Denver is one of the best places in the country to open a food truck
If you’ve ever dreamed of rolling out your own food truck, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation has good news for Denverites. According to its new report, “Food Truck Nation,” Denver is the second-most food truck-friendly city in the nation. Portland, Ore., came in first.
The group studied 20 cities over the past year, analyzing food truck-centric issues such as ease of obtaining government permits and licenses, zoning laws and operational costs, and procedures. Denver ranked first for the permit and licensing requirements, meaning the city has the fewest number of procedures (10), and lowest fees to get up and running ($811; in Boston these add up to $17,066).
“Starting a food truck business is easy and straightforward,” the Denver section of the narrative stated. “Operating a food truck and maintaining compliance are equally straightforward.”
Not so fast, said Spencer Whitaker, who started the Denverbased food truck (or rather, food Airstream trailer) Wilder Meats and Eats in August of last year.
“‘Easy’ — that’s not the word I would use,” Whitaker said. “It’s quite challenging.”
Whitaker said startup costs for a food truck business are
still pretty high, perhaps half as much as those for a traditional brick-and-mortar restaurant. And then there are the permitting and fire safety regulations. Because no one wants a food truck on fire.
The report, which also surveyed local food truck owners, suggested that the Denver Fire Department may be the biggest hurdle for truck operators as well.
“Numerous truck owners in our survey pointed to the new fire suppression systems they are now required to install, alongside changes to gas lines and propane tank sizes. All told, one owner paid out over $4,000 in repairs and updates to comply with these rules,” the report stated.
Denver’s weakest score was in the annual operational compliance category, which includes required inspections, the number of trips to regulatory agencies and the costs of insurance, taxes and licenses and permits. We ranked sixth nationally, with fees paid ringing up to $22,751. (Which may be why that food truck burger costs $12.)
But what’s $22,751 if it means following your food truck dream? For Whitaker, cooking his own food on his terms has always been the goal, but the road can be bumpy.
“When things are tough, I have to remind myself a lot that I’m my own boss, and it’s something I’ve wanted for a long time,” he said. “But it’s not like the money just starts pouring in as soon as you open. It takes a long time to get something going. Like anything else, there are pros and cons to it.”
Allyson Reedy (areedy@denverpost.com) is a food writer for The Denver Post. On Twitter @Allysonbtc and Instagram, Allysoneatsden.