A mobile kitchen trailer is a towable commercial kitchen built around four systems: water, sinks, ventilation and power. Spec it in that order. Size the fresh tank for your sinks, make the grey tank at least 15% larger, fit a three-compartment sink plus a separate hand sink, and size the hood to every grease-producing appliance underneath it.
The menu decides the mobile kitchen trailer, not the other way round. A fryer and a flat top need a hood and fire suppression. Your health department and fire marshal set the rules, so get their requirements in writing before you approve drawings. Our guide to food trailer sizes and cost covers length.
| Decision | Typical rule | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh water | About 30 gallons once a three-compartment sink is on board | Size up for heavy prep or long events |
| Grey water | At least 15% larger than fresh | Check the ratio on every quote |
| Hood | Runs about 6 inches past the cooking line | List every appliance before picking a length |
| Commissary | Many health departments require a daily return base | Line one up before you order |
Want the kitchen already worked out? Start with our fully equipped food trailers. Ready to spec your own?
A commissary is a licensed kitchen your trailer returns to for cleaning, dumping waste water, refilling tanks and storing food. Many health departments require one, and some require a daily return. If yours does, the trailer can lean on it for bulk prep and dishwashing. If you plan to run fully self-contained at multi-day events, everything has to happen on board, and the tanks, sinks and refrigeration grow to match.
A self-contained kitchen costs more and weighs more, but it frees you from a commissary schedule. Ask your health department which model they permit before you choose a layout. Our checklist for used food trailers shows how often a cheap unit fails on exactly this point.
Common mobile food guidelines set a floor of about 30 gallons of fresh water once a three-compartment sink is installed, with more if you add a prep sink. The grey tank must be at least 15% larger than the fresh tank, because waste water includes everything you poured in plus what came off the food and the floor.
In our configurator, the tank packages follow that ratio: 30 gallons fresh with 35 grey, or 40 fresh with 46 grey on Heritage Collection builds. Hot water comes from a tank heater or a tankless propane unit.
The three-compartment sink washes, rinses and sanitizes equipment. It does not count as a hand sink. Guidelines call for a separate hand-washing sink with its own splash guard.
That is the "3+1" sink package you see on most kitchen trailer quotes. Ask whether drain boards are included, because many inspectors expect them beside the three-compartment sink.
NFPA 96 applies to cooking equipment in mobile concessions, trailers included. If your line produces grease vapor, expect your fire marshal to require a Type I hood and a fire suppression system over it.
Size the hood last, after the equipment list is final. A hood is generally expected to run about 6 inches past each end of the cooking line, so a 48-inch flat top and a 36-inch fryer side by side need about 8 feet of hood. Our configurator offers hoods from 4 to 12 feet, and Ansul suppression systems sized in 5-, 10- and 15-point tiers to match the equipment underneath. Our food trailer fire suppression guide explains how the points are counted.
Add up the running amps of every electric appliance before choosing service. A kitchen on propane cooking with electric refrigeration can live on modest power. An all-electric line usually cannot, and it may push you to a 50-amp service and a larger generator. The cost of these choices is laid out in our breakdown of custom concession trailer cost.
Plan on at least 30 gallons of fresh water with a three-compartment sink, and a grey tank at least 15% larger. Your local health department sets the final numbers.
If you cook with grease-producing equipment such as a fryer, griddle or charbroiler, expect your fire marshal to require a hood and fire suppression. The inspector makes the final call.