Guides
Plain-language guides to the costs and numbers behind opening a food business.
Food truck
All food truck guidesFor anyone planning a first food truck, trailer or cart.
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Cost breakdown
How much does it cost to start a food truck?
What it costs to start a food truck, line by line: the truck, kitchen, permits, insurance and commissary, plus the costs people forget and how to get real quotes.
Updated Oct 2026
Restaurant
All restaurant guidesFor anyone planning to open a first restaurant or café.
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Cost breakdown + checklist
Restaurant startup costs: a line-by-line checklist
What owners spent to open a restaurant in a 2018 survey, the costs to price line by line, and how much extra cash to set aside.
Updated Oct 2026
How we research, write and update these guides: Editorial policy.