Burger Truck Break-Even Revenue: About $676K Monthly

Fixed costs $56.0K/mo Overhead base

Contribution margin 80.5% After variable costs

Break-even revenue $69.5K/mo Sales target

Break-even timing Month 3 Launch breakeven

Break-even calculator

See how monthly revenue, variable expenses, and fixed costs line up against break-even.

Lean Base Full

Monthly revenue Revenue sets the pool that covers variable costs and fixed overhead. $ Slower sales Peak sales Variable expenses These rise with sales, like food, packaging, and card fees. $ Tight costs High costs

Money available to cover fixed costs $241,994 $293,692 revenue - $51,698 variable expenses

Margin ratio

82%

Covers fixed costs

Yes

Fixed monthly costs These are monthly costs that stay on even when sales dip. $ Lean base Heavy base

Break-even chart Revenue Total costs

Which mobile food operation expenses are fixed, and which move with sales?

Cost classification

Break-even is only as reliable as the cost labels behind it: fixed overhead and scheduled payroll need monthly coverage, while ingredients and fees scale with sales. Fuel, permits, commissary, and vehicle payment aren't provided, so don't treat this as a complete truck model.

Expense	Cost	Break-Even Treatment	Common Mistake
Rent, insurance, software, compliance, and security	Fixed	Include $12,400 per month: rent $10,500, insurance $850, software $450, compliance $350, and security $250.	Assuming mobility removes fixed monthly overhead.
Year 1 payroll	Semi-fixed	Use about $38,333 per month based on scheduled first-year staffing, then add labor in hiring steps.	Treating payroll as fully flexible when Year 1 staffing is already scheduled.
Cleaning Services	Semi-fixed	Carry $1,300 per month until service frequency or operating scale changes.	Scaling cleaning dollar-for-dollar with each sale.
Maintenance & Repairs	Semi-fixed	Carry $750 per month, then step it up when equipment use or service hours rise.	Leaving repairs flat as volume grows.
Utilities	Semi-variable	Start with the $1,600 monthly base and test added usage as service volume rises.	Calling the whole utility bill fixed at higher sales levels.
Organic Food Ingredients	Variable	Model as 12.0% of sales in the first year, improving to 10.0% by Year 5.	Using gross sales as profit before food usage.
Organic Beverage Ingredients	Variable	Model as 5.0% of sales in the first year, improving to 4.0% by Year 5.	Forgetting beverage mix still carries direct ingredient spend.
Credit Card Processing Fees and Disposable Supplies & Packaging	Variable	Model first-year sales-linked charges at 1.5% for card fees and 1.0% for packaging.	Leaving small per-order charges out of break-even math.

How does break-even change from lean to full burger truck trading?

Scenario table

Lean trading clears break-even, but the cushion is slimmer because covers and ticket size are lower. Base and full trading add revenue faster than fixed payroll grows, so profit widens as volume builds.

Planning assumptions only; real trading can run higher or lower.

Scenario	Monthly Revenue	Variable Costs	Fixed Costs	CM Ratio	Operating Profit	Break-Even Signal
Lean launch case	$154.0k	$30.0k	$54.4k	80.5%	$69.6k	Positive, but the cushion is thin.
Base planning case	$222.2k	$41.3k	$61.4k	81.4%	$119.5k	Above break-even with a steadier buffer.
Full capacity case	$295.0k	$51.9k	$68.1k	82.4%	$175.0k	Well above break-even; volume drives the upside.

What breaks the burger truck’s break-even plan first?

Stress test

The plan clears break-even at about $67.6k a month, but the cushion gets thin fast if weekday covers miss plan, packaging waste rises, or payroll gets locked before routes prove demand.

Stress Case	Changed Assumption	Break-Even Revenue	Revenue Gap	Risk Signal
Current plan	No change.	About $67.6k/mo	$61.6k cushion	Healthy today; fixed payroll still sets the floor.
Revenue shortfall	Monthly sales fall by $10,000.	About $67.6k/mo	$51.6k cushion	Every $10k lost sales cuts about $8.1k of contribution.
Fixed-cost pressure	Monthly fixed obligations rise by $5,000.	About $73.8k/mo	$55.3k cushion	Locked payroll and overhead eat the cushion fast.
Margin pressure	Variable spend rises by 1 point.	About $68.4k/mo	$60.7k cushion	Waste or fees above plan push break-even up.
Combined pressure	Sales fall $10,000, fixed costs rise $5,000, and variable spend rises 1 point.	About $73.8k/mo	$45.3k cushion	Lower covers, waste, and payroll lock the plan into a narrow band.

What should the founder verify before locking in the truck, staffing, and launch spend?

Founder checklist

Yes, but only if the truck can prove 465 weekly covers, hold a $54.4K monthly fixed-cost load, and keep $603K in cash through Month 4. Separate the $457K launch capex from operating cushion, and don't count loans, tax savings, or owner draws as runway.

1Route demand465/week

Verify route and event access before hiring, because the Year 1 demand plan only works if these covers repeat every week.

2Fixed load$54.4K/mo

Confirm monthly payroll and overhead stay covered, since breakeven lands in Month 3 and this run rate has to hold from launch.

3Contribution margin80.5% CM

Check that menu pricing still leaves an 80.5% contribution margin after food, beverage, card fees, and packaging.

4Staffing ramp9.5 FTE

Lock staffing only if the opening plan can support 9.5 full-time equivalent roles, or payroll will outrun demand.

5Cash cushion$603K

Hold at least $603K in cash, because Month 4 is the low point and the truck needs room to absorb the ramp.

6Launch capex$457K

Keep the $457K launch build separate from operating cash, so opening spend does not mask the real break-even test.