# How to Open a Food Truck in Canada: Equipment and Planning > Plan a food truck in Canada: compact cooking and cold equipment, propane and power, ventilation, the order to buy in, leasing and permits. Opening a business by Norpex. Published 2026-11-11, updated 2026-11-11. Canonical: https://norpex.ca/guides/how-to-open-a-food-truck ![Waring large Italian-style panini grill](https://norpex.ca/m/92/7b/927b5061b87f48dffecf01373d503b1dcde89506128d9a87cadd0236983cbf26.png) Pictured: [Waring WPG250B Panini Grill](https://norpex.ca/product/waring-large-italian-style-panini-grill-wpg250b) A food truck is a kitchen with a hard size, weight and power limit, so choose a short menu first and then pick compact equipment that fits the space and the energy you can carry. Propane, generator or shore power, and ventilation are decided before the first appliance is bought. ## Key takeaways - Fix the menu first: a short menu is the only way to fit a kitchen into a truck. - Add up every appliance's amperage or gas input to size the generator or the propane supply before you buy. - Buy shallow-depth and countertop equipment made to fit a truck, and measure the opening, not just the space. - Hood, fire suppression and gas work are specialist jobs: plan them with the truck builder and the inspectors. - Check the fuel version on every gas appliance, because all sales are final. ## Why a food truck works A food truck puts a kitchen where the customers already are: events, festivals, office parks, construction sites and busy streets. It costs less to start than a restaurant with a dining room and rent, the menu can be tested and changed quickly, and the same truck can serve different crowds on different days. The constraint is the space. A truck kitchen is a few metres of counter, one or two cooks and a service window, and everything on the menu has to be cooked, held and served from it. Each appliance has to earn its place by doing more than one job, or by selling more than the space it takes. That makes the equipment the business plan. The menu fixes the cooking equipment, the cooking equipment fixes the gas and power, and the truck itself, its weight and its ventilation, fix how much of that can be carried. ## The equipment list: cooking Most trucks cook on a griddle or a griddle-and-charbroiler combination, a fryer or two, and sometimes a panini press or a small oven. Combination countertop units save width. Pick appliances for what the menu needs to cook at the same time in a rush, not for the longest menu you can imagine. Gas appliances usually run on propane in a truck, and many commercial models are made in both natural gas and propane versions. Confirm the version on every gas appliance you order, because it arrives built for one gas and all sales are final. Electric appliances need a generator or shore power; the nameplate amps add up quickly across a fryer, a griddle and a refrigerator. Fryers in a truck need extra thought: hot oil on a moving vehicle is a hazard, so the fryer should sit against a secure mounting and the line should be planned for it. The truck builder and the fire authority will have views, so ask before buying. ## The equipment list: cold, prep and cleanup Refrigeration in a truck is usually worktop or undercounter units, because they double as counter space. Measure the depth; shallow-depth models exist for exactly this reason. Add a small freezer if the menu needs one, and keep cold food at 4 degrees C or below, which is Health Canada's guidance. A truck still needs a hand-washing sink and, in most places, a separate compartment sink for washing equipment, plus potable and waste water tanks sized for the service. Your local public health unit sets the exact requirements, and they are often stricter for a mobile unit than for a restaurant, so read them first. Add a heated display or a warmer if you hold food between orders; hot food stays at 60 degrees C or above. A mobile prep table or work surface gives the cook room to assemble orders. ## Space, ventilation, propane and power Cooking equipment that makes grease vapour needs a hood with a fan and, in most places, a fire suppression system, built into the truck and sized to the line. Ventilation in a small box is demanding: the exhaust has to clear the heat and smoke without making the cook uncomfortable, and make-up air has to come from somewhere. Plan the hood with the truck builder before you buy the appliances. Propane is stored in tanks mounted to the truck and piped to each appliance by a licensed gas fitter. List the BTU input of every appliance to size the tanks and regulators. Electric power comes from a generator or shore power, so total the amperage of every appliance that may run at once, and add the refrigerators, lights and the hood fan. Weight matters too: equipment, tanks, water and food count against the vehicle's load rating. Choose lighter stainless equipment where you can and ask the builder for the limit. ## The order to buy in Buy in the order each decision constrains the next. - 1. The menu, then the cooking equipment it needs. - 2. The truck or trailer, built or chosen around that cooking line, with the hood and fire suppression. - 3. The gas and power plan: propane tanks, generator or shore power, and the circuits. - 4. Refrigeration, sinks and the water system. - 5. Warmers, tables, shelves and smallwares, last, when the interior is measured. ## Lease or buy The truck itself is usually the biggest cost, and the equipment is a second tranche on top. Buying outright avoids financing cost; leasing keeps cash free for the vehicle, permits, insurance and a first stock of food. Weigh it against how long you will use the same line. Financing is available on approved credit. Apply from the financing page and a Norpex rep sets it up within one business day. ## Permits and inspections A mobile food business involves more offices than a fixed shop: the health unit for the food permit and the unit's plans, the municipality for where you may park and sell, and inspectors for gas, fire and the vehicle. Start with the federal overview of permits, licences and regulations, then check with your municipality and local public health unit before you build or buy. Many health units also expect a base kitchen for storage and cleaning, so ask about that early. ## Get the whole list priced Send the equipment list through the project quote form. A person prices the whole list with freight included and replies within one business day. Items that can be bought online show the delivered price at checkout before you pay. All sales are final, so confirm voltage, phase, gas type and dimensions, including shallow depth, before ordering. ## Common questions ### Should a food truck run on propane or electric equipment? Propane gives strong heat without a large generator, while electric equipment is simpler to ventilate but needs a generator or shore power sized for every appliance. Many trucks mix the two. Total the gas input and the amperage before you decide. ### How big a generator does a food truck need? Add the amperage of every appliance that may run at once, including refrigeration, lights and the hood fan, and size the generator above that total. The nameplate on each appliance gives the figure, and the truck builder can confirm the rest. ### Does a food truck need a hood? A truck that cooks with grease-producing equipment normally needs a hood and a fire suppression system built into the vehicle. The truck builder, your health unit and the fire authority decide the details, so involve them before you buy appliances. ### What size equipment fits in a food truck? Measure the opening and the interior, not just the floor space. Shallow-depth and countertop units made for tight kitchens are the starting point, and weight counts against the vehicle's load rating. ### Can I get one quote for the whole truck kitchen? Yes. Send the equipment list through the project quote form. A person prices the full list with freight included and replies within one business day. ## Related guides - [Natural Gas or Propane: Ordering Kitchen Equipment for the Right Gas](https://norpex.ca/guides/natural-gas-vs-propane-equipment) - [How to Size a Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Hood](https://norpex.ca/guides/how-to-size-a-commercial-kitchen-hood) - [What to Measure Before Ordering Commercial Kitchen Equipment](https://norpex.ca/guides/measuring-before-ordering) - [Restaurant Equipment Checklist: What to Buy to Open in Canada](https://norpex.ca/guides/restaurant-equipment-checklist) ## Shop the catalogue - [Griddles](https://norpex.ca/products/griddles) - [Charbroilers](https://norpex.ca/products/charbroilers-grills-and-broilers) - [Countertop Fryer](https://norpex.ca/products/countertop-fryer) - [Worktop Refrigerator](https://norpex.ca/products/worktop-refrigerator) - [Hand Sink](https://norpex.ca/products/hand-sink) - [Countertop Display Warmers](https://norpex.ca/products/countertop-display-warmers)