Local food trucks are stalling thanks to red tape, says the Globe. They delve into the city’s shabby treatment of vendors-on-wheels, casting a harsh light upon the city’s Food Truck Challenge. They note that one of the three winners has backed out, while other food-truck operators bemoan bureaucracy. More ahead.
The former co-owner of World Eats, one of the winners, says his business partnership dissolved after he decided that setting up on City Hall Plaza wouldn’t be economically feasible. Santiago Lopez says he spent more than $2,000 of his own money on the contest, thinking he’d eventually get more support. Well-established Clover Food Lab will take its place.
According to the Globe, the contest website stated that winners would receive “technical assistance, permitting guidance, and assistance applying for low-interest loans from the City of Boston.’’ But participants say that aid hasn’t been forthcoming. Other food-truck owners lament “lack of cohesion” when it comes to food-truck permits and complain about trouble finding operating locations.
But it’s not all bad news: The Rose Kennedy Greenway will welcome several new food trucks this spring. (Today, Dosa Factory just announced plans to open there, via Twitter.) And, of course, Roxy’s Grilled Cheese has finally opened in Cleveland Circle. Hopefully a food-truck lover in Mayor Menino’s administration can grease the wheels a little bit here.
Food Trucks in Boston Get Off to Rocky Start [Globe]
