Food-cart program whetting summer appetites
2010 EXPANDED PROGRAM BEGINS
More diverse food trucks available to city residents
Vancouver’s current expanded food-cart program has been around since 2010. The expanded program was first launched because the city wanted to reflect the diversity of Vancouver and its residents, according to Scott Edwards, manager of the street activities branch with the City of Vancouver. Since the broader program was launched in 2010, more diverse food trucks have been introduced to city streets, serving up grilled cheese, tacos, shawarmas and much more.
77 NEW FOOD TRUCKS OPEN
Grilled cheese, perogies, Salvadoran cuisine ... oh my!
Since the expanded program first launched, 77 different food trucks have been introduced, including Mum’s Grilled Cheese Truck, Holy Perogy, Guanaco and the Reef Runner. Edwards said there are several Vancouver restaurants that have expanded into the food-truck business in recent years, while there are other food-truck operators who have since expanded to brick-and-motor venues around town. Vij’s Railway Express is another example of a restaurateur turned food-truck operation. More recently, The Local Omnivore set up a one-night sit-down pop-up shop in East Van as a testing ground for its burgers in restaurant form.
1978 FIRST FOOD-CART PERMIT
Stationary vendors’ food fare included hotdogs, popcorn
The first food-cart permit in Vancouver was issued in 1978 to a hotdog vendor. Prior to the expanded program’s launch in 2010, food-cart vendors were mostly small operations hawking hotdogs, chestnuts, popcorn and ice cream bars. These carts were stationary and usually remained at the same location. To this day, there are still 104 stationary food carts, although only 35 of them sell the traditional hotdogs or chestnuts, while the other 69 offer more exotic foods.
June 28 FOOD CART FEST VANCOUVER
Sunday ritual of gathering of city’s top food carts returns
This year’s edition of Food Cart Fest Vancouver returns on June 28. More than 20 of the city’s top food carts will gather every Sunday throughout the summer at the Olympic Village, alongside live entertainment, kids activities, urban gardening and more. The event runs each Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. at 215 West 1st Ave., between the Cambie Street Bridge and the Canada Line’s Olympic Village Station. Among the food carts slated to make appearances this summer are Aussie Pie Guy, Feastro the Rolling Bistro, and Kaboom Box.
1 a.m. EXTENDED PATIO HOURS
Outdoor locales’ closing time for 72 eligible restaurants
For foodies who prefer to sit, the city has also re-introduced its extended patio hours pilot project this summer. There are 72 restaurants throughout Vancouver that have been issued licences allowing them to keep patios open until 1 a.m. over the summer. There are currently 574 patios across the city that are eligible for the extension, however, establishments hoping to stay open late must have up-to-date insurance, all fees paid in full, and no patio noise-related complaints from the past 12 months.