Key points at a glance
- Public events such as festivals and markets bring passing trade with a revenue risk, private events such as corporate parties and weddings bring predictable flat fees.
- Always compare pitch fee, revenue share and flat fee with a realistic sales estimate and your break-even per event.
- Before every booking, agree power, water, waste water, pitch space and set-up times with the organiser in writing.
- Permits differ between Austria, Germany and the federal states: check trade licence, hygiene and alcohol sales with the authority, WKO or IHK in advance.
- An events page with an enquiry form, photos, menu suggestions and references on your own website brings bookings without agency commission.
This post is general information and does not replace legal or tax advice. Rules change and some differ between federal states: check the details with your chamber of commerce (WKO) or IHK, the competent authority or your tax adviser.
Which events suit your food truck
Not every event is good business. A festival with ten thousand visitors sounds tempting, but if twenty other stands sell similar food there and the fee is high, little is left over. A company summer party with 150 guests and a fixed flat fee is often the calmer and safer day. So first distinguish between public events, where you sell to guests, and private events, where a client books and pays you.
| Event | Who pays? | Typical terms | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Festival, concert, sports event | The guests | Pitch fee, revenue share or both | Visitor numbers, competition on site, weather, long opening hours |
| Street food market, weekly market | The guests | Pitch fee per day or season | Regularity, audience, market rules, regulars |
| Town festival, club fête | The guests | Pitch fee, sometimes a levy to the club | Drinks often sold by the organiser, price rules |
| Corporate party, staff event | The company | Flat fee per person or minimum spend | Guest numbers, time slot, invoice with a description of services |
| Wedding, birthday | The couple or the hosts | Flat fee per person, deposit | Schedule, allergies, access to the venue, late hours |
For public events, ask about the expected number of visitors, the number and type of other food stands and how last year went. Reputable organisers make sure of a good mix so that five trucks do not all sell the same thing. How to find a fixed everyday location is covered in the guide to the location for snack bars and street food.
Pitch fee, revenue share or flat fee
At public events, organisers usually charge a fixed pitch fee, a revenue share or a combination of both, for example a smaller base fee plus a percentage of sales. Some also charge for power, water, waste or their own payment system with chips or tokens. At private events you turn the tables: you charge a flat fee per person or a guaranteed minimum spend, which the client tops up if guests eat less.
| Model | Advantage for you | Risk for you |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed pitch fee | Predictable costs, more left over when sales are high | You pay in full even with rain or few guests |
| Revenue share | Risk is shared, bad days cost less | Expensive on good days, often settled through the organiser's till |
| Base fee plus share | A middle way between the two models | Two cost blocks, check the numbers carefully |
| Flat fee per person | Sales are fixed in advance, purchasing is easy to plan | Guest numbers must be binding, or you produce too much |
| Minimum spend | Guests pay themselves, the client guarantees the floor | Clear rules needed on who pays the difference and when |
Costing per event
An event pays off when the expected contribution margin covers all the costs of the day and leaves something over. Work through every offer on its own before you say yes. The basics of food cost and contribution margin are explained in the guide Costing your dishes properly; calculate selling prices including VAT with the price calculator.
Collect the day's fixed costs
Pitch fee, staff including set-up and dismantling, travel, fuel, gas, generator or power fee, waste, consumables such as packaging and napkins.
Work out the contribution per portion
Net selling price minus food cost and packaging. With a revenue share, also deduct the percentage from the net price.
Calculate the break-even
Fixed costs divided by contribution per portion gives the number of portions from which you make money. With the free tool you can calculate the break-even for every event.
Compare with your capacity
How many portions can you really serve per hour? A truck that hands out 60 portions an hour will not reach 500 in five hours.
Play through scenarios
Calculate a bad, a normal and a good day. If even the normal day is tight, negotiate or decline.
A freely chosen example: fixed costs of 900 euros and a contribution of 6 euros per portion give a break-even of 150 portions. Add a revenue share of 10 percent on a net price of 10 euros, and the contribution drops to 5 euros while the break-even rises to 180 portions. Plug in your own numbers, the logic stays the same.
For events, a smaller menu than usual pays off: three to five dishes that can be served quickly, plus a vegetarian or vegan option. This lowers food cost and leftovers and speeds up service at the hatch. Plan purchasing on past experience and note after each event how much of what you sold.
Equipment: power, water and technology
The most common problems at events are technical: not enough power for fryer, griddle and refrigeration at the same time, no water connection, a pitch without solid access or a payment system that fails without signal. Ask the organiser about connections early and state your needs in writing: output in kilowatts, plug type and fuse rating. Whether your own generator is allowed is up to the organiser, often because of noise and exhaust fumes.
Clarify before every event
- Power connection: output, plug type, fuse rating, cable length to the pitch
- Fresh water: connection on site or your own tank with enough drinking water
- Waste water and grease: where to, in which containers, who disposes of it
- Pitch: dimensions, ground, access, turning space, height of passages
- Set-up and dismantling times, deliveries during the event, parking for the towing vehicle
- Gas: cylinders stored safely, the organiser's fire safety rules, extinguisher within reach
- Till and card payments: does the terminal work offline or with weak signal?
- Waste and reusables: deposit system or the organiser's rules on tableware
At large festivals in particular, the mobile network is often overloaded. Check whether your card terminal can store payments offline, or use the organiser's system. For longer events with overnight stays on site, you also need enough refrigeration and a plan for restocking. How to keep food safely cold and hot on the road is covered in the guide to logistics and hygiene on the move.
Permits: what to clarify in advance
Which permits you need for an event depends on the country, often on the federal state and on your concept. We deliberately keep this general; the details are in the guides to snack bars and food trucks in Austria and in Germany.
- Austria: hospitality businesses may temporarily serve food and drinks outside their premises on special occasions such as fêtes, markets or sports events (§ 50 GewO, the Austrian Trade Act). Regular sales spots must be registered as additional business premises. The WKO (Austrian Chamber of Commerce) in your state helps with the classification.
- Germany: without a fixed establishment, food trucks often need a Reisegewerbekarte, an itinerant trade card (§ 55 GewO). Selling alcohol at an event may require a temporary permit (Gestattung), for example under § 12 of the Gaststättengesetz or the relevant state law. The trade or public order office is responsible, the IHK (chamber of commerce) advises.
- Hygiene: for mobile and temporary premises such as market stalls and sales vehicles, the hygiene requirements of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 apply across the EU, among other things on hand washing facilities, drinking water and temperature control.
- Organiser: many organisers also ask for proof such as a trade licence, liability insurance, gas inspection or hygiene training, and have their own rules on prices, tableware and noise.
Corporate parties and weddings: predictable bookings
For many food trucks, private events are the most stable part of the business. Revenue is fixed in advance, you buy exactly what you need, and the weather is at least not your financial problem. In return, clients expect a clear offer, reliability and flexibility with special requests. A food truck is popular at weddings and corporate parties because it feels relaxed and is part of the entertainment at the same time.
Ask about requirements
Date, location, number of guests, time slot, type of event, menu wishes, allergies and intolerances, access and connections at the venue.
Write the offer
Menu suggestion, price per person or flat fee, minimum number of guests, travel, surcharges for late hours and staff, validity of the offer.
Contract and deposit
Binding guest numbers with a deadline, deposit on booking, cancellation terms and what happens in case of storms or breakdowns.
Agree the schedule
Arrival time, service hours, contact person on site, space for the truck and coordination with the venue and other suppliers.
Follow up
Say thank you after the event, ask for a review and photos and ask whether you may name the event as a reference.
How to build offers with quantity planning, staff and equipment is shown in the guide Writing and costing catering offers. For corporate clients, a fixed menu suggestion with three packages they can choose from quickly is worthwhile. Once the guest count is fixed, the recipe scaler scales your recipes up to the number of portions you need.
Winning booking enquiries online
Couples, company assistants and event agencies search online for “hire a food truck”, “food truck wedding” or “street food catering corporate event” plus a town. If they find a clear page with your offer, photos and an enquiry form, they are more likely to write to you than to a booking platform that charges commission. Instagram is good for atmosphere, but an enquiry needs facts: roughly what it costs, for how many guests, in what area, on which dates.
How to get it right
- A dedicated “hire our food truck” page with event types, menu packages and service area
- Enquiry form with date, location, number of guests and type of event
- Real photos of the truck in action, of the food and of weddings or company parties
- References and reviews from clients, with their consent
- Technical details for venues: dimensions, power needs, water
Better not
- Just an Instagram page with no way to send an enquiry
- Replying to enquiries only after a week
- Vague prices that only come up in the third email
- Confirming dates without checking connections and access
Also show on your website where you stand day to day and which public events you will attend soon. That brings guests to you and shows clients that you are in demand. How to win companies, couples and venues as clients is covered in more depth in the guide Winning catering clients.
Your food truck website with an enquiry form
See in a free preview how your website could look with an events page, menu packages, location schedule and enquiry form.
A free preview of your venue website, designed by us.
