Private events can look like easy money for food trucks. Until you close the books.
The common failure is quoting from menu price intuition instead of event unit economics.
Quick Summary
- IRS set the 2026 business mileage rate at 72.5 cents per mile.
- BLS reported food-away-from-home CPI up 4.0% year over year in January 2026.
- Stripe’s public in-person pricing for domestic cards is listed at 2.7% + 5 cents.
- Food truck operator threads repeatedly emphasize minimum guarantees and category-specific markups to avoid underpricing.
Why Event Quotes Go Wrong
Most underpricing comes from three misses:
- travel and setup time not fully priced
- payment fees ignored at quote stage
- no minimum guarantee when guest count underperforms
The Event Pricing Formula
Use this baseline:
Event quote =
Fixed event cost
+ (Variable cost per guest x Guaranteed guests)
+ Target profitWhere fixed event cost includes:
- labor for prep + service + teardown
- travel time and mileage
- generator/fuel and setup supplies
- permit or venue-specific fees
Mileage and Payment Fees (Use Real Numbers)
Mileage
IRS standard business mileage rate for 2026 is 72.5 cents per mile.
If round trip is 44 miles:
Mileage cost baseline = 44 x 0.725 = $31.90Card fees
If 90% of event payments are card and average ticket is low, processing can materially cut contribution.
Model card fees directly in quote assumptions, then validate against your processor payout report.
Worked Example (Corporate Lunch Event)
Assume:
- Guaranteed guests: 120
- Variable food + packaging per guest: $6.40
- Fixed event cost (labor + travel + setup): $520
- Target profit: $680
Quote floor =
520 + (6.40 x 120) + 680
= 520 + 768 + 680
= $1,968If the client asks for “pay per plate” without guarantee, your downside risk rises fast.
Minimum Guarantee Rules That Prevent Losses
Set these in writing:
- minimum revenue guarantee
- guest-count cutoff time
- overtime/service extension fee
- travel zone or mileage charge
- payment terms and deposit rules
This protects both you and the client from event-day surprises.
What Operators Say in Communities
Food truck owners discussing event pricing often mention:
- using a simple cost-bucket formula (food, labor, overhead, desired return)
- much higher multipliers for select high-labor or high-loss items
- the need for minimum guarantees on private events
The shared message: volume alone does not guarantee profit.
10-Minute Pre-Quote Checklist
- Confirm guaranteed guest count.
- Confirm service window and setup access.
- Calculate travel and on-site labor hours.
- Recalculate variable cost per guest with current prices.
- Add payment-fee assumption by expected payment mix.
- Set quote floor and minimum guarantee.
- Send quote with one clear expiration date.
Related Guides
- US Food Truck Cost Guide (2026)
- Catering Pricing Guide
- US Credit Card Processing Fee Pricing Guide (2026)
- US Restaurant Menu Pricing Guide