Sam Munn is shown near his new food truck, Uncle Sam’s Kitchen, in Bettenedorf on Friday, April 18. Uncle Sam’s Kitchen is one of the newest food trucks in the Quad Cities region. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Sam Munn is new to the food truck business in the Quad Cities. The 18-year-old Davenport man is a second year student in the culinary program at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges. He also is owner of Uncle Sam’s Kitchen – a food truck that opened for business a few weeks ago in the region. “My […]
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Sam Munn is new to the food truck business in the Quad Cities.The 18-year-old Davenport man is a second year student in the culinary program at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges. He also is owner of Uncle Sam’s Kitchen – a food truck that opened for business a few weeks ago in the region.“My bestselling item is either my All American Burger, a regular smash burger with cheese, or my Uncle Sam’s Burger, two burger patties with bacon, cheese and my homemade burger sauce. … Business has been going really well so far. I have heard really good things from customers on our food quality and our prices,” the young entrepreneur said.Food trucks continue to be popular restaurants on wheels in Quad Cities, especially during the spring and summer months. With winter over, thousands of foodies in the region are getting meals again at the dozens of trucks serving up smash burgers, hot dogs, tacos, pizza, ice cream and many other goodies. The trucks remain popular with people needing a fast meal at a reasonable price. Troy and Emily Maddox, along with their two young daughters, look over the menu at the Grilled Cheese Bar food truck Friday, April 18, during the first Food Truck Friday of the season in downtown LeClaire. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSONHowever, several people in the food truck business say that even with the continued popularity, they are facing more challenges – from increased competition, inflation and a lot more fees to do business.For many foodies, though, those challenges mean nothing. This is the season they can find their favorite food trucks in many locations around the bistate region.They are in area parking lots, outside of businesses, a part of celebrations and the centerpiece of the annual Food Truck Fight in East Moline. In LeClaire, the trucks have their own night – Food Truck Fridays. This year’s season, which began Friday, April 18, and goes through September, features several food trucks setting up shop near downtown businesses.“If anything, they’ve gotten more popular, especially here in LeClaire. … There’s just something about a summer evening by the river with good food, cold drinks, and live music that people can’t resist,” said Ryan Burchett, owner of the Mississippi River Distilling Company, one of the river city’s businesses that host a food truck during the Friday events.
Food truck season warming up in QC
The food trucks also help local businesses that don’t sell their own food, said Cindy Bruhn, LeClaire tourism manager. “They are also great for the bars that don't have kitchens to sell their own food. I think people like having choices and hanging out at their favorite bars, often enjoying outdoor seating,” she added.Food trucks are so popular that they are also the heart of day-long celebration in the Quad Cities – the Food Truck Fight. This year’s “fight” will being at noon Saturday, July 19, outside of The Rust Belt in East Moline. Since 2017, the event has brought together dozens of trucks to serve out great food to thousands of people who gather for a good meal. It also crowns a food truck champion, based on the votes from the foodies attending the events.“They (the food trucks) offer a unique way to eat a meal with friends and family. You're not tied to a table at a restaurant and can enjoy great food in multiple settings,” said Bobby Ray Bunch, owner and operator of the Food Truck Fight.
Rising costs, fees challenge truck owners
Mr. Bunch added that many of the current challenges are the same ones facing almost all businesses: staying relevant, and dealing with rising costs of goods and operating expenses.Valerie Kelley is an owner of the Kelley Girls Woodfire Pizza food trucks. In the food truck world, Kelley Girls is a star – having won the Food Truck Fight three times over the past few years. She loves the business, stating: “When you are genuinely happy and love what you do, people feel that positivity and want to come back.”Sam Munn tries one of the burgers Friday, April 18, on the menu at his new food truck, Uncle Sam’s Kitchen, in Bettendorf.But she’s also quick to point out that food trucks have their own unique challenges, in particular, the cost of doing business, especially fees being charged by local governments.“The new challenges food trucks face are the fees and permits for each state, city and now county. That doesn’t even include vendor fees to participate in an event. When we started in 2017, the fees were much less and most smaller cities didn’t have one to sell there. Now the state fee has gone up by almost 10 times and each individual city has jumped on the band wagon with being a couple hundred dollars annually. It gets to be pricey,” she said.Ms. Kelley added that food truck owners have to pick what cities they feel make the most sense to sell in and be financially savvy.
Fun for whole family
But those new challenges and fees do not seem to be a big concern to the many foodies who visit food trucks, looking for a good meal. Those foodies were out in force on Friday, April 18, during the first Food Truck Friday of the season in LeClaire. Hundreds of people were in the downtown area to visit three trucks – Mexies, Flavor Train, and Grilled Cheese Bar.Wayne Walley shows the sandwich he ordered from the Grilled Cheese Bar food truck as LeClaire’s Food Truck Fridays kicked off Friday, April 18, for the season. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSONOne of those food fans was Wayne Walley, one of the owners of the Aunt Hattie’s Fanciful Emporium, a gift shop at 102 S. Cody Road. The Grilled Cheese Bar truck was parked near his LeClaire business. The local businessman looked over the menu and ordered the turkey, bacon and avocado sandwich – without the avocado.“I like the variety of offerings these trucks bring. … Hopefully, they’ll also bring people to the downtown area to see all the things we have to offer,” he said.A short time after Mr. Walley enjoyed his sandwich, a LeClaire family of four tried out the truck’s grilled cheese sandwiches. Troy and Emily Maddox, along with their two young daughters, ages 3 and 1, stopped by to get a quick meal.Mr. Maddox said he likes the food trucks because they offer a great dining option for families with smaller children.“It’s just harder these days to go to a restaurant when you have little children,” he added.Uncle Sam’s Kitchen’s owner is hoping children, adults and all foodies give food trucks a try this spring and summer. Even though the business is new, he said his truck is off to a great start because of his menu of smash burgers and other items.“It’s good food here. … I like supporting these local businesses,” Ben Scranton, of Bettendorf, said as he ordered an Uncle Sam’s Burger and cheese curds when the food truck was parked near Moments Tux Shop at 4332 State St., Bettendorf, on Friday, April 18.Looking forward to his first season in the business, Mr. Munn had this message for others considering a food truck venture: “Advice that I have for others wanting to start is to just jump in and go for it as well as make sure you get all your permits done well in advance.”Ben Scranton, of Bettendorf, shows the food he ordered from the new Uncle Sam’s Kitchen food truck on Friday, April 18, in Bettendorf. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
At a Glance: Food trucks
The number of food truck businesses in the U.S. increased by almost 16% between 2018 and 2024. There are now about 58,000 food trucks nationwide. – Therestauranthq.com
The median salary for a food truck owner is about $50,000. – upmenu.com
On average, it takes two years for a food truck to become profitable. – upmenu.com
A new food truck with a new kitchen can cost between $125,000 to $200,000. – Therestauranthq.com
The average purchase cost of a new food truck in 2025 was $108,500. – Foodtruckprofit.com
The average purchase cost of a used food truck in 2025 was $46,800. – Foodtruckprofit.com
91% of food trucks in the U.S. are independent operations. – Foodtruckprofit.com
The average food truck in 2025 employs 1.8 full time employees. – Foodtruckprofit.com
Due to inflation and other factors, the average operating costs to run a food truck has increased 7.9% from 2020 to 2025. Foodtruckprofit.com
About 40% of food trucks survive the first three years of operation. – upmenu.com
The average startup inventory cost for a food truck is $2,000 to $3,000. – Therestauranthq.com
The global food truck market size was valued at $4.9 billion last year. It is projected to reach $5.22 billion this year, and hit $8.78 billion in 2033. – Straitsresearch.com
From 5-8 p.m. is the busiest time of day for most food truck owners, with 63.6% of operators reporting evenings as their peak hours. – Food Liability Insurance Program
About 86.9% of food truck operators use Facebook to promote their business, making it this industry’s most popular social media platform. – Food Liability Insurance Program
40% of food truck owners describe their business as moderately profitable (generating a steady profit without any significant increases). – Food Liability Insurance Program
The average revenue of a food truck in 2024 in the U.S. was $346,000. – Restaurant HQ
Most food trucks in the U.S. have six to 12 core menu items to ensure quick and quality service. – National Restaurant Association.
An estimated 31,000 people work in the U.S. food truck industry, and food trucks operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. – Ibisworld.com
