Food trucks across Toronto may finally get a chance to take a bite out of business across the city this summer.
The city released a report on Monday proposing a new by-law that would give Toronto mobile food trucks more opportunities to sell their food across the city.
Under the new by-law, vendors would be issued a Mobile Food Vending Permit that would allow trucks to set-up their business in designated mobile vending zones across the city.
The zones would include pay-and-display parking spaces on major streets and require vendors to pay for the parking space they occupy.
In an effort to decrease traffic congestion and crowding, the by-law would also limit the amount of time a truck can operate on any one block to a maximum of three hours.
Furthermore, no more than two vendors would be able to operate on a single block at any given time.
Food trucks would also be required to operate at least 50 metres away from a licensed restaurant and 30 metres away from any school or place of worship.
City staff notes that the new system could introduce 340 new vending permits to the city.
The report says that many cities across North America have revised their vending laws to better reflect the growing demand for street food in urban areas.
In cities such as Seattle and Portland, food trucks are often set up on private property and occupy space and stalls in parking lots. In Vancouver and Ottawa, food trucks occupy fixed locations on the right of way, while cities such as Calgary and Chicago allow food trucks to roam and vend from parking spots on the road.
The report notes that while Toronto’s mobile food vending scene has evolved over the years, truck owners have complained about the limited flexibility of zoning laws across the city.
“The difference between Toronto’s street food industry, and many other staff reviewed, is not a lack of menu options here, but rather an inability for all but a handful of vendors to make those menus regularly and conveniently available to the public,” the report notes.
The report suggests that easing vending restrictions could also prove to be a lucrative move for the city.
In 2013, the total revenue collected from vending license and permit fees was just over $850,000. The report notes that the new permit system could generate an extra $180,000 in revenue for the city.
The recommendations will be presented at a licensing and standards committee meeting on March 18 and handed over to city council later in the year.
If the new laws are approved by city council, city trucks could begin hitting the streets as soon as May.