Toronto Loosens Food-Truck Regulations

They’re taking it to the streets in Toronto. The city, which has long confined its street food to hot dog and sausage carts, is on the brink of expanding to the wider culinary world. Last week, Toronto’s licensing and standards committee voted to overrule city officials and loosen proposed curbs on the operation of food trucks on city streets.

The new regulations lift many of the rules against food trucks, including the simple, yet politically complicated rules on parking. Under the new rules, food trucks would be allowed to stop at pay-and-display parking spots on city streets and congregate in private parking lots.

Restaurant owners concerned about competition from the trucks have held fast to certain parking restrictions. Food trucks would not be able to park within about 165 ft. of a restaurant. Other restrictions increase the number of hours a truck can operate in a street parking space from three hours to five, lift the two-truck-a-block limit and restrict the rights of small-business associations to create no-food-truck zones.

The new regulations go to the city council for approval this month.