r/FortCollins • u/focoslow • 13h ago
Meirl
It's everywhere apparently, not just here. A follow-up to the Jersey Cowboy thread.
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u/pee_inyourbutt 13h ago
It's most likely because all restaurants get their food from like 2 vendors
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u/HFentonMudd 12h ago edited 12h ago
Is that why everything these days sort of tastes the same? I swear, no matter where you go or what you get, it's all seems to somehow be made from the same stuff and you can tell. It's like dorm food.
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u/LockeClone 12h ago
Anti trust failures in food and ag are definitely part of the overall cost issue, but this post is asking why food trucks seem as expensive as a sit down restaurant.
I think it's more because they're able to move around to target demos that are willing to pay inflated prices. Breweries (in many cases) are able to serve alcohol but not food because it's technically an industrial endeavor with a tasting room rather than a restaurant.
Drunk people with the munchies or people at a special event are likely to pay a lot more. So if I've got a cool new roach coach idea, why bother entering at the bottom margin of an already pretty low margin market?
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u/focoslow 12h ago
Still doesn't explain the delta of a much lower overhead resulting in equal or higher menu prices than brick and mortar.
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u/brandonw00 12h ago
I’ve know a few food truck owners in Fort Collins and even with the inflated prices they make so little profit. One of my friends got like a $50K increase in his yearly salary going from running his own food truck to working for PSD. He had one of the better food trucks in my opinion; but his operating costs were so high that he barely made any money.
Food trucks are tough because your success is dependent on how popular the business is you’re setup at for the day. Odell on a Monday or Tuesday is gonna see far less foot traffic than a Friday or Saturday, so you gotta hope you get on one of the busy days or your sales will be low.
The city and the county continue to change their food trucks regulations to make it more expensive to register trucks and get licensed. On top of that you have maintenance for both your truck and kitchen. Food truck food is expensive because it is expensive to operate.
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u/focoslow 12h ago
Yeah, I'm learning a lot here. I just found out about the restrictions of not only prep, but also something as simple as washing your pots, pans, storage, utensils, etc. I knew prep at home was a no-no but that adds a layer of expense. On top of that, add cold storage.
So, to contradict my own post, it's way more complex.
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u/brandonw00 11h ago
Yeah one of the big expenses is renting commissary space for food prep. And you share it with other food trucks so some times you get there and don’t have to full space for yourself, or you need to coordinate prep times. My buddy said one of the biggest expenses for running his truck was rent for the commissary.
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u/wellsharpened 12h ago
Did you seriously think a food truck could just prep and store food at home?
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u/focoslow 11h ago
I already said I knew that was a no-no. I didn't know about the cleaning of utensils.
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u/UndeadCaesar 7h ago
city and the county continue to change their food trucks regulations to make it more expensive to register trucks and get licensed
Source? I googled this and couldn't find anything except Senate Bill 25-285 having "mobile food establishment" permits go from $481 to $567 next year. Can't see a one time increase of $80 wiping out a whole business.
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u/brandonw00 5h ago
The Jersey Cowboy guy talked about it at the beginning of this year how either Larimer County or Fort Collins was changing how you can register food trucks. It used to be if you had multiple mobile units you could register them as one entity, but now you need to register them separately. He had his main truck and then a little food cart to make breakfast sandwiches that he’d take to the farmer’s market. That allowed him to prep his truck for service at a brewery on a Saturday while having the cart out somewhere else. After the new rule went into effect he made a decision to not register the food cart and would only take the truck around, limiting where he could serve.
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u/jmims98 12h ago
I don't think it is so easy to compare the two.
For example, food trucks are not doing the same sales numbers as restaurants due to their limited kitchen size and staffing. They're also very dependent on how busy the brewery or place they set up is, whereas a good restaurant will have no problems filling their books Thursday-Sunday.
Food trucks also do not sell alcohol. Restaurants could frankly have cheaper food than food trucks on alcohol sales alone.
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u/suuraitah 10h ago
they guilt trip their client "oh we are so poor so forced to work in this horrible conditions of a truck, give us more money"
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u/Real-Patriot-1128 12h ago
Food trucks are so over rated for the price - and they ask to tip on top of it!
If you want a tip, come
To my table, take my order and bring me my food.
I get costs are high to operate. But I agree with OP.
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u/ViolentAversion 9h ago
You've mentioned in your other comments/interactions, OP, it's just not a good business model. I'm not sure if it ever was. Regardless of the economic pressures on food trucks, as a consumer, I agree that it's stupid to be expected to squat on the sidewalk and eat for the same price as a restaurant. Maybe these things' time is over.
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u/wellsharpened 13h ago edited 12h ago
Great! Start a food truck and show everyone how it’s done!
Edit: love the downvotes here. My point is that maybe people with no experience doing the thing they are demanding should consider all of the factors in play. This is an easier said than done moment.
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u/junkmeister9 13h ago
Chud
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u/coriolisFX 12h ago
It's an incredibly difficult business with thin margins.
That's not a chud take.
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u/outsideshot 13h ago edited 10h ago
Apparently some people are under the impression that the people who own a food truck are not entitled to earn a living wage, and that they should be compensated piecemeal per order. I always found the benefit of food trucks to be increased variety of food choice plus more places to eat anyway, not necessarily prices cheaper than Wendys or McD's.
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u/NoCoDadMode 12h ago
The comparison was to restaurants generally, not fast food
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u/outsideshot 12h ago
Okay, Chili's. I think that's probably more your style anyway. The term "economies of scale" is relevant here.
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u/mvhcmaniac 12h ago
The fuck do you mean, "that's probably more your style anyways"?
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u/focoslow 12h ago
So you are down for a $15 sandwich with no side?
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u/outsideshot 12h ago
If you're not, don't eat there. Easy solution.
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u/focoslow 12h ago
The bigger picture is the escalation of prices everywhere for all. If some people are willing to pay more, then that is the new high water mark and everyone suffers. Yeah, I don't. I make much better food at home.
It's the same across many industries. Some folks are ok with paying $200 for a simple cabin air filter replacement, or $2000 for an EV charger install. The problem is that if a segment of the population will pay, we all pay because it ripples through the economy.
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u/outsideshot 12h ago
"The problem is that if a segment of the population will pay, we all pay because it ripples through the economy." Sir, that's not how economics works. The barrier to entry to open a food truck is relatively low. If someone wants to jump in and try to make a profit while undercutting the price of a breakfast sandwich vendor, they are free to try. Lemme know when your food stand is open.
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u/focoslow 12h ago
It's 100% how economics work. What the market will bear is what becomes the new standard for all.
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u/outsideshot 12h ago
So what is stopping you from entering the market, charging $5 a sandwich and apparently getting rich, as your mind conjures as possible? I mean other than your apparent love of venting on the internet. You're comparing food trucks to industries where pricing is opaque, and the barriers to entry are high. If Mike's Auto Repair Garage decided to up their labor rate to $500 an hour would everyone up their rate to a similar rate? No. Because people can shop around. You have no idea what you're talking about but please go ahead and continue to yell at the sky.
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u/NorthernColo1 13h ago
Are you including the surcharges and fees? Plus the expected or mandatory tip? Not to mention the long wait times from the time you try to park until you get the food and then pay the bill and leave.
Lately the portions and quality of restaurant food has dropped while the prices have stayed high.
I've found I can often get better food with more variety faster for much lower total cost.
There are times when I want a dining out experience and am willing to both spend the time and pay the cost, but if I just want a tasty meal many food trucks do a great job!
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u/taeby_tableof2 13h ago
The city should remove all the rules for food trucks and we will see if the proce goes down.
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11h ago
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u/DMagnus11 10h ago
Oh, what's their rent and labor costs compared to a brick and mortar restaurant? They have significantly less overhead, so that is quite an absurd "convenience" fee
Even with gas, maintenance, and paying off their trucks, tacking on a convenience fee would still make them less expensive than a restaurant with a physical address
Edit: and "provide a service" where a restaurant can't shouldn't be an expense to the customer as it's a benefit to the food truck. So they can both 1) access and sell where a restaurant can't and 2) charge a premium for the privilege of providing that service
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u/MaximumTacoPower 10h ago
Food trucks aren't necessarily cheaper to operate than a brick an mortar.
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u/DMagnus11 9h ago
If you're talking about far N FoCo or the town's periphery, maybe. If you're talking about Old Town, midtown, or the rest of city limits, I'd need to see those budget spreadsheets first
There's a reason cooks often open food trucks to launch their concept before investing in a permanent restaurant
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10h ago
[deleted]
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u/DMagnus11 9h ago
Thank you, yes. They are charging a significant "convenience" fee extending beyond overhead and parts + labor.
I love food trucks but am noping out more and more from them due to their pricing. If food trucks are charging 75-100% convenience fees, then it's more convenient for me to wait and eat elsewhere. I'd love to keep supporting food trucks as independent businesses, but that doesn't mean I'm paying to be extorted since it's convenient (and I am quite lazy)
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13h ago
[deleted]
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u/scarydoor 12h ago
Food trucks were very much a cheap, simple, eat-on-the-sidewalk thing many moons ago. Before they became a "foodie" thing. They pretty much catered to job sites, day labor hangouts, corners near office buildings and whatnot. The thing you are describing is the newer version. Unfortunately, many have gone back to serving subpar bland food at restaurant prices. I for one would welcome some that have no pretenses about gourmet food, just cheap food
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u/mephisti25 13h ago
"The tablet's going to ask you a few questions"