Food trucks are becoming a permanent and profitable part of the Irish food scene. Initially driven by pandemic-era necessity, and increasingly sustained by rising commercial rents and shifting consumer habits due to the cost-of-living crisis, new data from SumUp now shows a sharp rise in both transaction volumes and spending per food truck merchant.

 

According to the findings:

  • Since 2023, food trucks have seen almost a 20% increase in total sales and more than a 10% jump in the number of transactions per vendor.
  • Meanwhile, traditional fast food restaurants have experienced a drop in both sales and average spend per customer since 2024.
  • Food trucks, by contrast, have enjoyed an 8% rise in the average amount each customer spends since 2023.
  • Cities like Galway and Kildare have seen considerable increases in sales for food vendors since 2023, up 80% and 145%, respectively.