For a number of years, our metropolis has hosted a month-to-month meals truck and music occasion that brings in a whole bunch of locals to eat and hearken to music. Over the previous few years, perhaps half of the vans have turned over.
That form of turnover is what occurs when the fee and complexity of getting a meals truck on the highway enhance, turning delays, misplaced deposits, and financing pressure into existential dangers for small operators.
Some might have left for higher alternatives, however others virtually definitely went out of enterprise. That is as a result of whereas the meals truck business has been rising, it is also extremely aggressive, based on Meals Truck Revenue.
Half of meals truck homeowners are underneath the age of fifty.
No single meals truck firm has greater than 3% of the market.
The typical buy value of a brand new meals truck in 2025 was $108,500.
The typical buy value of a used meals truck in 2025 was $46,800.
At present, there are 48,400 meals vans throughout the U.S.
Over 60% of millennials have eaten at a meals truck within the final 12 months. Supply: Meals Truck Revenue
As gear prices rise and financing tightens, the hole between widespread demand and sustainable meals truck economics is prone to widen.
For small operators, even modest delays or value overruns can shortly erase skinny margins and decide whether or not a truck ever makes it onto the road.
Trade analysis and operator surveys present that whereas meals vans are widespread, the enterprise mannequin leaves little room for error.
Meals vans, nevertheless, truly contracted by 0.2% in 2025, based on information from IBIS World.
Eddie Tamayo, who owns the Craft Taco meals truck, made it clear that coming into the meals truck enterprise just isn’t straightforward.
“Proudly owning a meals truck might be the toughest factor I’ve carried out, and there’s much more to it than what meets the attention,” Tamayo informed JMS Stories. “The obstacles you’ve gotten from discovering an excellent energy supply to your engine breaking right down to your tires popping. It’s been the largest problem in life, however it’s been very rewarding.”
Now, a brand new impediment to coming into the meals truck area has arisen as Cruising Kitchens, one of many main builders of customized meals vans, has filed for Chapter 11 chapter.
Cruising Kitchens has been struggling for some time because it was served with a number of lawsuits in 2025. Now, nevertheless, the maker of meals vans and different customized kitchens, has filed for Chapter 11 chapter safety.
“Cruising Kitchens, LLC, a San Antonio, TX-based customized meals truck and cellular enterprise producer, filed for chapter 11 safety on January 2, 2026, within the Western District of Texas. The corporate specializes within the fabrication of high-end cellular kitchens, specialised transport container models, and customized automobile builds for enterprise and unbiased shoppers,” based on RK Consultants.
The corporate operates substantial manufacturing amenities in San Antonio, together with a big manufacturing presence on Mannix Drive and Nolan Avenue.
Cruising Kitchens expanded its operations to accommodate large-scale fleet manufacturing through the pandemic-era ghost kitchen increase.
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“The chapter submitting follows a liquidity disaster triggered by the collapse of a large manufacturing partnership meant to supply a whole bunch of trailers yearly. This disruption, coupled with vital debt service on actual property holdings, led to a considerable discount in workforce and authorized disputes concerning mortgage defaults and facility foreclosures,” RK Consultants added.
Cruising Kitchens intends to pursue a court-supervised sale of sure actual property property whereas trying to reorganize its core manufacturing operations.
The meals truck enterprise has grow to be extremely aggressive.Shutterstock
Cruising Kitchens, LLC filed a Chapter 11 chapter within the U.S. Chapter Courtroom for the Western District of Texas on January 2, 2026, underneath case quantity 26-50001-mmp, indicating formal insolvency proceedings and restructuring efforts, based on Chapter Observer.
A number of federal lawsuits involving Cruising Kitchens have been filed in 2025, displaying creditor and contract disputes as the corporate confronted monetary pressure; for instance, Goodr, Inc. v. Cruising Kitchens, LLC (filed Feb. 7, 2025) within the U.S. District Courtroom for the Western District of Texas with numerous filings and procedural orders entered by September 2025, reported Justia Dockets & Filings.
One other federal contract case, Metro Household Apply, Inc. d/b/a Metro Group Well being Facilities v. Cruising Kitchens, LLC (filed Mar. 12, 2025), was progressing by discovery and motions in 2025, reflecting ongoing authorized liabilities tied to enterprise operations, added Justia Dockets & Filings.
Even earlier than the chapter submitting, Cruising Kitchens was in monetary battle with lenders and going through lawsuits over unpaid deposits and supply disputes, together with lawsuits from prospects and lenders alleging failure to ship vans or repay funds — all indicators of deep monetary stress main into the chapter interval, based on the San Antonio Specific-Information.
“The corporate studies $3.4 million in property and $18.2 million in liabilities. The submitting signifies that no funds shall be accessible for unsecured collectors,” Bondoro reported.
Cruising Kitchens works with people coming into the meals truck area, however its core enterprise has been big-name shoppers, together with Walmart, H-E-B, Whataburger, Elevating Cane’s, the Houston Meals Financial institution, and Eat. Study. Play, Steph and Ayesha Curry’s charitable basis.
The corporate, nevertheless, overextended itself by ordering an excessive amount of stock when it made a take care of Reef Industries to provide a whole bunch of meals trailers. That deal imploded with only some vans delivered, and Reef is suing Cruising Kitchens.
“Reef isn’t the one firm after [parent company Davies Enterprises LLC]. A number of different prospects have sued, alleging they haven’t acquired meals vans they ordered. Lenders have sued, too, claiming they haven’t been repaid,” based on the San Antonio Specific Information.
The newspaper additionally reported that the corporate confronted a number of different issues.
Former staff describe issues cashing their paychecks, generally needing to buy their very own provides.
Deep workers cuts left housekeepers to man the entrance desk on the firm’s headquarters on Mannix Drive close to San Antonio Worldwide Airport.
Cruising Kitchens and Davies Enterprises are additionally embroiled in a monetary dispute with a lender searching for to foreclose on two of its different properties: the East Facet warehouse at 314 Nolan St. and the previous Boardwalk on Bulverde meals truck park at 14732 Bulverde Street.
