WATCH: Angie Seth reports from the heated City Hall debate where food truck operators and restaurateur sparred over parking bylaw.
TORONTO – Zane Caplansky, a food truck operator and prominent restaurateur who represents Toronto’s Food Truck Alliance, says some of the rules around operating a food truck are hurting the industry.
The three hour parking limit, and the 50-metre parking restriction that keeps trucks from parking too close to restaurants, are just a couple of points of concern.
Caplansky along with several other food truck vendors, restaurant owners, and hot dog vendors attended public consultation session at City Hall Thursday evening to review comment on the proposed changes to Toronto’s street vending bylaw. The bylaw addresses the city’s need to manage the various uses of streets and sidewalks, and improves the public’s access to a diversity of street food across Toronto.
The main point of contention is the 50 metre restriction with all three sides in a heated discussion about what the best solution should be. The food truck vendors say the 50 metre parking restriction basically bans them from the downtown core.
“The City says we love food trucks but you have to be 50 metres away from an open restaurants, and that essentially bans food trucks. And they know that. I think if they maintain the 50 metre rule, it will be the death of our industry,” Caplansky told Global News.
But restaurant owners and hot dog vendors disagree. They say, having a food truck too close to their restaurant or hot dog stand brings in unwelcome competition in an already very competitive market.
Sofia Alexospoulos has been a hot dog vendor for 35 years. She says rules must be followed.
“We have hotdog vendors that have worked there for many years, if a French fry truck or any truck parks in front or beside it, it’s going to be affected … business and restaurants are going to be affected and I am very concerned,” Alexospoulos said.
It’s been one year since city councillors allowed food truck vendors looking to serve up a meal more diverse than hotdogs, burgers, and fries to park their mobile eateries.
City council, after much debate, voted 34-3 in favor of allowing trucks to sell diverse food options on city streets for the first time in April, 2014. Only 39 vendors purchased the $5,000 permits last year despite there being over 125 available.
City staff are expected to present recommendations for the bylaw including an introduction of six-month permits for mobile food vendors, that will include ice cream trucks and food trucks; increasing the number of hours a truck is allowed to be parked on the street from three to five hours; and the expansion of vending locations to pay and display parking on all collector roads, not just on main streets.
The consultations, findings, and possible changes to the street vending bylaw will be complied into report and then presented to the licensing and standards committee on April 21. The recommendations will be debated and voted on by city council in May.
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