How we make money: The Business Funding Club is a referral service, not a lender and not a broker. We refer businesses that ask for capital to ROK Financial. ROK and the lenders it matches you with make every funding decision. ROK pays us when a business we refer receives funding. It is free to you, and nothing here is an offer of credit. Read the full disclosure.

Illustration of a food truck with a lit serving window on an empty street at dusk

For food trucks

The truck, the kitchen build, the commissary and the permits are paid for before you sell one plate.

A food truck is a kitchen that has to pass inspection on wheels, and most of what it costs is spent before the first service. Then revenue comes in bursts around weather, events and catering. The Business Funding Club is a free referral club, not a lender. We send your request to ROK Financial. ROK and the lenders it matches you with review it and make every funding decision.

Start your application

A referral club, free to apply. ROK Financial and its lenders review every request and make all funding decisions. How we’re compensated.

Prefer to go straight to the funder? You can apply on ROK's own site. It carries our referral ID.

The math

The math

  1. BEFORE OPENING

    You build

    The truck, the kitchen and plan review. In Los Angeles County, every new food vehicle must go through Plan Check, and every food vehicle is evaluated and inspected before it sells food to the public[1].

  2. EVERY DAY YOU RUN

    You pay to operate

    Commissary, fuel, propane, food and staff. In New York City, units must be cleaned, serviced and stored at a facility the Health Department has signed off on[2], and the commissary agreement has the vendor report there at least once every 24 hours[3].

  3. EVENT TO EVENT

    You get paid

    Street service pays as you go. Festivals, private events and catering pay in bursts, and a rained-out weekend pays nothing while the commissary bill keeps running.

Food trucks have been growing. The Census Bureau counted 5,970 food truck establishments in 2018, nearly double the 3,281 in 2013, and food truck sales rose 79 percent between 2012 and 2017[4]. Growth means more events, more catering contracts and sometimes a second truck, and each one costs money up front. Financing that gap is a growth decision, not a rescue.

By Marcus L. Barber, Publisher · Reviewed by Marcus before publishing · Updated · How we write and check facts

The truck and the kitchen

The vehicle is only part of the cost. The kitchen inside it has to meet the health code where you will sell, and in many places the plan is reviewed before the truck can be permitted. Los Angeles County requires all new food vehicles to go through Plan Check[1].

Rules differ by state. North Carolina law, for example, lets a mobile food unit act as its own commissary if it meets commissary sanitation requirements. Otherwise it must have a permitted restaurant or commissary as its base of operation[5]. Build to the rules where you will actually sell, and have the plan reviewed before you spend on the build.

  • The truck or trailer itself
  • Cooking line, refrigeration, hood and fire suppression, and water tanks
  • Generator or shore power hookups
  • Wrap, signage and point-of-sale system
  • Plan review and permit fees
  • Opening inventory and supplies

Permits, inspections and the commissary

Permits are local, and they stack. In New York City, the vendor needs a food vendor license and the unit needs its own permit[2]. The number of street food vendor permits the City can issue is limited by law, and permits are valid for up to two years before they must be renewed[2]. NYC units also post letter grades from sanitary inspections[2].

In Los Angeles County, high-risk mobile food facilities are scheduled for two inspections a year and others for one[1]. If you work events across city and county lines, check each health department's rules. Those permit costs come before the event pays.

The commissary is a recurring bill. NYC's commissary agreement covers food preparation, potable water, garbage and grey water disposal, refrigerated and dry storage, ware washing and storage of the unit when it is not operating[3].

Seasons, events and catering deposits

A truck's revenue follows the weather and the event calendar. A catering contract may come with a deposit, but the food, staff and fuel for a large event are usually bought before the balance is paid.

For example: a truck books three festival weekends in a row. Each one may need an event fee, a temporary permit and two or three times the usual inventory, all paid before the gates open. Sales come in over the weekend, and the next event's costs are due the week after.

What ROK will want to see from a food truck

ROK's partner application lists at least 4 months in business and $10,000 or more in monthly gross sales, which is $120,000 a year[6].

  • Business bank statements showing your deposits
  • Point-of-sale or card processing reports by month
  • Your health permit, vendor licenses and commissary agreement
  • For a truck or kitchen purchase: the seller or builder quote, VIN and equipment list
  • Event and catering contracts, with any deposits received
  • A list of current debts, including any truck or equipment financing

These are what lenders commonly review. ROK and its lenders decide what they need for your request and whether to fund it.

If your truck is not open yet

ROK's partner application lists at least 4 months in business[6]. If you are still building your first truck, the Club is not the right fit today. Once you have a few months of sales in the bank, you can apply.

Financing that fits this kind of gap

Which one fits your business, if any, is a conversation to have with ROK’s advisor once they have seen your file. These are the types that usually come up.

Common questions

Can I get financing for my first food truck?

The Club is a fit once you are operating. ROK's partner application lists at least 4 months in business and $10,000 or more in monthly gross sales, or $120,000 a year[6]. If you are still building your first truck, those minimums are not met yet. Once you have a few months of sales, you can apply to add a truck or upgrade your kitchen.

Can I finance a used food truck?

Ask ROK. It describes equipment financing as usable for almost any tangible business asset[7]. A used truck's age, mileage and kitchen condition all matter in a review. Have the seller's details ready: VIN, mileage, photos, an equipment list, and any past health inspection or plan review records for the kitchen.

Does financing cover permits and commissary fees?

Equipment financing pays for equipment. Permits, commissary fees, event fees and inventory are operating costs, which is what a line of credit or working capital is for. A line of credit lets you draw what you need, repay it, and draw again[8]. Ask any lender what the money can be used for before you sign.

Do I need a different permit in every city?

Permit rules are set locally, so check with the health department everywhere you plan to sell. New York City requires a vendor license and a separate unit permit, and limits the number of street vendor permits by law[2]. North Carolina has its own commissary rules for mobile food units[5].

Does The Business Funding Club charge anything?

No. The Club is free. We are a referral club, not a lender or a broker. ROK Financial and the lenders it matches you with review your request and make every funding decision, and ROK pays Digital Solomon, which runs the Club, when a referred business is funded. You never owe the Club a fee.

Sources

  1. Mobile Food Facility Inspection Guide Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, checked October 16, 2026
  2. Mobile Food Vendors NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, checked October 16, 2026
  3. Mobile Food Vending Commissary Agreement (form) NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, checked October 16, 2026
  4. Fast-Growing Food Truck Industry Can Operate Amid COVID-19 Social Distancing Rules, No Indoor Seating Orders U.S. Census Bureau, checked October 16, 2026
  5. Mobile Food Unit Commissaries (Session Law 2012-187, G.S. 130A-248(c1)) North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, checked October 16, 2026
  6. Business Financing application (ROK Financial partner page) ROK Financial, checked October 16, 2026
  7. Get Equipment Financing For Your Small Business ROK Financial, checked October 16, 2026
  8. Revolving Business Line of Credit ROK Financial, checked October 16, 2026

Before you start

What ROK looks for.

Stated plainly so you don’t spend time on a form that isn’t built for your business yet. These are the minimums ROK lists on its partner application. Meeting them is the starting line, not a decision.

  • 4 monthsminimum time in business
  • $10,000minimum monthly gross sales
  • U.S.based and operating

Credit history is one input among several. ROK reviews the whole picture: revenue, deposits, time in business, and what the money is for. What to have ready.

Start your application

A referral club, free to apply. ROK Financial and its lenders review every request and make all funding decisions. How we’re compensated.

Prefer to go straight to the funder? You can apply on ROK's own site. It carries our referral ID.

Plainly

What we are, and what we are not.

We are a referral club. We introduce small businesses to ROK Financial. That's the whole service, and it's free to you.

We are not a lender and not a broker. We don't fund anything, we don't quote figures, and we don't negotiate on your behalf. If someone tells you what your financing will look like before ROK has reviewed your file, that person is guessing.

We are paid by ROK, not by you. When a business we refer gets funded, ROK compensates us. You are never charged a membership fee or an application fee, by us or by anyone acting for us. Full disclosure here.