Mobile Food Services
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 10,100 mobile food service operators in the US use food trucks and carts to sell prepared meals, snacks and beverages for immediate consumption to walk-up customers. Mobile food services also contract with individuals and businesses to cater food at events, such as parties, corporate gatherings, and festivals.
Economic Sensitivity
Food trucks that catered to construction sites and industrial parks were hit hard during the Great Recession when construction and manufacturing declined and workers were laid off.
Permit Restrictions
Food trucks are typically permitted and inspected by the city in which they operate, with regulations varying significantly from city to city.
Industry size & Structure
A typical mobile food service firm operates out of a single location, employs 2-3 workers, and generates over $350,000 annually.
- The mobile food service industry comprises about 10,100 companies, which employ about 27,000 workers and generate about $3.5 billion annually.
- The industry is highly fragmented with the 50 largest firms accounting for less than 15% of industry revenue.
- Most companies are small, independent operators - about 83% employ less than 5 workers.
- Immigrants own 30% of America’s food truck businesses, which frequently represent the first step toward launching a restaurant, according to the Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative.
- Cities with large numbers of food trucks include Los Angeles, Washington DC, San Francisco, Houston, and Miami.
- Customer industries include individual consumers, event organizers, and businesses seeking mobile catering.
Industry Forecast
Mobile Food Services Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Mar 14, 2025 - Fearing Deportation Vendors Park Food Trucks/Carts
- According to the Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative, immigrants own about 30% of the food truck businesses in the US, making the industry highly vulnerable to the Trump administration’s deportation sweeps. Many owners and workers who lack legal status say they're afraid to go to work for fear of being deported, boosting absenteeism. In cities targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), food carts remain parked as owners and workers sacrifice their incomes rather than risk potential run-ins with ICE that could lead to deportation proceedings. More broadly, the restaurant industry is among the largest employers of immigrants, according to the labor activist nonprofit One Fair Wage. In cities like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, up to 70% of restaurant workers are foreign born, and an estimated 40% aren’t legally authorized to work.
- The soaring cost of coffee beans threatens to crimp the margins of coffee-centric mobile food vendors. Coffee futures prices have more than doubled over the past year and are up nearly 25% year to date. Arabica, the most popular bean, soared 70% in 2024 and nearly 20% this year to an all-time high above $4.41 per pound in February. Robusta – the second-most popular bean – surged 72% last year and peaked at $5,847 per metric ton on February 12. Climate change, dwindling stockpiles, and President Trump’s threat to impose a 25% tariff on all goods from Colombia, including coffee, are driving up coffee prices. Although the tariff threat to Columbia was ultimately removed, Trump’s threats of sweeping tariffs and the escalating trade war have upset commodity markets, including the coffee market. Coffee prices are expected to remain volatile this year due to supply-related factors.
- Food carts in New York City are feeling the pain of “egg-flation,” The New York Post reports. Maria Chuqui, a cook at the Mexican Food and Breakfast cart in upper Manhattan, said that a box of roughly 240 eggs that cost $90 two months ago now costs $217. "I have never paid so much for eggs," Chuqui told the Post, adding "People don't want to pay more for eggs, but I will have to raise prices soon. I sell an egg and cheese for $4 and an egg, bacon and cheese for $5. I will have to raise prices by $1." Inflation, labor shortages, and bird flu are to blame. The average price of a dozen grade-A eggs hit $4.95 nationally in January, exceeding the previous record of $4.82 reached in January 2023, and nearly twice what a dozen eggs cost a year earlier, according to BLS data.
- According to a poll of more than 1,000 food truck operators conducted by Mobile Cuisine, the busiest day of the week for food trucks is Saturday, followed by Friday and Sunday. Nearly half (49.6%) of those polled said Saturday is their busiest day by far and the poll makes clear weekends in general are prime time for food trucks. As such, MC recommends that owners prioritize staffing, stock, and location planning to capitalize on the increased foot traffic and demand during these three days. And like many restaurants, which are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, MC suggests operators consider using slow periods for restocking, maintenance, and administrative tasks. Alternatively, low-traffic days could be used to explore catering, private events, or partnering with local businesses for weekday lunch services, MC says.
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