The money
Startup costs are lower than restaurants but still include equipment, licences and pitch fees. Pitch fees may be fixed or a share of sales. Food cost often runs around 25-35% depending on menu. Revenue can be volatile based on events and weather. Successful traders often use street food as a test before opening permanent sites.
Numbers that matter
- Sales per service
- revenue per trading day
- Pitch fee %
- cost of trading location
- Food cost %
- ingredients as share of sales
- Average transaction value
- spend per customer
- Waste %
- unsold food
What keeps owners up
- Weather dependence
- Pitch availability and fees
- Licensing and food safety compliance
- Physical demands of setup
- Competition at popular markets
What we talk about
- From stall to restaurant
- Street food as cultural exchange
- Market organisers and their role
- Running a truck through winter
- Food halls and the new street food economy