Free checklist

Food truck vendor checklist: check the event before you commit

An inquiry for a street festival names a date and a place. The booth fee, power, expected attendance and how many other food trucks will be there are rarely in it. Ask these questions before you say yes — check them off online or print them, no account needed.

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Questions for the event organizer

Ask the organizer, note the answers and check off each question once it is clear — even if the answer is no.

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Event name

Event date

Fees and terms

Fees and payment terms affect what remains after costs and when money is available.

1. What is the booth fee — flat, a share of sales, or both?
2. Is the percentage fee based on sales before or after tax, and is there a minimum charge?
3. When is the fee due, and is there a deposit?
4. What else is charged, such as power, water, trash or cleaning?
5. What happens if the event is canceled, the weather turns or the schedule changes?

Answers and open points: Fees and terms

Crowd and hours

Total attendance is not your customer count. Meal times, past sales and your serving capacity help estimate demand.

6. How many people attended each day last year, and how many are expected this year?
7. What sales figures do similar food vendors have from previous years?
8. What are the event hours, and when is it busiest?
9. Will people stay through lunch or dinner, or just pass through?
10. When can you arrive and set up, and when must teardown be finished?

Answers and open points: Crowd and hours

Your spot

A usable spot needs room for the truck, crew and customers, plus reliable access.

11. Where is your spot, and how much space do you get?
12. What is the ground like, and will the truck sit level?
13. Where can the support vehicle and trailer park, and can you restock during the event?
14. Will your truck fit through the access route, including height and width limits?

Answers and open points: Your spot

Power, water, trash

Hookup distance and available power determine what you can run and what you need to bring.

15. Which power hookup and capacity will be available to you?
16. How far away is the hookup, and will you share the circuit with other vendors?
17. Is there fresh water and a place for gray water?
18. Who handles trash and used cooking oil, and where does it go?
19. Where can your crew wash hands and use a restroom?

Answers and open points: Power, water, trash

Menu and competition

All food vendors compete for the same meal window, even when their menus differ.

20. How many food vendors are booked in total, and how many have a similar menu?
21. Is there exclusivity for certain dishes or drinks?
22. Who is allowed to sell drinks, and are there rules on prices, deposits or reusable cups?

Answers and open points: Menu and competition

On-site organization

Clear responsibilities and payment arrangements prevent delays on site.

23. Who is your contact on site, and how do you reach them?
24. Which permits does the organizer handle, and which are on you?
25. What rules apply to food safety, fire safety and propane?
26. Is there cell signal or Wi-Fi for card payments?
27. Must you use tokens or the organizer’s payment system — with what fees and payout dates?

Answers and open points: On-site organization

Keep the answers handy for your next call.

Print a copy or choose Save as PDF in the print dialog before leaving this page. Your entries are not saved here.

What would this event cost you?

Use the fees and realistic sales for your truck to plan the event. See how revenue and cost planning work before requesting beta access.

Estimate this event for free Explore event revenue and cost planning

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For vendors who apply for events

Food trucks, market vendors, mobile bars and caterers who get invited to — or apply for — street festivals, markets and fairs. The more inquiries come in, the more it helps to compare them with the same questions.

From day-to-day operations

What the inquiry leaves out costs you later

The booth fee is fixed, but power, trash and cleaning only show up on the invoice.
Expected attendance is the organizer’s estimate — nobody asked where it comes from.
On the day, three burger trucks are parked side by side.
The power hookup can’t run the fryer and the fridge at the same time.

The answers become your calculation

Record the answers in the worksheet. Then use the fees, hours and your own demand estimate when planning and costing the event.

Booth fee into cost planning

Plan the booth fee and any extra charges on the event, next to staff, goods and travel. Mobistro shows what is left after recorded costs.

Estimate demand for your own truck

Festival attendance is not your customer count. Consider meal times, competing food vendors, past results and your serving capacity, then plan your own expected people, servings and sales in Mobistro.

Times and stand location on the event

Access, setup, sales hours and stand location sit on the event, where everyone on the crew can find them.

Organizer with a contact person

Save the organizer once, with a contact person. Pick them on the event, and the on-site contact is already filled in.

How to use the checklist

01
An inquiry comes in
Send the questions to the organizer before you commit, or go through them on the phone.
02
Compare the answers
Two festivals on the same weekend? The same questions make them comparable.
03
Work out the numbers
Plan the booth fee, realistic sales for your truck and other event costs in Mobistro to see what remains after recorded costs.
04
Say yes — or pass
If the numbers work, confirm the event. If not, you know why before it costs you a weekend.

A cook prepares burgers on an open grill at an outdoor food stall, with guests in the background

A clear boundary

Questions, not legal advice

The checklist collects questions, not answers to legal ones. Which permits, trainings or insurance you need depends on the location, the event and what you sell — the organizer, the local authority and, if in doubt, an advisor can tell you. Mobistro does not broker vendor spots.

Frequently asked questions

Is the checklist free?

Yes. Fill it in, check it off and print without an account. Your entries are not stored or transmitted and are lost when you reload the page.

How do I account for a share of sales?

Mobistro does not calculate percentage-based fees automatically. Confirm the sales basis and any minimum charge. Estimate the share from planned revenue and record it alongside any additional flat fees in cost planning.

Which permits do I need?

That depends on the location, the event and what you sell. Ask the organizer what they apply for and what is on you, and check the rest with the local authority. The checklist is not legal advice.

What do I do with the answers?

Record answers and open points in the notes and print them. Add fees, hours and the stand location to Mobistro. Base your own planned quantities on realistic demand, not just total event attendance.

Does the checklist work for catering jobs?

Many questions apply. Plan the agreed catering price as lump-sum revenue. Record any venue, infrastructure and other costs separately; revenue does not replace those costs.

Does Mobistro broker vendor spots?

No. Mobistro is not a booking platform; it helps you plan the events you take on.

The organizer replied? Work out the event.

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