Toronto Food Trucks Face Challenges

"In keeping with an exploding North American trend, the appetite for truck grub is increasing in Toronto: over 300 food trucks are licensed to operate, and many trendy ‘gourmet food truck’ businesses have sprung up in the greater Toronto area in the past year or two, offering everything from fish tacos to maple-bacon doughnuts. 

 Website Toronto Food Trucks launched in 2011 to monitor the city’s “developing food truck scene” and provide daily locations, and a handful of trucks were featured earlier this month on street food TV show Eat St."

MP: But there are some pesky regulatory issues.....

"For food truck entrepreneurs, the problem is simple but crippling: there’s almost nowhere to park.

“I licensed it, the city took my money, then they said I couldn’t park it anywhere,” said Tony Vastis, owner and operator of a Greek food truck, Blue Donkey Streatery. “I don’t know what the thought process was there.” The city’s municipal code prohibits the trucks from setting up shop on city streets and limits parking on licensed premises, such as parking lots, to 10 minutes."

HT: Marc Purcell