The fastest way to lose your first few weeks in business is to fail inspection and have to fix and re inspect, and almost all of it is avoidable. Inspections are not a mystery. They come down to a predictable set of items, and a truck that is built right and an owner who shows […]
Food Truck Inspection Checklist: How to Pass Health and Fire the First Time Read More »
A used food truck is cheaper up front, and for the right buyer it is the smart move. For a first time owner, though, the cheaper truck is not always the cheaper decision, because the money you save on the sticker can come back as repairs, retrofits, and downtime. This is the full comparison, including
Used vs New Food Truck: Which Should a First-Time Owner Buy? (2026) Read More »
Before you put $50,000 to $100,000 into a truck, you deserve an honest answer to a simple question: what does one actually make? The real answer is that it varies more than almost any other small business, and the gap between a strong truck and a struggling one is enormous. Two trucks with the same
How Much Does a Food Truck Make? A Straight Look at the Numbers (2026) Read More »
Most of the people we build trucks for are buying their first one, and the first real question is always how to pay for it. A custom build runs about $50,000 to $100,000 depending on size and equipment, and almost nobody pays cash. The good news is that a food truck is a financeable asset,
How to Finance a Food Truck in 2026: Loans, Rates, and Real Numbers Read More »
Brookings is a college town built around South Dakota State University, and it has one of the most detailed food truck ordinances in the state, which actually makes planning easier because the rules are spelled out. You will hold two licenses: the South Dakota Department of Health Mobile Food Service license, and the City of
Food Truck Permits in Brookings, SD (2026) Read More »
Aberdeen stacks two governments like the rest of South Dakota, but with one local quirk worth knowing up front: the city does not have a dedicated mobile food vendor permit. It regulates mobile sellers through its transient merchant license. So you will hold a South Dakota Department of Health Mobile Food Service license for the
Food Truck Permits in Aberdeen, SD (2026) Read More »
Rapid City uses a two-layer system with a twist: there is no city health department, so health licensing is the state’s job, and the city layer is a Mobile Food Vending permit run by Parks and Recreation plus zoning rules in the municipal code. You will hold a South Dakota Department of Health Mobile Food
Food Truck Permits in Rapid City, SD (2026) Read More »
Sioux Falls runs a clean two-license system, and once you see both pieces it is easy to plan around. You need the state Mobile Food Service license from the South Dakota Department of Health, and you need the City of Sioux Falls Mobile Food Vendor permit on top of it. You will also need a
Food Truck Permits in Sioux Falls, SD (2026) Read More »
South Dakota is one of the simpler states to license a food truck in, because the health side runs through a single statewide office instead of a patchwork of county departments. There is one state license that covers you anywhere in South Dakota, and then each city adds its own local vending permit on top.
Food Truck Permits in South Dakota (2026): Licenses, Fees, and Inspections Read More »
Minot stacks three authorities, and they are not interchangeable. Health licensing is the First District Health Unit. Fire is the Minot Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau, a city function. And the city business and zoning side runs through the City Clerk and Planning. Get those three straight and the path is clear. The First District
Food Truck Permits in Minot, ND (2026) Read More »
