Top 10 Most Profitable Food Truck Items

When building a business is your goal, maximizing the profitability of your food truck menu is crucial. If you need help choosing the most lucrative options, this list of the top 10 most profitable food truck items will help you select products that’ll be good for your bottom line. 

Burgers

According to FinModelsLab.com, a burger food truck can expect a healthy profit margin of 10% to 25%. Although plain hamburgers are good money-makers because they’re inexpensive to make and sell well, you can charge a higher margin on gourmet versions like truffle-infused and bison meat because they’re exotic. Classic burgers that are loaded with toppings can be very profitable as well if you charge extra for things like cheese, bacon, avocado or onion rings.

Tacos

Tacos are one of the most profitable food truck items because of their variety and versatility. You can offer a range of fillings, such as chicken, beef and plant-based options, as well as an assortment of toppings like traditional onion and cilantro, Tex-Mex style cheese, lettuce and tomato or Baja-influenced cabbage, radishes and crema. If you plan on rotating the filling and topping choices on your menu, be sure to mention the day’s options on social media so your customers know when to stop by for their favorite combinations.

Pizza

Pizza is not only one of the best money-makers for restaurants but also for food trucks. Even though almost any kind of pizza is sure to be popular, offering gourmet flavors like fig and prosciutto, pear and gorgonzola or salmon and caper will allow you to charge a higher markup. Besides unique toppings, you could also swap out the standard crust for naan, focaccia, cauliflower or even gluten free if you want to make your pizzas even more lucrative.

Loaded Fries

In addition to being easy and inexpensive to produce, French fries are good money-makers because their popularity almost always guarantees a high sales volume. If you want to increase profits, consider offering a variety of loaded French fry dishes like poutine, chili cheese or even nacho: the extra toppings will allow you to justify a higher price, boosting your profitability.

Grilled Cheese

According to a YouGov.com survey, grilled cheese is America’s favorite sandwich. Considering its popularity, a food truck that specializes in grilled cheese and offers a variety of breads like multigrain, sourdough, pumpernickel and a selection of cheeses like mozzarella, gouda and cheddar is sure to do well financially. If you want to enhance the menu by tapping into comfort food nostalgia, rotate a mix of soups like tomato basil, chicken noodle and French onion, too.

Vegan & Vegetarian 

With more and more people going meatless, it’s a good idea to put a few vegan and vegetarian options on your food truck’s menu. Or, you could even develop an entire meat-free menu: not many businesses target this niche market, so the lack of competition increases your chance of being very profitable. If you need plant-based menu ideas, falafel, rice bowls and veggie burgers would all be lucrative items to sell.

Barbecue

Barbecue’s wide appeal, inexpensive ingredients and premium pricing make dishes like pulled pork sandwiches, smoked beef brisket and saucy rib tips some of the most profitable food truck items. If your secret sauce or dry rub is extra special, consider bottling it and selling it on the side: it would be a great way to increase sales with minimal effort.

Lobster Rolls

Even though lobster and mayo sandwiches on toasted buns are fairly simple, premium pricing and high demand make lobster rolls some of the most profitable food truck menu items. If you want to maximize your money-making potential, consider catering: parking your lobster roll food truck at a wedding, party or fundraiser with a captive audience is sure to be worth your time.

Burritos

Eaten without utensils and made with cheap ingredients, burritos are ideal for food trucks. Whether you park in a business district, office park or sports venue, you’re sure to find a lot of customers looking for a quick meal. Since breakfast burritos are some of the most profitable breakfast items, remember to offer options with eggs, sausage and potatoes for the morning crowd.

Ethnic Cuisine

From southern to Indian and Ethiopian to Thai, ethnic foods can be profitable niches for food trucks due to the lack of competition and exotic appeal. To make your business more lucrative, it might be best to focus on just one popular, high-margin food, such as chicken and waffles, samosas, injera and stew or chicken satay.