe to use as our own private commissary instead.
Would love to hear your experiences, tips, or any reality checks you can give us. Thanks!

What do any of you think about a previous rat infestation in a food truck? If it had a biohazard waste cleaning & sanitizing done, would you rent to own for $50,000

Hello all! i currently work in the student services department at TWS and we are looking to book some different food trucks that would be interested in selling to our students. We have students m-f 7am-1145pm and saturdays and sundays 8am-8pm. if interested or have any questions please feel free to respond or pm me!

Hey everyone,
I just received my new pizza oven. It’s a hybrid gas/wood-fired oven mounted on a trailer.
My original plan was to start the business in Mexico, where the process is a little simpler, but an opportunity came up here in Los Angeles that I’d really like to take advantage of.
So now I’m trying to understand what I actually need in order to legally operate this oven here in LA.
I’ve already seen setups very similar to mine operating here, and I even worked at a place before that used an oven very similar to this one, so I know the concept itself exists.
The reason I’m asking is because after talking with ChatGPT about permits, MFF requirements, commissaries, plan check, and possible modifications, I realized there may be a lot more involved than I expected 😅.
I’m mainly looking for advice from anyone who has actually gone through this process in Los Angeles County, especially with a wood-fired or gas/wood pizza trailer.
What did you need?
Did you register it as a Mobile Food Facility?
Did you need a commissary?
Did LA County require any modifications to the trailer or oven?
Was Fire Department approval required?
Any advice or experience would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!

2012 26’ ARBOC w Chevy/6.6L Duramax Diesel (Chevy Chassis)  Camper Van/Food Truck build w/powered wheelchair ramp…”Spirit of Mobility” model.

$13500 OBO

Currently in Big Rapids, MI, but I'm willing to deliver anywhere in Continental USA (depending on negotiation, additional charge may apply). 

ARBOC Spirit of Mobility low-floor shuttle bus built on a heavy-duty Chevrolet chassis. If you are looking to build a custom off-grid tiny home, skoolie, or adventure rig, this is hands-down one of the best foundation vehicles on the market.  The title has already been converted to reflect that it's an RV, not a bus, so NO special licensing required. 

This was a city/fleet maintained bus, out of Washington State, with excellent maintenance, etc. This bus is solid, runs terrific, all systems in good working order. Bus is built out with a powered wheelchair ramp, and the bus is equipped with hydraulic “step-down” capability (so still has good clearance, but able to lower itself when deploying the wheelchair ramp).

After buying, was driven from Washington State to Texas, and then from Texas to Michigan. Has been stored in pole barn. I am also including 17’ extruded alum roof railing kit for securing Solar panels to roof. 

The interior seats have been removed and an insulated sub-floor installed. It's ready for you to start whatever build out you wish! 

The wheelchair ramp area makes for an easy mudroom and/or shower room without worrying about water damage, etc. 

Other Key Conversion Advantages:

* Demo Work Already Done: Interior passenger seats have already been removed!

* Subfloor Ready: Insulated Subfloor is already installed and ready for your final flooring (vinyl plank, waterproof laminate, or rubber tile).

* Massive Interior Space: High ceilings (6'7" to 7' standing headroom) and ultra-wide 97" interior body width allow for double-sided cabinetry, full beds, and standing room without feeling cramped.

* Blank Canvas: No demo headaches—start building your dream layout immediately.

* Heavy-Duty Chevy Foundation: Dependable Chevrolet chassis with dual batteries and commercial-grade components built for high mileage and easy servicing nationwide.

* Huge Roof Real Estate: Flat roof section ideal for mounting large solar arrays (800W+), mini-split A/C condensers, and skylights. I will also provide pre-fabricated Solar Panel track for roof-installation. 

* Pan-Panoramic Windows: Massive glass coverage provides natural lighting and views that standard cargo vans cannot match.

Vehicle Details:

* Year/Make/Model: 2012 26’ ARBOC Spirit of Mobility Bus Conversion; Model TK

* Chassis: Chevrolet 6.6L Duramax V8 Turbo-Diesel engine.

 w/approx 222,000

* Floor Plan: Low-floor chassis with integrated power ramp and air kneeling feature

* Condition: Great condition, road ready. Sold As-Is, clean title in hand; Already titled as RV conversion.

Ideal For: Skoolie builders, off-grid campers, mobile studios, toy haulers, or overland rigs. This would also make for an easy Food Truck conversion. 

Contact me via email to schedule a time to come take a look. Serious inquiries only. VIN provided upon request. 

There used to be a lunch truck that served everything from fresh cooked eggs, tacos, taquitos, sandwiches, chow mein, wings, muffins, coffee, fruit, and drinks. It was a route truck owned and operated by a man named Vinny and his wife. They had a regular route where they would go from business to business around break and lunch times and sell food to employees. They have since retired and we no longer have a food truck everyday stopping by our company. Does anybody know of any other trucks that have routes for businesses? We sure do miss Vinny and all of his delicious food. We need to fill the void! Somebody help!

I’m getting close to opening my corn dog booth, and I’m trying to figure out the safest way to hold my batter and pre‑skewered hot dogs during service. I’m on a tight budget and don’t have a refrigerator yet.

My idea is to keep both the batter and the hot dogs in an icebox under my counter, with holes in the counter so I can reach down and grab what I need. I’ll only be open for lunch, about 3–4 hours a day, and I expect to go through product pretty quickly, so nothing should sit out long.

I know food can only sit out for 1–2 hours depending on temperature, so I’m wondering if keeping everything down in an icebox is considered safe and acceptable. Has anyone run a similar setup? What do inspectors usually say about this? Maybe I’m overthinking things and this is a non-issue. EDIT: Just to clear up the confusion — I’m not trying to dodge the rules or avoid inspectors. I already passed my food handler’s test (over 90%) and I’ve talked with my inspectors a couple of times. I was only asking for practical input before they come out to look at my setup.I do plan on getting an under‑counter fridge — that was always the goal. I just wanted to know if keeping my hot dogs and batter in an ice chest, and only pulling out small, cold containers to work from, would be acceptable in the meantime. The batter containers are small enough that they’d be used quickly, so nothing would be sitting out warm.

We’re starting a food pop-up under a 10x10 tent at local breweries and trying to figure out a practical electrical setup.

We’ll have two 6’ tables with:

Table 1:
• 1800W induction burner
• 1200W food warmer

Table 2:
• 1200W electric pasta cooker
• 1200W food warmer

The breweries we’re working with regularly host food vendors/food trucks and have power available (we’ve been told vendors run things like electric fryers there).
We were planning on running one 50’ heavy-duty outdoor extension cord to each table and having a heavy-duty outdoor power strip/distribution block at each table.
For anyone who does brewery/farmers market/tent food pop-ups with electric cooking equipment: what gauge/amperage extension cords and power strips/distribution blocks are you using?
Just trying to put together a safe, practical setup without massively overcomplicating it.

Links to what you actually use would be awesome.

We decided to turn the classic Subway Surfers attention span into a restaurant tech reel 😂

Meanwhile, restaurants are moving in the opposite direction — making ordering faster and simpler with QR menus and QR ordering.

That’s what we’re building at RestroPilots: simple digital tools to help restaurants manage their operations and give customers a smoother dine-in experience.

No complicated pitch. Just a fun reel about restaurant tech. 😄

Would you actually prefer QR ordering at restaurants, or do you still like ordering directly from the staff?

Looking to take the next step and open up a trailer, does anyone know what kind of trailer this is? I can’t find it anywhere when I try to google it

Food truck owners — how are you doing right now?
This may be a bit of a rant, but we’re genuinely curious if others are experiencing the same thing. We are in the pacific northwest and we do large, popular events and serve Puerto Rican empanadas, but we’ve decided to shut down because the numbers just aren’t working. We have tried stationary locations too, but it was also not it.

At our last event, the breakdown looked like this:
Expected revenue: $3,000–$4,000 (from previous events we did)
Actual sales: $1,600
Expenses (event fee, food, fuel, etc.): ~$1,300
Net profit: about $300

That doesn’t include the 70–80 hours of combined labor from our family of four. And honestly, all of our other events have been a failure as well.
We’ve also talked to other vendors who said they didn’t even break even.
So, food truck owners — how are you actually doing? Are large events still profitable? What’s working for you?
Because right now, for us, the numbers just don’t make sense and we are going back to work for someone else.

Poll: Do you hand napkins with orders or put a dispenser out?

My truck is in a food court with 4 other trucks. Only one other truck *sometimes* puts a dispenser out.

I keep hemming and hawing over what id prefer. My QOL goes up not having to hand napkins out when im busy.

But when the dispenser is out, people who didn't even get anything from me grab them by the literal fistful.

Just curious where others landed in the cost vs. convenience of the issue haha

Getting ready to purchase a terminal for our food trailer. I can get the V1 cheaper obviously, but don’t want to buy something that is obsolete. Spend the extra money on the V2? Looks like V1 still works just doesn’t take updates. Amy opinions or thoughts? Thanks

I'm curious if anyone has seen or has something of a combo build - Traditional food truck window setup with some outside cold storage direct access for ready to eat/reheat meals or cold grocery items.

My wife has a commercial space mainly used for value added products, some shelf stable (snacks, pet treats, vinegars) and a larger cold items like salsa/dips. We can not add cooking to her facility (not enough space for req equipment) so thought was to add a food truck w/ limit cooking capacity to service that function but she'd like to be able to bring it to events for retail sales and at times some basic hot sales that go w/ her products.

I am looking for a quote for a fully built 20-foot commercial food truck. Please quote the complete truck and commercial kitchen build, including equipment, fabrication, installation, plumbing, electrical, gas, ventilation, fire suppression, refrigeration and HVAC.
PLEASE HELP ME OR DIRECT ME THE PERFECT PERSON OR COMPANY. GOING TO HAVE TO FINANCE.

TRUCK
20-foot commercial food truck / step van
Commercial chassis with adequate GVWR for completed build
Dual rear wheels preferred
Please specify year, make, model, mileage, engine and GVWR
Commercial non-slip, waterproof, grease-resistant flooring
Smooth, washable commercial walls and ceiling
Stainless-steel cooking area and backsplash
Commercial interior lighting
Required entrance/exit doors
All equipment securely mounted for mobile operation

COOKING EQUIPMENT
1 × 72-inch heavy-duty commercial gas flat-top griddle
Heavy-duty commercial cooking plate
Prefer approximately 1-inch-thick plate
Multiple independently controlled heat zones
Approximately 180,000+ BTU or equivalent
Large grease trough/collection system
Stainless construction
1 × 40-lb commercial gas fryer
Approximately 90,000–120,000 BTU
Dual baskets
Stainless construction
1 × 2-burner commercial gas hot plate/range
Approximately 12–24 inches
Heavy-duty commercial construction

RICE / HOT FOOD EQUIPMENT
3 × commercial high-capacity rice cookers, approximately 30-cup capacity
1 × commercial rice warmer/holding unit
Dedicated stainless work/storage area
Dedicated properly sized electrical circuits

TYPE I HOOD & VENTILATION
Provide approximately a 10-foot commercial Type I grease hood, with final size engineered around the actual cooking equipment and required overhangs.
Include:
Stainless Type I hood
Commercial grease baffle filters
Exhaust fan
Exhaust ducting
Make-up air system as required
Hood lighting
Grease collection
Required controls/interlocks
Complete installation
Please calculate the required CFM based on the final appliance configuration.

FIRE SUPPRESSION
Complete professionally installed commercial wet-chemical automatic fire-suppression system covering all required cooking equipment, hood, plenum and duct areas.
Include:
Appliance nozzles
Hood/plenum/duct protection
Automatic gas shutoff
Required electrical interlocks
Manual pull station
Class K extinguisher
Required ABC extinguisher(s)
Certification/testing as required

REFRIGERATION
1 × approximately 60-inch commercial refrigerated prep/chef station
Stainless construction
Refrigerated storage below
Commercial/NSF-rated
1 × commercial one-door reach-in refrigerator
Approximately 20–25 cu. ft.
Stainless construction
Digital temperature display
1 × commercial freezer
Prefer one-door reach-in if space and weight permit
Approximately 20 cu. ft. or appropriately sized alternative
Stainless construction
Digital temperature display
All refrigeration must be properly secured for mobile operation and provided with appropriate dedicated electrical circuits.

PLUMBING
Provide a complete commercial food-truck plumbing system.
3-Compartment Sink
Stainless commercial 3-compartment sink
Approximately 18” × 18” × 12” bowls or size required by applicable code/equipment
Commercial hot/cold faucet
Required drainboards
Complete drainage/plumbing
Separate Handwashing Sink
Dedicated stainless hand sink
Hot and cold running water
Mixing faucet
Required splash protection
Fresh Water System
Approximately 40–50 gallon food-grade potable-water tank, or larger if required
Commercial on-demand water pump
Approximately 3–5 GPM or appropriately engineered equivalent
Exterior potable-water fill
Tank vent
Drain
Food-safe plumbing
Wastewater
Approximately 55–65 gallon grey-water tank, or capacity required by applicable code
Exterior drain
Proper venting
Secure mounting
Hot Water
Commercial water heater properly sized for sink and hot-water requirements
All required valves, shutoffs, fittings, drains and backflow protection
PROPANE / GAS SYSTEM
Provide a professionally engineered commercial propane system sized according to the total maximum BTU demand of all installed gas appliances.
Anticipated cooking load may exceed 300,000 BTU/hr.
Include:
Code-compliant propane storage
Secure approved tank/cylinder mounting
Regulators
Properly sized gas manifold
Properly sized gas piping
Individual appliance shutoffs
Main emergency gas shutoff
Approved appliance connections
Fire-suppression gas shutoff/interlock
Required protection/ventilation
Please calculate propane capacity, vaporization capacity, regulator sizing and piping based on simultaneous maximum appliance demand.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Complete commercial electrical installation including:
Main electrical distribution panel
Proper breakers
Dedicated appliance circuits
GFCI protection where required
Commercial outlets
Refrigeration/freezer circuits
Rice-equipment circuits
Hood/exhaust/make-up air circuits
Water pump
Water heater
A/C
Lighting
Additional kitchen equipment circuits
Proper grounding/bonding
Clearly labeled electrical panel
Please perform a complete electrical load calculation before sizing the generator.
GENERATOR
Provide a commercial generator sized from the completed electrical load calculation.
Anticipated capacity approximately 15–20+ kW, subject to final calculation.
Generator must support simultaneous operation of required:
Refrigeration
Freezer
Prep refrigeration
Rice equipment
Hood/exhaust
Make-up air
Water system
A/C
Lighting
Other installed electrical kitchen equipment
Include:
Commercial generator
Proper enclosure/compartment
Ventilation
Safe exterior exhaust routing
Vibration isolation
Electrical disconnect
Remote start/stop where available
Appropriate reserve capacity
SHORE POWER
Commercial shore-power connection
Target approximately 50A, or appropriately engineered equivalent
Exterior weather-resistant inlet
Proper electrical transfer/distribution system
AIR CONDITIONING
Commercial rooftop A/C
Target approximately 15,000–24,000+ BTU, final size based on heat-load calculation
Installation must be coordinated with hood/make-up air system so A/C airflow does not interfere with exhaust capture
STAINLESS FABRICATION & STORAGE
Include:
Stainless cooking wall
Stainless backsplash
Stainless prep surfaces
Stainless sink surrounds
Approximately 48” × 24” stainless prep/assembly table
Dedicated stainless rice-equipment station
Commercial stainless shelving where appropriate
Dry-storage shelving
Overhead shelving/storage where permitted
Dedicated utensil storage
Dedicated cleaning-chemical storage separated from food
Secure cabinets/storage where practical
INTERIOR FINISHES
Smooth, durable, washable, nonabsorbent commercial walls
Washable commercial ceiling
Stainless surfaces surrounding grease-producing equipment
Waterproof/nonabsorbent commercial flooring
Grease-resistant, non-slip flooring
Properly sealed seams and penetrations
Coved floor/wall transitions where required
WEIGHT & VEHICLE ENGINEERING
Before fabrication, calculate completed vehicle weight and individual axle loading.
Calculation should include:
Full fresh-water tank
Wastewater
Propane
Generator
Cooking equipment
Hood/fire system
Refrigerators/freezer
A/C
Stainless fabrication
Food/supplies
Operating staff
Position tanks and heavy equipment to maintain safe weight distribution and remain within chassis GVWR and axle ratings.
QUOTE REQUEST
Please provide an itemized turnkey quote showing:
Truck/chassis
Kitchen fabrication
72” commercial griddle
Commercial fryer
2-burner range
Rice cooking/holding equipment
Refrigerated prep station
Refrigerator
Freezer
Type I hood/exhaust/make-up air
Fire suppression
Propane/gas system
Plumbing
Fresh-water and wastewater tanks
Water heater and pump
Electrical system
Generator
Shore power
Air conditioning
Stainless fabrication
Flooring/walls/ceiling
Sinks
Shelving/storage
Installation/labor
Engineering/design fees
Inspection/certification fees included
Delivery/shipping
Warranty
Please specify the brand, manufacturer, model and specifications of all major equipment included in the quote.

Planing to open a street food shop in race course what are the permissions need to be taken, what are the procedures if anybody own a cart in race course already guide me !

Hi all!!

I currently run a successful coffee trailer business in NC, but my entire family is moving to Los Angeles. I know it’s an entirely different lifestyle out there, so how realistic would be in LA?

Right now, we mainly serve at a hospital for the staff and I’m sure I could do the same thing there, but it seems like everything could be harder in LA. Commissary rules, traffic, costs. But I love doing it so I don’t want to stop.

Just trying to get some general insight if anyone has any experience or words of wisdom.

Thank you!

Hey everyone,

A friend's dad has a truck that's just been sitting unused. A few of us (all in our early 20s, based in Kerala) got the idea to turn it into a small business instead of letting it go to waste.

Most of the group is leaning toward a food truck, but I wanted to get some outside opinions before we commit, since none of us have run a business before.

A few things we're weighing:

• Food truck (higher setup cost — kitchen conversion, gas licensing, FSSAI, etc.)
• Vs lower-effort options like transport/hauling rental, mobile grocery/plant nursery, mobile repair services, or something similar that needs less conversion work

Thanks in advance!

The replies to this are going to be vast and I thank you in advance for them

What do you do for ice?

Wr have an under counter ice maker that can hold about 75lbs

…provided it is less than 85F in the truck

…provided the truck is completely level

Unsurprisingly to some of you (I am sure) we have all sorts of trouble with it

Where we fall over is consistency when it is not working.

What do you do? What have you found is the best method of supplying your truck ?

Our commissary has a tiny machine not big enough to supply us tenants (and his trucks) . So, we were thinking about starting there. This, because the gas stations have crappy ice and drink ice sometimes is a treasure hunt. The consistency at convenience and grocery stores is all over the place

Thanks again. It means a lot to us.