9 things you may not know about food trucks in Boston

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1. Vendors get their sites through a lottery system

Food truck owners get their locations by entering into a lottery system. According to the City of Boston, Boston has 21 public sites for food trucks.  Fee varies among different zones, depending on whether the site is high-traffic and competitive. Places such a City Hall Plaza, Boston Public Library, Opera House are seen as competitive and require a higher fee. Places where residents and students most often go, like Chinatown, BU West, and Charlestown, have "a three-year permit and are selected on a first come, first served basis." To work on a private site, vendors need to get consent from the property owner and submit documents to the Public Works Permitting Office for approval. One example of a private site is the SoWa Open market, which hosts several food trucks on its weekly Sunday market.

2. Most food trucks open at lunchtime

Many cities restrict operating hours for food trucks. According to the Food Truck Nation’s report, West Hollywood in Los Angeles requires a truck to move every hour to a different street. In Chicago, a truck cannot remain in one location for more than two hours. In Boston, sites offer 3 meal shifts with specific hours, breakfast (7 am to 11 am), lunch (11 am to 3 pm), and dinner (3 pm to 8 pm). A truck has to change its spot every day and most only open at lunchtime.

3. Food trucks can be healthy


Hot dogs. Burgers. Fries. Do you assume food trucks to sell all kinds of unhealthy food? Many food trucks are versatile in providing vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free options for all types of customers. Bon Me, for example, accommodates a variety of dietary preferences at all their locations. Its nutritional fact sheet shows that none of their proteins contain any dairy. Their main entree options (sandwiches, rice bowls, noodle salads, and salads) can be made vegan or vegetarian with the roasted soy & paprika tofu and customization. Most of its dressings are vegan except the Vietnamese Vinaigrette dressing. Another truck called the Fresh Food Generation supports local farmers and only uses fresh, sustainably raised ingredients.

4. The City of Boston holds workshops for food truck beginners

Business 101: The Public Lottery Process for Food Trucks is a one-day workshop held by the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development. Vendors can learn about the sites lottery system, procedures, and requirements to enter the industry. They will understand the differences between public and private food truck locations, how to get permits and renew their licenses. These workshops are free and open to the public.

5. Food trucks are not always cheap

Some food trucks are not as cheap as you expect. Food trucks that serve poke bowls, for example, can cost $9 - $11 a bowl, which is cheap compared to restaurants but is on the pricey side. Because people see food trucks as fast-food-to-go choices, overpriced food is not acceptable. This requires vendors to build their menu with the same seasonal ingredients. Creativity is a plus because vendors can create various options with limited ingredients in a small area while being able to sell food cheap.

6. Food trucks are busier in summer


Winter is not a fun season for vendors. A 2016 Washington Post article says that “Truck owners report typical revenue drops of 50 percent or more during the cold months, with some days dwindling to a just a sale or two.” Fresh Food Generation, for example, gains up to 85 percent of their profits by catering and teaming with the Dot House Health Center to serve grab-and-go food in the lobby. Catering plays a big part in the mobile food industry. When there’s rain, wind, or snow, many people don’t want to go out. Even they make the first move, they might not want to pull out their credit cards because their hands are freezing. Mobile Cuisine has a list of winter checklist for food trucks. Antifreeze, Tires, and windshield weigh in the fight against winter. 

7. The City of Boston and Street Food app list food trucks' schedule

You can find food trucks’ schedule by neighborhood on the City of Boston. The website has a map that shows all trucks’ locations. You can also download the Boston Street Food app that shows the operating hours and locations of all trucks on the streets each day. Most trucks post their locations and open hours on social media because their spots change every day. Weather and mechanical issues can cause a truck to delay or close, so vendors always post their whereabouts on Twitter or Facebook.


8. Food trucks supplement sales through catering 

Serving customers during lunchtime is not enough for a vendor to survive. Most vendors do catering to grow their business. Catering events include wedding, parties, special celebration, in-office meals, on-campus events, festivals, and concerts, etc. Guests can customize individual orders, based on the type of food and cuisines they want.

9. Food trucks trade in food with each other


Food trucks don't face much competition as restaurants do. Most workers in the same area know and can trade in food with each other during lunchtime. A worker at Zinneken's Belgian Waffles says the waffle truck and Bon Me often trade in food because no one wants to eat waffles or noodles every day. Bon Me and Roxy’s Grilled Cheese also trade in sandwiches and Asian food. Workers share close relationships because no trucks of the same type are packed in the same area. Each food truck is different and unique in its own cuisine.


There is a lot we don't know about food trucks. Besides making profits, food truck owners have their own passion for food. They are creative to combine cuisines from two cultures into one. They might choose their ingredients carefully and only use those from local farms to support the local economy. People have many stereotypes and misunderstanding about those trucks that take up spots on the streets. People might doubt how those delicious burgers come out of the tiny space. If you want to know more about the world of a mobile kitchen, stay tuned. More stories about food trucks in Boston is coming soon!

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