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How to start a food truck business in Auckland

Everything you need: what it costs, what you can make, what Auckland asks for, and every step from your first idea to your tenth customer.

Start this business with PressUp

Checked October 2026 In New Zealand dollars 12-minute read

The prices and costs in this guide are estimates for New Zealand: researched US figures converted to New Zealand dollars by price levels. Registration fees and taxes are New Zealand's own.

To startNZ$51k–153kLean to full setup

Per monthNZ$5.5k–17kOnce established

Profit margin50–60%After food, packaging, card fees and a helper

First customer8–26 weeksFrom today

DifficultyA big investment and lots of permits

From homeNoYou'll need a place

01Is it right for you?

A good fit if you have a menu people love and plenty of energy

A food truck lets you run a restaurant without the restaurant building. You'll need a truck or trailer, a licensed base kitchen and a stack of permits, so it costs more and takes longer to start than most ideas here. In return, you can go where the customers are and book private events.

You'll like it if

You have dishes people ask you to make again
You can work long, hot days
You like being out in the community
You're good at planning, stock and timing

Think twice if

You want a low-cost start
You'd rather not deal with permits and inspections
Long days on your feet are hard for you
Bad-weather days off would worry you

02What it costs

From NZ$51,430 to start

Start lean with the essentials and upgrade as customers come, or set up fully from day one.

Total to startNZ$51,430

What	Cost
Truck or trailerA used, equipped trailer, or a truck with a new kitchen	NZ$38,400
GeneratorIf your unit doesn't come with one	NZ$6,700
Fire suppressionRecertify the one you have, or install new	NZ$270
Registering your businessFree as a sole trader; more to form a company	NZ$0
Wrap and signageYour truck is your billboard	NZ$2,050
Permits, inspections and trainingHealth permit, plan review, fire inspection and a food manager course	NZ$790
CommissaryFirst month at a licensed base kitchen	NZ$340
Card reader or POSTake cards at the window	NZ$80
Food, packaging and small waresYour first stock	NZ$1,800
InsuranceFirst three months: liability and commercial auto	NZ$1,000
Total	NZ$51,430

Once you're running: about NZ$2,050 a month, plus about 45% of what you earn. Commissary, insurance, fuel, propane, generator fuel and repairs every month, plus food, packaging, card fees and a helper's pay for each service.

03What you can make

Work out your own numbers

Move the sliders to match your plans. The chart shows a first year that builds up as word gets around.

Average price per service NZ$1,100 NZ$280NZ$5,500

Services a week 4 112

Monthly costs NZ$2,050 NZ$0NZ$8,200

Typical in Auckland: NZ$550–NZ$2,750 per service, 2–6 services a week once established.

Revenue a month—

Profit a month—

Pays back in—

Your first yearTotal: —

Money inCosts

Weekends and eventsNZ$1.4k–4.1k

Two or three services a week

Full-time, with a helperNZ$5.5k–10k

4–5 services a week

GrowingNZ$11k–17k

Catering, festivals or a second truck

04Step by step

13 steps to your first customers

Each step says what it costs and how long it takes. Most owners get through them in a few weeks.

1
Test your menu
2–6 weeks Free

Before you buy a truck, prove people will pay for your food. Cater a few parties, cook for a pop-up, and find out which dishes sell fastest.
- A short menu of four to six items
- Feedback from real customers
- Food cost for each dish
2
Choose your name
1 day Free

Pick a name that's easy to read from across a parking lot. Make sure no one in Auckland has it.
- 3–5 name ideas
- Check no one else uses it
- Check the domain
Get name ideas for your businessFind a name
3
Register your business in Auckland
1 day to 2 weeks NZ$0–NZ$148

Most owners start as a sole trader; registering a company with the Companies Office keeps business debts separate.
- Start as a sole trader: free
- Register a company: NZ$148.05
4
Get your IRD number
1–5 days Free

Your business's tax number from Inland Revenue, for taxes and banking.
- Register with Inland Revenue
- Open a business bank account
5
Find a commissary
1–2 weeks NZ$340–1.1k a month

Most places require a licensed base kitchen where you prep, fill fresh water, empty waste water and clean. Your health permit usually names it.
- Commissaries near you
- Monthly rate and parking
- A signed agreement
6
Buy or build your truck
1–3 months NZ$38k–117k

A used, equipped trailer is the cheapest way in. A truck with a new kitchen costs more but takes less fixing. Talk to your health department before you buy.
- Used units first
- Check the fire system and generator
- Plans your health department will approve
7
Get your permits and inspections
1–3 months NZ$790–2.9k

Expect a plan review, a health inspection, a fire inspection and a food manager certificate. Each city and county sets its own rules and fees.
- Health permit and plan review
- Fire inspection
- Food manager certificate
8
Sort out GST
1–3 days Free

You must register for GST once your sales pass NZ$60,000 a year. The rate is 15%.
- Know when to register for GST
- Keep records of income and costs
- Set money aside for income tax
9
Get insured
1–2 days Quotes are free

Insurance protects you if something goes wrong on a job. Get quotes from two or three insurers.
- General liability
- Commercial auto
- Workers' compensation, once you hire
10
Set your menu and prices
1 week Free

A short menu is faster at the window and wastes less. Price each dish so food costs about a third of what you charge. See the prices below.
- Four to six items
- Food cost for each dish
- A catering menu
11
Put your business online
1 day Included

Customers want to know where you'll be today, and event hosts want to book you. Show your menu, your schedule and a catering form.
- Website with your menu
- This week's schedule
- Catering inquiry form
Describe your business and PressUp builds your websiteBuild your website
12
Build your regulars
Ongoing Free

Line up breweries, office parks and markets that want a truck every week, and ask happy customers for reviews.
- Weekly spots
- Social posts every day you serve
- Reviews from regulars
Ask your customers for reviews by email with PressUpSee how
13
Bill events and keep track
Ongoing Included

Send invoices for private events, take deposits, and know which spots and dishes earn the most.
- Deposits and invoices
- Sales by spot
- Customer list for events
Keep your customers and invoices in one place with PressUpSee how

05Licenses in AUK

What Auckland asks for

Registering, taxes, and what this business needs. Check the details with each authority: rules change.

Start as a sole trader

There's nothing to register: you tell Inland Revenue you're working for yourself.

Inland RevenueFree

Register a company

Reserving the company name and incorporating, including GST. A company also files a yearly annual return, for a fee.

Companies OfficeNZ$148.05once

IRD number

Your business's tax number, for banking and taxes.

Inland RevenueFree

Register a food plan or program

Mobile food businesses register with their local council. MPI's My Food Rules tool tells you which plan or program you need.

Your local council or MPIVaries

06Equipment

What to buy first

Buy the "must haves" to start. Add the rest when customers pay for them.

Flat-top griddle36-inch, propane

NZ$1,150–NZ$5,050Must have

Refrigerated prep table48-inch, keeps toppings cold

NZ$1,800–NZ$5,600Must have

GeneratorQuiet inverter or built-in propane

NZ$6,700–NZ$8,900Must have

Fire suppression systemUsually required over cooking equipment

NZ$4,100–NZ$8,550Must have

Propane tanksEmpty tanks, by size

NZ$190–NZ$730Must have

Card reader or POSFrom a phone reader to a full register

NZ$80–NZ$1,250Must have

FryerIf your menu needs one

NZ$1,100–NZ$1,550Later

Vinyl wrapFull wrap and signs

NZ$2,050–NZ$16,400Later

07Pricing

3 packages that sell

Simple choices make it easy to say yes. Most customers pick the middle one.

Office lunch

NZ$1,350 per event · About two hours

A set menu of three items
Guests order at the window
Around eighty guests

Private party

NZ$2,050 per event · Two to three hours

Your menu, chosen with you
Up to about a hundred guests
Travel within your area

Wedding or festival

NZ$3,450 per event · About three hours

Full menu
Larger crowds
Setup and cleanup

Food truck catering per event in AucklandTypical: NZ$1,100–NZ$3,450

Average NZ$2,100

NZ$0NZ$1.2kNZ$2.3kNZ$3.5kNZ$4.6k

08First customers

How to get your first customers

You don't need an ad budget. These work for new owners almost everywhere.

Social media

Post where you'll be every day you serve. Regulars follow trucks they love.

Free

Breweries and offices

Breweries, office parks and apartment buildings book regular food truck nights.

Partnership

Private events

Weddings, parties and company events pay a set minimum, so you know the day's take.

Repeat income

Your website

Show your menu, this week's schedule and a booking form for events.

With a PressUp website

Reviews

People pick trucks by their reviews. Ask happy customers.

With PressUp Reviews

09Your first 30 days

A month from now, you could be open

Week 1

Plan

Test your menu at a pop-up
Visit two commissaries
Ask the health department what it needs

Week 2

Set up

Choose your name
Register your business
Get insurance quotes

Week 3

Equip

Buy or order your truck
Book your inspections
Take a food manager course

Week 4

Line up customers

Website with your menu
Pitch three breweries or offices
Take your first catering booking

10Questions

Common questions

How much does it cost to start a food truck?

Most of the money goes into the truck or trailer. A used, equipped trailer is the cheapest way in; a new custom truck costs several times more. Permits, a commissary, insurance and your first stock come on top.

Do I need a commissary?

In most places, yes. Health departments usually require a licensed base kitchen where you prep, fill water, empty waste water and clean. Some small carts with their own sinks are exempt.

How long do permits take?

Plan on weeks to months. A national study found it took more than thirty business days on average, and new builds in some big cities take longer. Ask your health department before you buy.

Truck or trailer?

A trailer costs less and you can leave it at an event, but you need a vehicle that can tow it. A truck is quicker to set up and move between spots.

Should I take catering bookings?

Yes. Private events usually pay a set fee or minimum, so you know what the day will earn, and they fill quiet weekdays.

Costs and earnings are estimates from the sources below, checked October 2026. Fees and rules change: confirm with the authorities named in this guide. This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.

Sources