How much does a Food Truck Commissary Kitchen cost to buy?

A typical Food Truck Commissary Kitchen sells for 2x to 5x seller's discretionary earnings. With estimated SDE of $99K, expect to pay roughly $198K to $495K before adjustments for assets, debt, growth, and local market quality.

How much does it cost to start a Food Truck Commissary Kitchen?

Startup costs range from $150K to $900K depending on location, equipment, and scale.

Physical

Food Truck Commissary Kitchen

Q: What are the profit margins for a Food Truck Commissary Kitchen?

The average profit margin for a Food Truck Commissary Kitchen is around 22%. Costs include rent or mortgage, hood systems, refrigeration, utilities, cleaning, pest control, insurance, repairs, permits, and staff to manage access. Profit improves when overnight parking and storage are sold alongside kitchen time.

The boring back-of-house toll booth for mobile food

Bottom line

Worth studying, but do not buy without strong local proof.

Food truck commissary kitchens rent approved prep, storage, parking, dumping, and wash-down space to mobile food vendors who need health-department-compliant facilities. The surprising buyer angle is that the trucks get the Instagram attention while the commissary collects recurring rent from every operator who needs a legal home base.

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Acquisition score

Strong

Avg Revenue

$450K

Profit Margin

22%

Acquisition Multiple

2x - 5x

Startup Cost

$150K - $900K

How It Works

Operators rent monthly kitchen slots, cold storage, dry storage, overnight truck parking, water fill, grease disposal, and cleaning access. Revenue comes from membership fees, hourly kitchen rentals, parking, storage lockers, event-prep packages, and add-ons like procurement or bookkeeping support.

Revenue Range

Low End

$120K

Typical

$450K

High End

$1.8M

Pros

+Recurring monthly revenue from multiple food vendors
+Health rules can make commissaries mandatory in many markets
+Can monetize underused industrial kitchen or warehouse space
+Sticky if parking, storage, and inspection paperwork are bundled

Cons

-Food safety, zoning, and landlord constraints are real
-Buildout and equipment costs can be high
-Utilization management gets messy when vendors peak at the same hours

Best For

Commercial-kitchen operators, caterers, ghost-kitchen owners, industrial landlords, or food-service buyers

Operating Costs

Costs include rent or mortgage, hood systems, refrigeration, utilities, cleaning, pest control, insurance, repairs, permits, and staff to manage access. Profit improves when overnight parking and storage are sold alongside kitchen time.

SBA Financing Estimator

Adjust the deal — see if it cash flows after debt service

$-8044/mo

after debt service

Deal price — $1.6M

Range: $680K (2×) to $2.7M (5×+)

Down payment — 15% ($237K)

SBA minimum equity injection is 10% for change-of-ownership

Interest rate — 8.00%

Current prime-based SBA rates: 7.5–10.5%

Loan term — 10 years (120 mo)

Standard SBA 7(a): 10 years for business acquisition

Down payment

$237K

15% equity injection

Loan amount

$1.3M

85% SBA-financed

Monthly payment

$16K/mo

$612K total interest

Monthly profit

$8K/mo

at 22% margin

Monthly cash flow after debt service

$-8044/mo

Margin does not cover debt service at these terms. Lower the deal price, increase the down payment, or extend the loan term.

Estimates only. Excludes owner compensation, capex, working capital draws, and taxes. Margin assumes average occupancy and volume. Actual SBA terms vary by lender and borrower profile.