SAN DIEGO - High gas prices and inflation are making things tougher on mobile businesses, especially food trucks.
Chef Hector Pliego of Z's Buddies Sushi tells NBC 7 his fuel expenses have more than doubled.
“Before we would spend around $120 in gas for four days, that’s including gas for the generator and for the truck," said Pliego. "Right now we’re spending more than $400 every four days.”
Chef Pliego says he now spends more than $2,000 a month for gas but that's not the only thing costing him more. Wholesale food costs have also gone up. He says food costs make up about 35 to 42 percent of his operating budget, compared to about 20 percent before the pandemic.
Other food trucks owners say they've looked into setting up a non-mobile business, but the high rents combined with lower average sales make such a decision less likely.
Photo: AFP