Guide · 6 min read
Sales, food cost, commissary, fuel, sales tax — the money system for mobile food operators.
Cash + card sales, multi-city sales tax, weekly food orders, fuel for the truck AND the generator, commissary rent, event fees. Without good books, "we had a great Saturday" can hide an actual loss.
Square, Toast, or Clover for sales. Daily deposits to one business checking. Cash counted and deposited daily — no shortcuts.
Count inventory every week. (Starting + Purchases − Ending) ÷ Sales = food cost %. Adjust menu prices when it creeps above 35%.
If you operate in 3 cities, you may owe 3 different sales tax filings. Tag every sale to the city — month-end remittance becomes painless.
Move 20–25% of net to a tax account. Pay quarterly. Consider an S-Corp election once net income tops ~$80k.
SnapBooks tracks every sale, food order, and event fee — and tells you whether each gig actually paid.
Start freeAlmost always yes — prepared food is taxable in nearly every state and many cities add a local meals tax. Register with each jurisdiction you operate in.
Weekly: count remaining inventory, add purchases, subtract from starting count. That's Cost of Goods Sold. Healthy food trucks run 28–35% food cost of revenue.
Yes. Section 179 lets you expense up to ~$1.2M of qualifying equipment in year one — most food trucks qualify. Or depreciate over 5 years. Loan interest is also deductible.
100% deductible — same for prep space, walk-in storage, and parking permits at event sites.
Cash tips you keep are your income. Tips pooled and paid to staff are their wages (and your payroll expense). Track separately to avoid double-counting.