Everything Tastes Better Standing Up: A Comparative Analysis of Food Truck Enterprise Bylaws in Vancouver and Toronto

Abstract

With the growth in the demand and popularity of food trucks, Canadian municipalities have experienced public pressure to amend food-vending bylaws and encourage the establishment of food truck enterprises. Conversely, complaints from traditional bricks-and-mortar restaurants, as well as fears of negative externalities caused by food trucks, such as over-crowding and noise pollution, have tended to stall the deregulation of food trucks. As a result, Canadian cities have developed differing bylaws related to food trucks. Two cities, Vancouver and Toronto, have implemented widely varying bylaws that exemplify their differing approaches to achieving a successful balance between regulation and encouragement of food truck vending. This report analyzes city bylaws related to food truck vending in Vancouver and Toronto with a focus on the extent of food truck mobility within their respective cities, their ability to offer variety in their menus, and the economic viability, associated with license fees and permit expenditures, for start-up vendors.