At the end of last year, there were over 5.6 thousand in Poland. foodtrucks. Only during 2024 their number increased by 600 such vehicles – according to Dun & Bradstreet Poland data. This shows that their popularity is growing all the time. We checked if it is a good business idea, and how much you can earn by selling food from the car.
Centers of large cities and outdoor events are places where Foodtrucki can be found most often. Although they used to be associated with cheap fast food dishes, now their offer is very diverse. There you can buy both Asian cuisine, Italian pizza, American burgers, vegan dishes, as well as craft ice cream and other sophisticated desserts. In addition, they are more and more often food prepared from the highest quality ingredients. Customers can count on extremely original dishes and a non -standard approach to their preparation.
All this also makes the golden trucks golden are very popular, which lovers of this form of serving dishes often come with whole families.
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You don't have to have a lot of money to start
According to Jaroslaw Bieńkowski, the owner of 15 Foodtruck and the schoolfoodtruckowanie.pl website, low entries are an undoubted plus of this business.
– 40,000 are enough to start operating. PLN, but there are also those who invest up to 350 thousand. PLN – says Bankier.pl Jarosław Bieńkowski. – Certainly the advantage is also low maintenance costs, because the owner is not associated with any rent, as well as mobility that allows you to change space at any time. Unfortunately, the biggest downside is the weather. Even if Foodtruck comes to a great party, the falling rain can spoil everything.
According to Jaroslaw Bieńkowski, the earnings of the Foodtruck owner may amount to from 5,000. PLN up to 30 thousand PLN – while servicing four good outdoor events.
– However, you also have to take into account losses. In April I had 20,000 losses, and the weather was guilty of everything – adds the expert.
For those who don't like a job
As Andrzej Ziemkiewicz says, who owns three ice rodies, in which he has been selling craft ice cream for his own production since 2019, this is a very interesting job, especially for a person who does not like full -time work.
– A big advantage is that you can be somewhere else every day, you meet new people. Something interesting is always happening – says Bankier.pl Andrzej Ziemkiewicz. – There are also more and more people who appreciate our work. We produce our ice cream ourselves, and this is important to them. However, there are also disadvantages of such a job. It is primarily zero free time and a large number of kilometers traveled.
It is possible to live from it all year round
According to the owner of the ice rinks, they are most often an attraction at mass events, festivals or juveniles.
– Although this seasonal business is definitely profitable – says Andrzej Ziemkiewicz. – We usually operate from the beginning of April to the end of September. Later I go to work abroad. However, even when I do not leave, as this year, the money earned allows you to stay throughout the year.
It pays off more than a restaurant
The profitability of this business is also confirmed by Bartosz Jagielski, co -owner of Foodtruck “U Grzybka” stationed in Charzyno near Kołobrzeg.
– It pays much more than the restaurant we had previously conducted with my wife – says Bankier.pl Bartosz Jagielski. – Now we pay about 1 thousand for the place where our foodtruck stands. PLN, and in the case of a restaurant, the lease itself was 30,000. zloty. Added to this were the costs of media as well as the salaries and contributions of ZUS employees. Now our work gives us real pleasure. Of course, you have to live this business and devote a lot of time to it, but customer satisfaction gives great satisfaction. They give their opinions not only to us, but also in social media. That is why we care about the quality of the ingredients of our pizza and burgers and the repeatability of their taste, which is extremely important. Fortunately, more and more people like to eat something really good and valuable instead of junk food.
The competition sometimes works brutally
However, there are also those who abandoned such activities.
– I closed my foodtruck because because of new order and inflation. The costs of conducting business increased so much that the dishes I served would have to increase by 2.5 times so that I could earn as much as before the introduction of those regulations – says Bankier.pl Bartosz Możdżonek. – In addition, the quality of semi -finished products dropped significantly, and their prices have risen. The price of the oil itself has grown by about 50 percent. The bread also went up very much. When I finished my business three years ago, the hamburger cost PLN 20, and today over PLN 40. The competition did not let you forget about it. Foodtrucki has been set on fire or destroyed many times. Unfortunately, this is not pleasant.
Cities are opening to Foodtrucki
According to Beata Kleszcz from the Economic Development Office of the Municipal Office of Wrocław, there are more and more people willing to conduct such activities.
– There is a lot of traffic in this interest. Over the past five years, a clear increase in the number of mobile gastronomic points, both foodtrucks and bicycle carts selling, including Coffee and snacks – says Bankier.pl Beata Kleszcz. – The city opened a lot to such activities. Of course, people running such points care about the best location in pedestrian routes or in parks, where residents are more and more willing to spend time.
According to Beata Kleszcz, the owners of small mobile gastronomy, i.e. bicycle or pushed prams who want to take advantage of the areas belonging to the commune, take part in the draw of places where they can sell. On the other hand, entrepreneurs driving mobile gastronomy in larger vehicles, most often agree the locations with the property manager, among others manager of the road lane or city greenery manager, and in the case of private real estate with their owner.
They should come and leave
As the representative of the Wroclaw Brg explains, Food Trucks should, by definition, come to the established place every day, and at the end of the day leave. Some owners of these businesses would prefer to station much longer in a given place, putting a trailer instead of food truck.
– In addition, they want the possibility of using connections for electricity and water – says Beata Kleszcz. – In Wrocław we have such a place at the market at ul. Bear, where it is possible. However, elsewhere it is not so simple. The more that, according to the law, the trailer standing in one location over 6 months requires complementing the formalities resulting from the provisions of the construction law. That is why we focus on these mobile gastronomic points that do not place permanently.
Necessary to meet the high requirements
To run a foodtruck, it is also necessary to receive appropriate permits, as well as a license to conduct business in public places.
According to Katarzyna Chmielewska, which helps companies meet the sanitary requirements, it is needed to obtain a decision and entry in the Foodtrucka Foodtruck registry subject to official food control of the State Sanitary Inspection.
– Sanepid arranges the owner for control, i.e. the reception of the mobile point – says Bankier.pl Katarzyna Chmielewska. – To obtain a positive opinion, GHP/GMP and HAACP documents are necessary as well as information about allergens of products sold. The point must be partially hardened and meet the remaining hygiene requirements.
According to the expert, often entrepreneurs do not have adequate knowledge of the requirements necessary to meet.
– For example, they are not always aware that not all products can be prepared at this point, among others due to the limited amount of space or sinks. You can't work with raw meat or fish. They must be semi -finished products, i.e. ingredients already partially processed – adds Katarzyna Chmielewska.
The penalty for non -compliance with sanitary regulations may be up to 2,000. zloty.
Parking in social media
In addition to obtaining the right permits and the best location, it is also necessary to properly promote such a business, especially in social media. It turns out that it can help build a loyal customer base. According to Mateusz Nawrocki, creative director and co -owner of the marketing agency Jasne, Foodtrucki are a great example of a generational change and how the whole world evolves, and this determines how they have to fight for customers.
– They used to be a symbol of meeting outside the world offline. Today, however, Foodtrucki needs to park in social media and there in fact invites, call to stop at their trailer – says Bankier.pl Mateusz Nawrocki. -They are increasingly investing in the production of creative video rollers, ICT-TOKs, publish posts on an ongoing basis. In the end, zetka and to a large extent millennials, not to mention the generation of Alfa, make choices mainly via the phone. The latter de facto lead all their lives there.
Foodtruck's life is also going on online
According to Mateusz Nawrocki, today even being at the selected event with Foodtruck, before the young approached a given trailer, they will check her social media earlier.
– That's why, despite the best booth and great food, it is often more important to whether a given foodtruck visited the famous prince on YouTube. It is also not surprising when we meet on Mariusza Pudzianowski Street recorded to the Kebab spot. We have such times and this trend is not going to slow down yet. The life of even foodtrucks moves to the online world – adds the marketer.
Business for the patient
So it seems that running Foodtruck is a good idea for entrepreneurial people who like people who have a passion for cooking and enthusiasm to promote their own business. It is worth considering, however, that there may be even high competition or weather on the road to high earnings, which, despite the best intentions and many efforts, can make instead of profits there will be considerable losses.
