The no-BS guide to launching your food truck in Austin. Real costs, actual permits, best locations, and insider tips from vendors who've been there.
No sugarcoating. These are real numbers from real Austin food trucks in 2025.
Grills, fryers, refrigeration, etc.
Food, packaging, utensils for first month
Mobile Food Vendor, Health, Fire Safety - see breakdown below
Liability + vehicle insurance
Logo, truck wrap, signage, website, social media setup
Rent, gas, food costs, wages while building customer base
Reality Check: Most Austin food trucks start with $50k-$100k. You CAN do it cheaper (we've seen $30k starts), but you'll be hustling HARD and fixing stuff constantly.
Yeah, it's annoying. But here's exactly what you need and where to get it.
City of Austin Health Department
Austin Fire Department
Pro tip: Start this process BEFORE you buy your truck. Use that time to finalize your menu, build your brand, and line up your first spots.
Location is 80% of your success. Here's where the money is.
121 Pickle Rd, South Austin
1720 Barton Springs Rd, Central Austin
1505 Town Creek Dr, East Austin
3901 Promontory Point Dr, South Austin
You can park on any private property in Austin with the owner's permission. This is often CHEAPER than food truck parks and you can negotiate better terms. Think office complexes, breweries, retail parking lots, apartment complexes.
Pro Move: Start with 2-3 different locations on different days. Test what works. Double down on winners. A successful truck often has 3-5 regular spots per week.
Private events and catering gigs can bring in $1,500-5,000 in a single day. Way better margins than daily service.
Month 1-2: Start at an established food truck park. Learn the ropes, build your menu, get your systems down. It's more expensive but you'll have instant foot traffic.
Month 3-4: Add 1-2 private property locations for lunch or dinner service. Test different areas. Track your sales per location religiously.
Month 5+: Optimize. Keep your best-performing spots, drop the duds. Start bidding on private events for weekends. Aim for 4-5 regular weekly spots + 1-2 events per month.
Goal: $3,000-5,000/week in revenue across all locations by month 6.
Your truck is your business. Choose wisely.
Best for: First-timers, tight budgets, people who want to start fast.
Best for: Experienced operators, specific concepts, people with capital.
DO NOT SKIP: Bring a mechanic for the vehicle inspection and a restaurant equipment tech for the kitchen gear. $200-300 in inspection fees can save you $10,000+ in repairs.
You can have the best tacos in Austin. But if nobody knows where you are, you're broke.
Not optional. This is 80% of your marketing.
Set this up DAY ONE. When someone Googles "food trucks near me" in Austin, you want to show up. Update your location DAILY in the Google Business app.
Add photos, respond to ALL reviews (good and bad), post your menu, update your hours/location constantly.
Let people order ahead. They show up, you hand them food, no waiting. Higher average ticket, less line chaos, happier customers. Plus you can text them when their order is ready.
Outbites gives you your own online ordering page for just $1 per order. No commission, no monthly fees. QR code, custom URL, free SMS notifications, built-in loyalty program.
Get Your Ordering PageEvery customer who orders online through Outbites goes into YOUR database. Now you can text or email them: "We're at [new location] today!" or "New menu item, first 20 people get 20% off."
New locations, menu items, special events
Exclusive deals, first access to new items
Austin food bloggers are hungry for content. Literally. Email them. Offer free food in exchange for a feature. Most will say yes.
"Hi [name], I just launched [truck name] in Austin. We're doing [unique angle - e.g., 'Korean BBQ tacos' or 'vegan soul food']. Would love to comp you a meal for a potential feature. Here's our Instagram: [link]"
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Get your online ordering system set up in 15 minutes. Take orders before you even have your permits.
Just $1 per order. No monthly fees. No commission. Ever.
