Question 1

Who is the Starter Kit for?

Accepted Answer

The $39 USD one-time Starter Kit is for aspiring first-time food-truck owners in Seattle and King County: career changers, home cooks and family-recipe entrepreneurs, and restaurant owners adding a truck. It is a set of planning materials for working through your own concept, budget, vehicle, agency questions, and opening preparation.

Question 2

What comes with the $39 Starter Kit?

Accepted Answer

The one-time purchase unlocks digital guides, workbooks, and worksheets in a private buyer library. The seven requested components are:
1. An ordered idea-to-opening roadmap.
2. A Seattle / King County permit and compliance checklist with official links and an individually checked date on each checklist entry.
3. New-versus-used and truck-versus-trailer buying guidance, including a used-truck inspection checklist.
4. A startup budget and break-even Excel workbook.
5. A menu-costing Excel worksheet for food-cost percentage, pricing, and service speed.
6. A launch-marketing checklist for a name check, Google Business Profile, social setup, and opening week.
7. A local resource list covering SBDC and other free help, lenders, builders, and suppliers. The downloadable set includes a seven-part PDF guide, Excel workbooks, a vehicle-comparison PDF worksheet, and an HTML marketing checklist.

Question 3

Is the Starter Kit software, or does it guarantee permit approval?

Accepted Answer

No. The Starter Kit is a collection of digital guides, workbooks, and worksheets, not business software. It does not submit applications, grant legal approval, or guarantee that a particular vehicle, menu, location, or opening date will be approved. Use the agencies’ current instructions for decisions about your own operation.

Question 4

What is the separate $79 Plus offer?

Accepted Answer

Plus is a separate $79 USD one-time purchase. After the payment is verified, the buyer may submit either a request for a 30-minute call or a Q&A request. Submitting a request is not a booked call or a completed Q&A; it is a request for follow-up, not software or a promise of an appointment.

Question 5

What should I do first, and in what order?

Accepted Answer

Start with your concept, draft menu, candidate sites, and a first budget. Use those decisions to compare vehicle and equipment options before committing to a build or ownership change. Identify the site jurisdiction and ask Public Health, Washington L&I when the unit classification requires it, and the relevant location and fire authorities about their sequence. King County mobile-food plans must be approved before construction, remodeling, or a change of ownership. Plan review is separate from the operating permit and the pre-operational inspection; for a unit covered by L&I, L&I approval must be in place before King County approves the pre-operational inspection and operating-permit application. Then refine menu costs and prepare licensing, site permissions, and opening-week operations. Confirm the exact order with the agencies for your unit and sites.

Question 6

How do King County plan review, the operating permit, and inspection fit together?

Accepted Answer

King County requires mobile-food plans to be reviewed before construction, remodeling, or a change of ownership. Plan review examines the proposed unit, equipment, menu, and operating details; it is not the operating permit. After plan approval, apply for the operating permit and complete the required pre-operational inspection before starting service. For a vehicle classified as a food truck or trailer under Washington L&I rules, Seattle’s mobile-vending guidance says the unit may enter King County plan review before L&I approval, but L&I approval is needed before King County approves the pre-operational inspection and permit application required to issue the operating permit. Carts and other unit classifications can follow different requirements, so ask both agencies about your exact unit and sequence.

Question 7

Do Seattle street vending and private-property vending use the same approval?

Accepted Answer

No. Seattle public right-of-way vending, such as a street, sidewalk, or public plaza, goes through the applicable SDOT Street Use vending permit. A private lot or plaza is a separate SDCI and property-owner question; an SDOT right-of-way permit does not settle private-property land use. Parks and event sites can have their own steps. Outside Seattle, check the city or other jurisdiction for the exact address because rules and fire authorities vary. Location permission is also separate from the Public Health food permit.

Question 8

Which health permit, commissary, and restroom questions should I check?

Accepted Answer

Public Health — Seattle & King County requires a mobile-food permit or applicable exemption to operate a food vehicle in Seattle; confirm which agency and permit apply at each site. Seattle’s mobile-vending guidance says vendors must use an approved King County commissary or apply for an exemption; eligibility and process need direct confirmation. King County’s Mobile Food Unit Operational Questionnaire asks for employee restroom access within 500 feet, without crossing a major street or intersection, at sale sites where the unit stays longer than one hour. It separately asks whether customer seating is provided and, if so, whether customers have access to a fully plumbed restroom within 200 feet. Seattle materials use different restroom-distance wording, so confirm which condition applies to your exact operation with the plan reviewer.

Question 9

Do food workers need cards, and do I need a Seattle business license?

Accepted Answer

Check current food-worker card requirements for everyone who will handle food. The Seattle mobile-vending guide says businesses operating in Seattle need a City of Seattle business license; separate street-use, health, fire, or other local approvals may also apply. If you plan to operate outside Seattle, check the business-license rules for that city or jurisdiction.

Question 10

What fire permit applies to my truck or event?

Accepted Answer

Fire requirements depend on the jurisdiction, cooking equipment and fuel, and whether you are operating at an event. Seattle’s mobile-vending guide lists a Seattle Fire Department permit for food vendors using LPG, solid fuel, open flame, or charcoal; confirm the permit class and inspection with Seattle Fire for your actual setup. King County Fire’s Special Event process covers qualifying events in unincorporated King County and is event-specific. That event permit is distinct from the general Public Health operating permit. The available source material does not settle whether Seattle Fire and King County Fire permits overlap for a particular event, so ask the event organizer and the fire authorities responsible for that location instead of assuming one replaces the other.

Question 11

How long do permits take, and what does the 30-day deadline mean?

Accepted Answer

The Seattle Office of Economic Development estimates about 8 weeks after submission for SDOT Street Use vending approval. That is an estimate for that Seattle public right-of-way permit only, not a total startup timeline or a guarantee of approval. For a qualifying King County Fire Special Event permit, a complete application is due 30 calendar days before the event start date; that deadline applies to that event-permit application only. Neither clock establishes the timing for Public Health, L&I, another fire authority, or other approvals. The specific claims on this FAQ were checked November 1, 2026; confirm current timing with the agency before planning.

Question 12

What does it cost to get a food truck permitted?

Accepted Answer

There is no single total that applies to every food truck. Fees depend on the permit type, risk category, unit and equipment, site, jurisdiction, and inspections that apply to your plan. Use the current official fee schedules for the specific approvals you need; do not add unrelated fee lines into a universal startup or permit total. The existing costs-and-timelines guide, sourced from agency fee schedules checked November 1, 2026, explains the categories and links to the schedules.