food truck business plan philippines

Blog |  CheatSheet  |  Work With Us

How To Start A Food Cart Business Philippines

How to start a food cart business in the Philippines? This business concept is very hot in the Philippines currently. When we look at the stock market, the economy, and small businesses, we can see that many industries have started to grow, including the food industry, which is excellent news for the Philippines.

Table of Contents

How To Start A Food Cart Business In The Philippines

You can rent a food truck, buy a new one, renovate a used model, customize it for your business or choose a van, shopping cart, or trailer for the store(if you plan to open one).

You could also find more cost-effective food preparation and storage options, such as renting kitchens at a nearby restaurant, school, church, or other location with health inspections and licenses.     

At the very least, business owners will need a business license and a hospitality permit (more on this later). In addition, most lenders and investors will ask about your business plan before taking out a loan or investing in your food truck business.     

If you need additional funds, it is best to start a crowdfunding campaign asking your family and friends for support. Then, you are more likely to get a loan interest-free from them, but this is best discussed with a financial planner.    It is best to explain your financing plan, why you need the loan, and specify the amount you need.

When you plan to finance your food truck business, it is important to determine how the funds will be used, such as buying a truck, cooking equipment, employee salaries (if needed), and repaying the borrowed funds.

Once you have a business plan in place, your financial forecasts will help you obtain an idea and estimate the amount you will need to get your food trucks off the ground.     

Once you have a complete business plan in hand, you should have a good estimate of the total startup costs of your food truck, your upfront income, your financing needs, your short-term business loan, and the working capital needed to get you operational.

A free PDF business plan can be downloaded on our business plan page.

To start a food truck business in the Philippines, you need a competitive and engaging concept, a viable business plan, a well-stocked food truck, and a solid marketing strategy to build your client base.     

Some venues and companies may host food trucks for private events requiring catering, so when looking for business growth for your food cart business in the Philippines, never be afraid to think outside the box.

Should You Start A Food Cart Business In The Philippines Or A Franchise

Franchising terms when starting a food cart business in the Philippines: Most people start a food cart business via franchising . An initial startup ranges from as low as 15,000 pesos up to 200,000 pesos depending on the food cart type. But one question remains, What about the terms of service?

Some companies will have monthly fees, while other food cart businesses in the Philippines will have a royalty fee. Some even will have a term that means they will receive a small percentage on each item sold.

However, many small food cart businesses in the Philippines have flexible terms, which is excellent news. The more growth and success a franchising business has, typically, the more terms will apply.

Please take a look at 7/11 and Jollibee , these are giants in the franchising field, and they have strict terms which are non-negotiable. These terms are to protect the brand. So, keep this in mind when looking for food cart businesses in the Philippines.

Terms when starting your own food cart business in the Philippines : On the other hand, if you start your own food cart business, then the terms are more towards the suppliers. Suppliers could include the location (i.e., landlord) or suppliers of products.

As an example, let us say that we are looking to start a burger food cart business . You have found a supplier for your meat. Do they have a minimum order which is a term that’s important to know before you start the business?

What Is Your Goal When Starting A Food Truck Business In The Philippines

The next question to ask yourself when looking at food cart businesses in the Philippines is what exactly are the goals ? Thinking about the end goal will help us at the first stage of the business. For example, if you are unsure whether to franchise a food cart business or start your own food cart business, the question is, what are you trying to achieve?

Indeed, you can make a lot of money from a franchised food cart business that is franchised, and there are many benefits to this. Still, there are also limitations to franchising, which need some careful consideration.  

On the other hand, if you want your food cart business in the Philippines to get you as much money as possible as quickly as possible, you may be better off joining a franchising company. Why? Because they will have a business plan and training available so you can start almost instantly. We will be talking about the pros and cons of different food cart models below.

How Much Does It Cost To Start A Food Cart Business In The Philippines?

The cost is the next area when we look at ‘should you start a food cart business in the Philippines?’. Some franchising advertises a minimal amount of required startup capital . Others require a capital of over 100,000 pesos.

The other option that is available to you is to start your own food cart business. Starting your own food cart business would initially be the most expensive route if you were to start your own food cart business. But when looking at this business model long-term, it could be the most profitable and the most money-saving model compared to franchising.

On average, a franchising food cart business in the Philippines requires a total investment cost of 40-60K pesos and at least 100,000 pesos to open your own food cart business in the Philippines. The total cost needed depends on your sub-niche and the area

What Are The Business Requirements For Starting A Food Cart Business In The Philippines?

When you are looking to open a food cart business in the Philippines, you will need certain things as a business owner. Some of these things will have already been taken care of if you become a franchisee. However, if this is your first business, then check out our list below of basic business needs.  

• Business Plan
• Marketing Strategies
• Financial Plan
• Suitable And Profitable Location
• A Further Understanding Of Your Products
• A Market That You Can Sell Too
• A Strong Brand
• One Or More Unique Selling Points
• A Long-Term Strategy
• Emergence Capital

Above are a few of the main areas that you will need as a business owner. Of course, as I mentioned, you may not need every one of these, and some of these may be covered by the franchising company. Nevertheless, the majority of these will put you ahead of the game.

One last thing I would mention is to spend some time looking at potential threats. In most business plans, we speak about  S.W.O.T. – SWOT stands for; strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. For example, let’s say you are selling ice creams.

After six months, a new ice-cream restaurant and 7/11 opens in the same location you are in. This example shows us a potential threat to your business. This is, of course, an example for this article, but it is recommended to spend some time looking over your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

What Are The Legal Requirements For A Food Cart Business In The Philippines?

For more information on setting up a food cart business/food truck business in the Philippines, feel free to click on the hyperlinks below to be taken to the relevant pages. 

• Business  Permits
• Food Truck / Food Cart Registration
• Food  Service Permit
• Health Requirement
• Sales Tax Permit

How To Be Different When Starting A Food Truck Business In The Philippines?

What is U.S.P.? If you haven’t come across this term, all it means is a unique selling point. A unique selling point is something that you possess or your business possesses differently from the competition. For example, if you are selling ice creams, your U.S.P. could be a particular flavor. If you are selling milk tea, this could be a special promotion you are running.

A USP is something that keeps customers coming back. Remember the 80/20 law that we have spoken about before. The law states that 80% of your profits will come from 20% of your customers. So, in other words, when we are setting up a food cart business in the Philippines, we want customers to return and make more orders. Therefore, it’s essential to have a U.S.P.

What should your U.S.P. be? This is your choice. If this is your own food cart business, then you have complete freedom. If you are franchising a food cart business, then you may have specific limitations. However, the company that you are with may have already established a U.S.P. in the market. This will be an advantage in the early days.

What Is The Current Food Cart Market In The Philippines

As we all know, The Philippines differs dramatically from island to island and city to city. In order words, what products are popular in one area may not be as popular in another. This is always a hard thing to scale when looking at a business. Therefore, market research is always critical at the initial business stage.

When we look at the current market, what trends are you starting to see? For instance, a few years ago, milk tea first became popular across Asia, China, the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, and many other countries. Do you feel the current market is saturated with this business idea, or do you still feel a market gap?

One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen businesses make time and again is copying another business that’s been succeeding.

Even filipinowealth.com has seen countless blogs set up in recent times that have copied certain parts of our article and added it to their website as their own. The problem that this causes is there is no originality, and there is nothing unique. Filipino Wealth

This may sustain a business for a little bit of time. But, ultimately, businesses that copy other businesses will fail, so never be afraid to be different and be a leader in your industry.

How To Start A Franchising Food Cart Business ?

Starting a food-cut business in the Philippines is very easy. Suppose you have some capital and fundamental knowledge, that is. Then, if you are looking to franchise, all you need to do is contact a franchising company. They would then register your details and invite you down for an information session. Most often, you will find this business advertised on Facebook.

How To Start A Solo Food Cart Business ?

On the other hand, if you are looking to start your own food cart business, then there are certain things you will need to do. The most obvious is registering the company and gaining any permits or licenses required for the products you are selling.

Once you have done this, the rest of the business is something many people enjoy doing. You can start building your plans, finding a location, buying your machinery, and of course, the actual food cart itself.

Tips For Starting A Food Cart Business In The Philippines?

What guide would this be without some tips for a food cart business in the Philippines!

Right Location: The right location can make or break your business. Try to look at potential businesses nearby. For instance, is there a call center or corporation nearby where the staff could benefit from your selling product?

Right Network: Are you able to network with different companies or people? Perhaps you can agree with a company to offer its workers 20% off all drinks on Saturday and Sunday.

Right Products: There are millions of products you could sell! Okay, probably not millions, but you get the point. When you are out and about and see a food cart business, what do you want? In other words, what can you not walk past without buying?

Right Team : You may decide to run this business on your own, or you may decide to hire someone to run this for you. Whatever you choose, make sure you have the right team behind you. This is critical when building the foundations of your business.

Right Plan : At the start of any business, a plan or a strategy will be needed. Unfortunately, some businesses are ‘winged,’ which means they start without any plan. This is not recommended for a food cart business in the Philippines.

Right Vision : Finally, you must have the right vision for your company. Where is your company going? Do you want to make food so good that others will want to franchise your company?

I wouldn’t suggest spending days looking at each of these points but at least a few hours with a pen and paper. Of course, you can always change your plan and strategy as you grow, but having a necessary foundation will help you in the early days of business.

Food Truck Business Philippines: Summary & TakeAway

Is a food cart business a good idea? If you can find the right market, customer, and product, then yes, a food cart business in the Philippines can be very profitable.

It is recommended you thoroughly research this business and assess your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

What I’ve always noticed around the Philippines is that Word of mouth is powerful. In other words, you will have to bring your A-game when serving customers. It’s effortless to set up a business without the correct requirements.

However, this will always catch up to you, so it is best to obtain the correct permits before opening a business.

If you have the capital, a healthy entrepreneur mindset, and a robust product while teaming this together with a solid business plan, my opinion would be to start your own food cart business. Why? Because you will have much more control over the growth of your business, and it’s your brand. You will also have the opportunity to franchise your business in the future too.

If you do not have the resources to fund your own food cart business in the Philippines, another route could be to franchise. When you franchise another company, you are given certain benefits that are very helpful in the early stages of business.

For example, an established food cart business always has its own U.S.P., Idea customer, suppliers, etc. This will help your business run smoother in the early days.

Many believe starting a food cart business in the Philippines is a great way to earn quick money. But, unfortunately, even though this can be true, it’s not always easy.

Food Cart Truck Tips

• It’s often wise to slightly overestimate expenses and underestimate profits if you are not 100% of the outcome and financial matter of business in the early days
• Always investigate the terms and conditions of food cart suppliers in the Philippines. Price, rules, and regulations can differ from business to business
• Start small and build rather than starting big and reducing. It is always possible to add more and grow your business as you scale

Warnings Starting Food Business

• Choose a suitable location. Accessibility is a big factor for the customer. If your business is in the wrong location, then your business could suffer
• Put the customers first. The biggest mistake is forgetting to put your customer first. What do they want, and what would they pay extra money for?
• Don’t open a food cart business in the Philippines without comprehensive research. Research can tell you all the demand, supply, and whether your business idea is a good idea or not

Future Reading & References

• Food carts for sale https://www.carousell.ph/food-cart-for-sale/q/?searchId=DTNi6Z
• Basic business registration https://www.foodcartlink.com/business-registration-steps/
• Food business law https://resourcehub.bakermckenzie.com/en/resources/asia-pacific-food-law-guide/asia-pacific/philippines/topics/food-product-and-safety-regulation#:~:text=The%20Food%20Safety%20Act%20of,or%20reduce%20risks%20to%20consumers
• Philippines food safety act https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2015/02/20/implementing-rules-and-regulations-of-republic-act-no-10611/

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy

• +63 961-136-1661 | +63 919-914-9306
• [email protected]

Sangla OR CR: How Loan Accepting Motorcycle OR CR Works

How to buy a second hand car on financing in the Philippines

• Business Tips
• Entrepreneurship

Comprehensive guide to starting a food truck business

Exploring the Thriving Food Truck Business in the Philippines

In the bustling streets of the Philippines, a mobile culinary revolution is taking place with the rise of food truck business. Food trucks can be a success bringing in decent profits. The benefit of Food cards is that you can bring the food business anywhere, such as busy streets, events, and mobile food bazaars. Suppose you’re intrigued by the prospect of diving into the world of food trucks. In that case, this guide will navigate you through the essentials of starting and operating a successful venture in this burgeoning industry.

How to plan a food truck business

Before hitting the streets with your culinary creations, meticulous planning is key to laying a solid foundation for your food truck business. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to plan a food truck business in the Philippines:

Conceptualize Your Menu: 

Craft a menu that reflects the rich tapestry of Filipino cuisine while also offering unique twists and flavors. Consider local favorites like adobo and sisig, alongside international delights to cater to diverse tastes.

Research Your Market: 

Conduct thorough market research to identify high-traffic locations and discern consumer preferences. Understanding your target audience will help tailor your offerings to meet their cravings.

Secure Permits and Licenses:  

Navigate the bureaucratic landscape by obtaining the necessary permits and licenses required to operate a food truck in the Philippines. This includes health permits, business permits, and clearance from local government units.

Invest in a Reliable Food Truck Provider: 

Partner with a reputable food truck provider to procure a well-equipped vehicle that meets safety standards and culinary requirements. Collaborating with professionals in customizing your mobile kitchen ensures efficiency and functionality on the go. 

Food Truck Living Success Proof 

Find inspiration from the living proof of success like Potato Corner. Potato Corner is a global Philippine food franchise known for its flavored French fries. Find an affordable, safe, and reliable food supplier or a franchise of a business like Potato Corner. Another on the list is Shawarma Bros. Shawarma Bros is a Persian/Iranian Restaurant serving delicious shawarma on their menu. They have a branch restaurant and at the same time they have a Food Truck that roves around BGC, Makati, and Quezon City. 

You’ll be curious too about how Food trucks are designed and customized. Estelar Food Truck Builders Philippines is one of the many companies that customize cas to food trucks. They offer quality low-cost food trucks not just to big companies but also to starting entrepreneurs and OFWs. 

Lastly, the last question that will run in your mind is the budget. How can I start a food truck business? Find a financial partner that can lend you the funds for your business to grow like RFC. Radiowealth Finance offers financial loans to support your starting business. You can buy any vehicle or equipment with RFC Financing. They can finance your food truck to jump-start your food business. 

How to operate a food cart business

Once your food truck is ready to roll, it’s time to delve into the intricacies of operating a successful venture. Here’s a glimpse into how to operate a food truck business effectively:

Location, Location, Location: 

Capitalize on prime locations with high foot traffic, such as business districts, parks, and event venues. Stay adaptable by leveraging social media and mobile apps to inform customers about your current whereabouts.

Maintain Quality and Consistency: 

Uphold impeccable standards of food quality and consistency to cultivate a loyal customer base. Fresh ingredients, innovative recipes, and attentive customer service are the cornerstones of a thriving food truck business.

Embrace Creativity and Flexibility: 

Embrace the dynamic nature of the food truck industry by experimenting with seasonal specialties and limited-time offerings. Flexibility in adapting to changing trends and consumer preferences ensures sustained relevance and excitement.

Forge Strategic Partnerships:  

Collaborate with local businesses, event organizers, and community initiatives to expand your reach and visibility. Participating in food festivals, corporate events, and pop-up markets can amplify your brand presence and attract new customers.

The Economic Landscape of Food Truck Businesses in the Philippines

In recent years, the food truck scene in the Philippines has experienced exponential growth, fueled by a burgeoning foodie culture and entrepreneurial spirit. The relatively low overhead costs compared to traditional brick-and-mortar establishments make it an attractive option for aspiring restaurateurs. However, navigating the competitive landscape requires strategic planning and innovative marketing tactics to stand out amidst the crowd.

Food truck Philippines price

When it comes to pricing for food trucks in the Philippines, several factors come into play, influencing the overall cost of launching your mobile culinary venture. While specific prices can vary depending on individual requirements and customization options, here’s a general overview of what to expect:

Base Cost: 

The starting price for a basic, pre-owned food truck in the Philippines typically ranges from ₱300,000 to ₱800,000. This includes a bare-bones vehicle equipped with essential kitchen amenities such as sinks, countertops, and storage space.

Customization Expenses:

Equipment costs:, permits and licenses:, operational costs:, additional considerations:  .

Overall, while starting a food truck business in the Philippines offers relatively lower overhead costs compared to traditional brick-and-mortar establishments, it still requires a significant investment of time, effort, and financial resources. By carefully assessing your budget, researching suppliers, and negotiating costs, you can launch your food truck venture with confidence and set a course for culinary success on the vibrant streets of the Philippines.

Embarking on the journey of starting a food cart or food truck business in the Philippines is a thrilling endeavor that combines culinary passion with entrepreneurial zeal. By meticulously planning your venture, investing in quality equipment, and embracing creativity in your offerings, you can carve out a niche in this dynamic industry. With perseverance, dedication, and a dash of Filipino flair, your food truck business has the potential to flourish and delight taste buds across the archipelago. A food truck business plan is always been a key to success. 

Whether you’re dreaming of serving sizzling sisig on the streets of Manila or dishing out delectable desserts in Cebu, the mobile food truck industry offers endless opportunities for culinary innovation and entrepreneurial success. Seize the moment, fire up your stoves, and embark on a flavorful journey that celebrates the vibrant gastronomic landscape of the Philippines.

Price points for food trucks in the Philippines may vary depending on factors such as size, customization, and equipment. It’s advisable to consult with food truck providers to determine the cost of launching your venture.

Recent Posts

Related posts

Guide to second hand car financing in the Philippines

Guide to Sangla OR CR in the Philippines

Guide to car financing options

Car Financing Options: Exploring Different Types in the Philippines

Comments are closed.

Radiowealth Finance Company Inc. SEC Company Reg. No. AS9600005A Certificate of Authority No. 173

The DMG Center, D.M. Guevara St., Mandaluyong City,1550 +63 961-136-1661 +63 919-914-9306

Join our mailing list for news and updates*

Our Story Who We Are Partners

Cash Loans Financing Used Cars & Properties

Loan Calculator FAQ’s News & Events Blogs Careers RFC Bulletin

© 2021 Radiowealth Finance Company. All Rights Reserved

Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Sitemap