Permit restrictions, high price a deterrent for food trucks

There’s nothing like a bit of al-fresco dining when the weather is hot but if you were expecting to see more food trucks outside this summer…think again.

The city opened its permits for food trucks to park and operate on city streets back in May but so far only nine have been sold.

The permit, which costs $5,000 and comes with several restrictions including the truck being 50 meters away from any other restaurants and a three hour time limit, is a bone of contention with many owners.

“We didn’t get the permit because it doesn’t make any sense,” Jeff Richards, the food truck manager for Caplansky’s Delicatessen, told CityNews. “You can only park for three hours. My guys have got to prep. They’ve got to set up and bring everything to temp – that takes 2 hours, and then an hour service… and you can’t go back to that spot for another 24 hours.”

Richards adds that the distance restrictions basically push all food trucks out of the downtown core, which means less foot traffic.

“It’s a total disaster,” he said. “We’re not here to take anyone’s business we’re here to bring business and be entrepreneurs and bring food to Toronto residents.”

Carleton Grant, director of policy and strategic support with the City of Toronto, said that although the city was expecting to sell more permits, he wasn’t surprised at the numbers.

“There were so many opportunities that we created through this bylaw and the main one was to open up commercial parking lots,” Grant explained. “A lot of them have gone that route because in those cases you don’t have to be 50 meters from a business or operate for three hours.”

Grant said the city’s goal is to provide as many opportunities as possible to these entrepreneurs and defends the $5,000 permit fee.

“The $5,000 permit fee works out to $18 a day to operate and sell products for commercial purposes on the city’s streets,” he said. “The city streets have a value and we’ve considered that value and I think the price is very fair.”

In comparison, hot dog vendors pay a permit fee of approximately $4,000.

The bylaw is expected to be revisited next year and Grant says they will speak with those in the industry as well as members of the public about the success of the permits.

“Ultimately the people who we want to hear from are the public and are you getting the vibrant street food culture that we want to give them and that the food trucks want to give them,” he said.

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