Getting Started

The following list contains basic items that you will need:

  • Business plan (this is a MUST!!!! where & how do you plan to operate & make a profit) If you need guidance on how to write up one, check this article here.

  • Washington State business license- apply for and file your LLC or Corp status w/Secretary of State (consult an attorney and/or call Dept of Revenue if you have questions).

  • Research if your business name is already taken on the Dept of Revenue website and on social media.

  • Research how you want to pay your employees and info on accepting tips. More L & I employee rights regarding tips can be found here.

  • IRS.gov - File for your Federal Tax ID #

  • State L&I permit/insignia (see below for more Labor and Industries info)

  • Washington State Food Handler Card

  • CFPM - Certified food protection manager certification (your business needs only one person.)

  • County health department permit (see Health Department page) and KNOW our state food code!

  • Commissary kitchen (see section on kitchens here), unless meet exemption requirements.

  • City license (Most municipalities require you to have a biz license in each city & to pay local sales tax.) The state Department Of Revenue site now lets you add most cities via addendum.

  • Set up your Washington Dept Of Rev account to file quarterly taxes here: https://dor.wa.gov/manage-business/my-dor-help/tax-returns

  • Bank account and Paypal (we recommend having both).

  • Point of sale system (see below).

  • Have a Marketing Plan that includes a webpage (you need to promote yourself!) Squarespace is easy to use.

  • Facebook and Instagram - your marketing plan and promotional efforts will contribute greatly to your success or failure. Learn from Roy Choi of Kogi BBQ. Download social media guide here.

  • As a part of your marketing plan, make it easier for customers to find you by creating a Google Business Listing free here: https://www.google.com/intl/en_us/business/restaurants/

  • Fire department permit (required for all trucks & trailers that produce smoke or grease vapors), see our Fire Code page for details.

  • Street Use Permit (may be required if you plan to vend on public property and/or in the public right-of-way).

  • Accounting software (Quickbooks is easy to use and has an app for phones) and/or Bookkeeper. Having a bookkeeper will help you file your quarterly and year end tax reports and more.

  • Issue a press release of your Grand Opening (consider scheduling a "soft opening" and we will help promote)

  • Consider a security system.

  • Build your new brand with business cards, customer punch cards, T-shirts, aprons, other marketing and/or swag (Vistaprint)

  • Check municipal (city) requirements or restrictions in places you plan to serve (these can vary greatly from one to the next).

  • Research other menus & cuisine types, study other food truck operators & visit many events to learn what works well and what the public wants!

  • Mobile vendor insurance policy (see Insurance page for more details).

  • Have a BACKUP generator, know where you can borrow or rent one on short notice. Or, consider Lithium battery options.

  • Have a private event/catering agreement. A sample can be downloaded here for you to customize.

  • Apply for your US DOT Number - see Member Resources page.

  • Establish a scheduling system to organize and maintain your vending calendar that allows you to sync & share this with your staff (most use a Google calendar).

  • Order your compostables and understand food packaging laws here in Washington State: https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/april-2024/food-packaging-laws-seek-to-reduce-litter-and-pfas-contamination

Service Checklist

Emily Wigley of Orca Eats has provided a very valuable “Checklist” for newer or existing vendors that includes a daily list of things to have with you each day you have a service and this also includes opening & closing procedure items. This is super helpful for training new staff as well! Download this document here.

We recommend also having a service or operational checklist that includes the health code items you will be randomly inspected for. This can also be used for employee training. The most recent inspection item checklist can be downloaded here.

It is ideal to maintain a folder containing regulatory documents any agency official might ask for. Here is a master checklist of what you will want to have:

  • Copy of all staff food worker cards (including any CFPM certifications),

  • Copy of your most recent county health inspection report and current permit (annual or temporary).

    • Have your newly required customer notification sign or placard posted that the most recent health inspection report or a summary provided by county health is available in a location that is conspicuous to customers or by another method acceptable to the health department.

    • New regulations also require you to have written plans & procedures for: responding to vomiting and diarrheal contamination events, ill worker policy, time as a public health control, wild mushroom harvest, fish freezing records for parasites, shell stock and shellfish service tags, variance records, bare hand contact approvals, wild game meats, and receiving donated food. (See Health & Food Code page.)

  • Copies of all your city licenses,

  • Copy of your most recent fire department inspection (if applicable for mobile & cooking type)

    • Copy of approved plan drawings for the hood suppression system installation along with copies of the operating instructions and include the electrical schematics. (If you do not have copies of this info you can get a copy from L & I by making a record request using the VIN# or do a search online for the manufacturer specs.)

    • Copy of most recent inspection, test, and/or cleaning reports for your commercial range hood, fire suppression system and extinguishers, completed by the contractor you use.

    • Any other permit(s) issued by a local fire department for your food truck/trailer.

Getting Your Food Truck Approved for Business in Washington

Our first recommendation is to research the viability of your food truck business based on the county in which you first choose to get permitted and know the state food code specific to mobile food sales: WAC 246-215.

The basic requirements to operate a mobile street-food unit:

Licensing

Obtain a Washington State business license and register your trade name through the Department of Revenue.

Obtain a city business license (each city will have its own municipal code/requirements and research the vending laws in the cities that you plan to locate and review any zoning (area) restrictions.

Labor and Industries Approval/Insignia

Obtain a Vendor Unit Insignia (Mobile food units are regulated by the Department of Labor and Industries under Chapter 296-150V WAC).

Local (County) Health Department

Applicants are required to first, create a plan for review and approval before applying for a Mobile Food Unit health permit, and before submitting to L & I. There is a fee for both your initial Plan Review and for the permit application. (Each county has different fees and applications.) You must have a Mobile Food Unit Health Permit from each county where you plan to vend.

If you plan to vend at specified locations for more than 1-hour, you will also need a signed Sales Site (restroom) Agreement (restroom must be within 500-feet of mobile vending site location or approved in your plan.)

Items required for your plan review may include: unit floor plans, commissary agreement form, restroom agreement, food prep flow chart, route information, detailed menu, and a description of your business plan.

Research and find an approved commissary kitchen in your county (or request exemption). The WAC State Food Code 246-215 Part-9 requires mobile units, when not in operation, to be stored at an approved commissary.

Obtain water & sewer approval, pending location in the county. (Approx 40% of WA is on septic systems.)

Obtain your food worker’s card (Chapter 246-217 WAC) 15-minute online course.

Fire

Obtain a local fire permit per new state-wide fire code and an annual Liquid Propane (LPG) Permit if you plan to street vend in Seattle. See new Fire Code IFC 319 details in Resources on Fire Code page.

Street Vending

Vending “in the public right-of-way” requires a Street-Use permit from the city Department of Transportation or the City Planning Department.

On the Seattle Department of Transportation website: https://www.seattle.gov/transportation/permits-and-services/permits/vending-permits the various types of vending permits are listed. (Permit Application including three sets of your site plans with dimensions of vending unit are required.)

SDOTs new temporary vending permit program:  https://www.seattle.gov/transportation/permits-and-services/permits/temporary-permit

Know Your Numbers!!!

When figuring out your daily costs to vend at a particular location, be sure to include: your taxes, insurance, depreciation, parking permit fees, travel time, propane, consumables/packaging, vending fees, credit card fees, and fuel in addition to your food costs and labor (including prep and clean-up time).  You have to include all these things to get your true cost. We can email you a spreadsheet specifically for this purpose. Other costs to factor include: your county health permit fees, city licenses and commissary kitchen rent.

Unless you inherit a food truck business, it won’t be instantly profitable. You’ll have to cover numerous up front costs before you make your first sale. Learn more about calculating your numbers here.

You can also download this helpful menu pricing calculator here. You will notice the tab options at the very bottom of the spreadsheet. The Factor Method for menu pricing can be the easiest to work with initially. This method calculates the pricing based on the cost of food and beverage, just enter your food cost per item in the first box and it will auto calculate the menu price for you.

Point of Sale System

Table Needs is the hassle-free way to run a profitable food truck. Founded and operated by current day restaurateurs and veterans of the food industry, Table Needs is specifically built for the needs of food trucks and quick service restaurants. More than just a way to process payments, the Table Needs Point of Sale system includes everything you need to run a profitable food truck. The Table Needs POS includes:

- Kitchen Display System (KDS), QR Code Menu Ordering, Online Ordering, Menu Management for multiple menus

- Sales Tax Automation through DAVO, 24/7 Customer Support, Table Needs POS Mobile App

Run your entire food truck business from your phone or tablet – no special hardware required!

Table Needs offers professional-level business services to help make sure every aspect of your food truck business is working – and working well and offers: marketing and online business listings, cash flow management and budgeting, paperwork and registrations, and staffing solutions. To learn more: tableneeds.com or reach out to Robbie Trione at: 334.868.1891 or robby@tableneeds.com


Other Tips

Always Have a Back-up Plan:

Staff issues:  Always have back-up staff ready, just in case, even if it’s a friend or family member.  Don’t let one sick employee keep you from your scheduled service, cause you to throw away perfectly good food, and disappoint your customers. Missing a scheduled service, regardless of the reason, reflects poorly on your food truck and the food truck industry as a whole. Make sure your back-up staff have their Food Worker Cards, well before you need their help.

Generator issues:  Do some research and find the nearest equipment rental center and make sure they carry a generator suitable for your needs.  Keep their contact info handy. It might even be a good idea to set-up an account now, to save time later.

Tow vehicle issues:  Find the nearest commercial truck/auto rental center and keep their contact information handy. Make sure, well in advance, that your trailer’s electrical connections and ball hitch will connect properly to the temporary tow vehicle.

Overnight Generator or Power Supply Issues:  If you are using your generator to run your refrigerators overnight, especially while at an event, it’s a good idea to install an alarm that will notify you if your refrigerator temperature drops below a safe range. Sometimes generators can stop in the middle of the night, for no apparent reason, and sometimes the food truck can be unplugged or disconnected from it’s power source during the night.  A refrigerator stocked with food is too valuable to risk losing.

PLEASE report any broken links or edits that need to be made here.