The Food Trailer
90-Day Launch Blueprint

Call your county health department. Ask: 'What permits do I need for a mobile food trailer and do I need a commissary kitchen?' Write down the name of who you spoke with. This 10-minute call tells you whether you're looking at a 4-week permit process or a 10-week one.

Visit 2 local farmers markets as a customer. Count food trailers vs. food stalls. What cuisines are overrepresented? What's missing? Note wait times, price points, and how vendors handle peak rushes. Talk to the market manager if possible — ask if they have vendor openings.

Set up saved searches on TrailerTrader, Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist for 'food trailer,' 'concession trailer,' and 'mobile kitchen' within 300 miles. You need 2–3 weeks of data to understand realistic pricing in your region.

Decide your concept today. Single-cuisine focus wins — tacos, smash burgers, loaded fries, or a specialty sandwich. The most common food trailer mistake is a menu too broad to execute fast. A 6-item menu at high volume beats a 20-item menu with long waits every time.

Research commissary kitchens near you. Search '[your city] commissary kitchen for rent' and list 3–5 options. Most charge $200–$600/month. Call one today and ask: 'Do you have openings, and what's your monthly rate for a food trailer operator?'

Do your revenue math. Use the calculator (Deliverable 2): average ticket $12–$16, 80 covers on a slow market day, 200 on a strong festival day. What does your break-even look like at current food costs? Run the numbers for 3 scenarios: conservative, moderate, optimistic.

Make your go/no-go decision based on week 1 data. If you're going: file your LLC this week. If the concept doesn't have a clear gap in your market, consider pivoting to an underserved cuisine before investing further.

File your LLC through your state's Secretary of State website. Cost: $50–$200 in most states, processed in 3–7 business days. Use the exact name you want on your trailer wrap and business cards — changing it later costs time and money.

Get your EIN from IRS.gov — free, instant, 5 minutes online. You need this for your business bank account, equipment financing applications, and state sales tax registration.

Open a business checking account. Bring your LLC documents + EIN. Recommended: Relay (fee-free, online) or your local credit union. Never mix personal and business funds — it's a legal and accounting nightmare you don't want.

Get 3 equipment financing quotes. Contact National Business Capital, Balboa Capital, and one local bank. Tell them: 'I'm financing a food concession trailer, approximately $20K–$50K.' Compare APR and total cost of borrowing, not just monthly payment.

Apply to your top 2 farmers markets. Most have waitlists — getting in the queue now matters even if you're 8 weeks from opening. Use the Farmers Market outreach template (Deliverable 5) as your application email. Ask specifically about their waitlist timeline and seasonal openings.

Decide: used trailer or custom build. If financing is approved and you have 3–4 months lead time, a custom build gives you a purpose-built kitchen. If you need to open within 90 days, a used trailer is faster. Make the call today — it drives every other timeline decision.

If buying used: schedule viewings of your top 3 listings this week. Bring a licensed electrician or contractor. Check: floor integrity (no soft spots), propane lines, exhaust hood condition, grease trap, electrical panel amperage, and plumbing (fresh + grey tanks). A pre-purchase inspection costs $200 and saves thousands.

If building custom: contact 3 builders for quotes. Vetted shops: Cruising Kitchens (TX), Custom Trailer Pros (TX), Prestige Food Trucks (FL). Request a quote with your full equipment list. Ask for their current build queue — lead times range from 6 weeks to 5 months right now.

Finalize your equipment list. For a food trailer: commercial range or flat-top griddle, exhaust hood with suppression, refrigeration (reach-in and under-counter), prep table, 3-compartment sink, hand-wash sink, steam table or warming equipment, and POS hardware. This list goes to your builder and drives your permit application.

Research your target cuisine's food cost benchmarks. For tacos: food cost should be 28–32% of menu price. For smash burgers: 30–35%. For loaded fries: 20–28%. Knowing your target food cost before you finalize your menu prices is how you build a profitable business, not just a busy one.

Source your primary equipment — griddle/range. For a flat-top: Atosa, Vulcan, and Pitco are the workhorses of food trailer kitchens. New: $800–$2,500. Used (restaurant auctions): $200–$600. Check eBay and RestaurantEquipment.com for commercial-grade used units at 40–60% off retail.

Create your equipment master list with model, price, source, and lead time. Include: cooking surface, exhaust hood, refrigeration, prep tables, sinks, generator (minimum 8,000W for a cooking trailer), water tanks, POS hardware, and smallwares. This list is your build checklist and your budget.

Put a deposit on your trailer (used or custom). Get a signed purchase agreement or build contract specifying delivery date, build specs, and what happens if the builder misses the deadline. Do not let a builder start without a written contract.

Order your primary cooking equipment. If ordering new from a dealer, confirm lead time — commercial kitchen equipment can take 2–4 weeks to ship. Order your griddle, range, or fryer this week so it arrives before your trailer is ready.

Lock your business name and buy your domain. Check Instagram handle availability at the same time — you want your name consistent across your trailer wrap, domain, and social handles. Buy the .com today ($12–15/year at Namecheap or Google Domains).

Set up your food supplier accounts. For proteins: US Foods, Sysco, or a local restaurant distributor. For produce: local wholesale market or Restaurant Depot (free membership). Call today and ask about opening a net-30 account — this helps cash flow once you're operating.

Design decision: DIY or hire? Your logo, trailer wrap, and menu board need to be cohesive. Options: 99designs ($299 logo contest), Fiverr ($50–$150 for a strong logo), or local designer ($500–$1,500 for a full brand kit). Your trailer wrap is your biggest billboard — invest in good artwork even if you keep other costs low.

Set up your Square account and build your menu structure with prices. Enable item sales reports from day one — knowing which items sell fastest shapes your prep quantities and eventually your menu decisions.

Create your Instagram and TikTok accounts today. Post: 'Building a food trailer in [city]. Follow the journey.' Behind-the-scenes build content gets strong organic reach and starts building your local audience before you serve a single customer.

File your Mobile Food Vendor Permit application with your county health department. Required documents typically include: your trailer's equipment list, water system specs, commissary agreement, and proof of food handler certification. Some counties also require a plan review before issuing the permit.

Register for your Sales Tax Permit at your state's revenue department website. Free or $10–$50 in most states, processed in 1–2 weeks. Required before you can legally collect and remit sales tax. Find your state's site at revenue.[state].gov.

Visit your top 3 commissary kitchen candidates in person. Ask to see their current health permit. Check: licensed and current, adequate cold storage for your ingredients, prep space availability, actual hours of access, and whether they have a grease trap you can use.

Sign your commissary agreement. Negotiate month-to-month terms — avoid 12-month lock-ins until you know it works for your schedule. Get a copy of their health permit for your permit application file.

Register your trailer with the DMV. Your trailer is a vehicle and needs a title, registration, and plates. Requirements vary by state: typically proof of purchase, weight certificate, and $50–$150 registration fee. Your health inspector may ask for trailer registration.

Get your Food Handler's Certification if you don't have it. StateFoodSafety.com — $15–$25, about 90 minutes online. Every person who handles food in your trailer needs their own certification. If you plan to hire help from day one, coordinate their certifications this week.

Get your business insurance quotes. You need: general liability ($1M minimum), commercial auto for your tow vehicle, and product liability. Next Insurance and FLIP offer instant online quotes for food trailers. Budget $1,500–$3,000/year. Many events and markets require a Certificate of Insurance before you can set up.

Check in with your trailer builder or seller. If custom: request a progress photo and confirm delivery date. If used: confirm pickup arrangements. This week finalize any trailer modifications — exhaust hood clearance, serving window placement, awning specs.

Finalize your logo and brand assets. Get from your designer: vector logo (.ai or .eps), PNG on white background, PNG on transparent background, and brand color hex codes. You need all four before the wrap designer can start.

Get your trailer wrap designed and quoted. Local sign shops design and print — budget $1,200–$3,500 for a full wrap on a food trailer depending on size. Get 2 quotes. Provide: logo files, color palette, trailer dimensions, and the text you want visible (name, Instagram handle, website, cuisine type).

Order disposables. For a food trailer: to-go containers, foil boats or baskets, napkins, sauce cups, bags. Minimum order quantities are typically 500–1,000 units. Suppliers: Lollicup, Dart/Solo, WebstaurantStore. Order a 3-week supply for your projected volume — running out of containers mid-service is a disaster.

Finalize your opening menu. Keep it to 6–8 items max for launch. Every extra item adds prep time, increases food waste risk, and slows service. You can expand at 60 days once your workflow is solid. Your best-selling item will be obvious by market day 3 — build around it.

Order your generator. For a cooking trailer with a range, flat-top, and refrigeration: minimum 8,000W. Honda EU7000iS is the gold standard (quiet, fuel-efficient) but $4,000+. Champion 9375W dual-fuel is a solid budget alternative at ~$1,100. Confirm your total wattage draw before ordering.

Set up your location communication system. Customers need a consistent way to find you. Options: a Linktree page with a weekly schedule image, a simple Google Site, or a recurring Instagram Stories highlight. Pick one and update it every Sunday night for your upcoming week.

Receive your cooking equipment and install it. If you have a propane range or griddle, have a licensed plumber or gas fitter check all connections before first use. A gas leak in a food trailer is catastrophic. This is not a step to DIY if you're not experienced with gas lines.

Install your water system. Fresh water tank + grey water tank (same or larger capacity) + pump + water lines. Standard: 30-gallon fresh, 40-gallon grey. Run the pump and check every fitting for leaks. The health inspector will check your grey water capacity — it must be at least as large as your fresh water tank.

Wire your generator to the trailer. Hire an electrician for this step if needed — $150–$300 for a pro to check your wiring is worth it. Run your full equipment load simultaneously (range, fridge, hood fan, lights, POS) and verify no breakers trip. Do this before your health inspection.

Install and test your refrigeration. Under-counter fridge for prep ingredients, reach-in for bulk storage. Both must hold below 41°F. Install thermometers and log temperatures morning and close from day one — inspectors ask for temp logs.

Set up your sinks. You need a 3-compartment sink (wash, rinse, sanitize) AND a dedicated hand-wash sink. They must be separate. Confirm your county's specific requirements — some require a specific sink size minimum. This is the most common inspection failure for first-timers.

Do your first full prep and cook test. Prep a full batch of your menu items from scratch in the trailer as if it were a real service day. Identify: where does your workspace get cluttered? What takes longer than expected? What did you forget to stock? This is your dry run.

Post your trailer kitchen build content on social. Show your griddle installed and running, your sinks in, your fridge stocked for the first time. Caption: 'Kitchen is live. Almost ready.' This is your most engaging build post — don't skip it.

Schedule your health department pre-inspection if available in your county. Call and ask: 'Do you offer pre-inspections for new mobile food units?' A yes here can catch fixable issues before they cause a formal inspection failure. Not all counties offer this, but it's worth a 5-minute call.

Print your county's mobile food unit inspection checklist (available on most county health department websites) and physically walk through every item in your trailer. Common first-time failures: grey water tank too small, no hand-wash sink, missing thermometer in fridge, food handler certificates not on file, no fire extinguisher.

Install your fire extinguisher and fire suppression. If you have any open-flame cooking, most counties require a K-class (wet chemical) fire extinguisher rated for grease fires — not a standard ABC unit. Mount it visibly near the exit. Check the pressure pin. Cost: $50–$100 at any hardware store.

Get your trailer wrapped. Schedule your wrap installation — typically 1–1.5 days for a food trailer. Drop it off the night before. Do not wrap before your health inspection — inspectors sometimes require interior modifications, and wrap removal is expensive.

Confirm your commissary agreement is signed and you have a copy. Call the health department and ask exactly what commissary documentation they need — some want the commissary's license number, some want a signed letter, some want a copy of their current health permit.

Set up your Square POS hardware in the trailer. Mount your iPad stand, run your card reader cable, test an end-to-end payment, enable offline mode, and verify your full menu with correct prices and tax settings is in the system. Print a test receipt.

Schedule your formal health inspection now. Inspection calendars can be 1–3 weeks out. You want your inspection in Week 9 so any corrections can be resolved before your target opening date. Book it today — don't wait until you feel 'totally ready.'