Portland, a longtime mobile eats conscientious objector, has finally joined the “food truck revolution,” but there are still plenty of regulatory issues that could make it difficult for trucks to succeed in the city, writes Meredith Goad in her Soup to Nuts column in the Press Herald.

First, food trucks have a slew of city fees to deal with: license fee, inspection fee, building permit, occupancy permit, and night vending permit. Second, a rule that says trucks must park 65 feet from one another effectively outlaws clustering at events—a hallmark of food truck culture in other cities.

Jim Chamoff, who owns Gusto’s Italian Food Truck, tells Goad that the city has also been draconian in its enforcement of parking laws on downtown streets: “I’ve literally gotten tickets while on the truck serving food. The bottom line, quite frankly, if they want food trucks in Portland, they’re going to have to change the laws or it’s not going to fly in Portland. Not the way it’s written now.”

Despite the regulatory hurdles, Portland is poised for a food truck boom this summer. Here’s a list of nine trucks that are either already in operation or are set to launch in the coming months.
— Tom Minervino

http://maine.eater.com/archives/2013/05/08/food-trucks-face-regulatory-speed-bumps.php

Customers queue up at El Corazon food truck, which was parked on Commercial Street in Portland on Sunday.
Tim Greenway/Staff Photographer

At long last, Portlanders will be able to walk up to a food truck this summer and grab a hamburger, taco, hand pie, cup of coffee or other casual fare – years after the food truck revolution invaded other cities across the country.

The presence of a few food trucks downtown (see this comprehensive guide to the fleet) will be a huge step forward for this food-loving city, which struggled over the regulations and made the whole process way more complicated than it needed to be. We should celebrate the fact that the city has finally embraced an idea that will make life here just a little bit better.

But don’t crack open the Champagne too fast.

When food truck operators actually went to get their licenses and open their businesses, they got a couple of unwelcome surprises. Turns out there are still two big regulatory hurdles to get over before we can declare Portland a food truck-friendly place.

First, food truck operators are being required by the city to pay $105 in fees — $30 for a building permit and $75 for an occupancy permit — for every place they park on private property, even though they already have paid for a lease agreement with the property owner. That’s on top of their $500 food truck license and $110 inspection fee. (Night vending is another $200.)

This means that some trucks will have to limit where they can do business, since all those fees add up quickly.

But food trucks are supposed to be mobile, right? That’s the whole point.

“They wrote the ordinance so that it would encourage people to park on private property, basically, instead of roaming around the city and trying to find parking spots, especially in the Old Port and the peninsula,” notes Sarah Sutton, who owns the lobster roll food truck Bite Into Maine and has been trying in vain to get the City Council to take a look at the issue. “It’s really restrictive. And now — I don’t even know how it happened — they’re charging building permits for every spot on private property that they know you’re going to park on.”

This is important because, truck operators say, in order to make their business work at all they must have a place to park on private property. There just are not enough public parking spots available on city streets because of the restrictive limits that were put in place to spare Portland’s restaurants a little competition.

The second issue has to do with clustering. When the ordinance was being developed, food truck operators made it clear they wanted to be able to cluster together in a parking lot, especially for specific events. But when the regulations were published, the rules said food trucks had to stay at least 65 feet from each other on the Portland peninsula, and 200 feet away from each other off-peninsula.

That hasn’t kept some trucks from clustering anyway, at the popular monthly “Flea Bites” gatherings at the Portland Flea-For-All on Kennebec Street, for example. But they are always looking over their shoulders while they’re selling their sandwiches, worried that these popular events will be broken up by the city because of a rule that they didn’t expect to be in the ordinance in the first place.

WHO PAYS THE PRICE?

The rule raises a lot of questions: Who pays the building and occupancy fees when these trucks cluster at an event? The property owner, since there are several trucks involved? Does each truck pay a separate fee, or do they all chip in together and pay once? And do they have to buy a new permit every time they gather, even if it’s a regular weekly or monthly event?

“We had talked to City Council and said we want trucks to be able to cluster, and they had all agreed that was a good idea,” said Ben Berman, owner of Mainely Burgers. “And then the ordinance came out, and it said you can’t. I don’t know why that happened. It was sort of a surprise, but truly we’re not mad at anyone. We’re frustrated that this hasn’t been resolved yet, but happy that some progress has been made.”

The situation is clearly making food truck owners unhappy, but most are limiting their public comments to low-level grumbling, both because they still have to work with the city and are hoping someone in power will take notice and help them fix things.

In referring to the unexpected permit fee, they use phrases like “double dipping” and call it “a little unfair.”

“That does come into play when you move from location to location,” city spokeswoman Nicole Clegg acknowledged. “I will say that these are still kind of new rules and regulations. This is kind of a new concept that we’re applying to existing ordinances. So when issues like the one that you’ve raised come up, it kind of forces us to examine if how we’re applying it is fitting in with the goal of supporting the industry.”

Clegg said the permits are required because the food trucks are being treated like tents and other temporary structures you might set up on your property for a special event.

“We knew when we enacted the rules that there probably were going to be some things that need to get adjusted as we learned more about how the ` operates,” Clegg said. “And this was a good one to point out. We recognize that for someone who’s trying out their business, and trying out a location, that this is a challege for them.”

Sutton said the loose coalition of food truck owners that has formed in Portland has been trying to get the permits and the clustering issue brought up as an immediate concern at City Council for weeks, “and it hasn’t happened yet.” She just found out that Christopher Hall, CEO of the Portland Regional Chamber, will be meeting with the mayor soon to discuss these two issues.

‘FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN’

These glitches could just be considered a learning curve for the city, but they also point to larger concerns that Portland is making it too difficult for food trucks to work here.

“Right now, I think the majority of the rules that are on the books have been influenced by those who are concerned about the impact of the food truck revolution on the standard brick-and-mortar restaurant,” said Carson Lynch, owner of the Gorham Grind truck. “I don’t think that’s necessarily justified. I think it’s fear of the unknown. If you look to other more developed cities, you’ll see that with food culture, there’s a ‘rising tide lifts all boats’ sort of thing. If you’re selling falafel in front of a barbecue place, you’re just going to bring more consumers in general to that neck of the woods, and that’s a good thing. So the code is written based on some fear.”

Jim Chamoff, owner of Gusto’s Italian Food Truck, has been running his business since December and has already found it difficult to work within the city’s rules.

“The biggest issue we’re having quite frankly, is Portland,” he said. “They didn’t make it easy for anybody to do a food truck in Portland. It’s very difficult. We can’t go in the heart of the city where all the foot traffic is, so if you want to find us you have to walk a block or two in a different direction and you have to be looking out for us. We’re not in the center of it. That changes after 10 p.m.; we can pretty much go anywhere. For the late-night crowd, it works pretty well.”

Chamoff tried leasing a spot in a private parking lot, but discovered quickly that he wasn’t going to be doing much business there. So he moved, and everywhere he moves, he has to get a new building permit.

When he has parked on city streets, Chamoff has found it difficult to abide by the parking regulations for food trucks. Moving every couple of hours is not always practical in a big food truck that has to be set up and taken down every time it moves.

“The parking guys are all over us,” Chamoff said. “I mean, they’re just brutal. I’ve literally gotten tickets while on the truck serving food. The bottom line, quite frankly, if they want food trucks in Portland, they’re going to have to change the laws or it’s not going to fly in Portland. Not the way it’s written now. It’s just too restrictive.”

The rules are supposed to be reviewed again in August, a year after they were put in place. Sutton said she hopes that once more people start food truck businesses here, there will be a stronger voice for the movement in the city.

Because if things don’t change, don’t forget: Food trucks are mobile, and they may just motor right out of here.

http://www.pressherald.com/life/foodanddining/truckin_2013-05-08.html

Check out the rows of amazing food trucks and carts the next time you’re hungry in Portland. Photo: Flickr

By now, food trucks are a mainstream phenomenon, one igniting cravings countrywide. Offering a tasty reason for a themed vacation, some cities take portable vittles to new heights.

In Los Angeles, culturally diverse meals on wheels are at every turn. Start with piping hot fried chicken, vinegar slaw and lavender biscuits from LudoTruck. Or, kick things off with a wet burrito and Korean short rib tacos from Kogi BBQ, a taste of New Orleans from Ragin Cajun On Wheels orLos Saigon’s venerable banh mi.

When you find yourself in San Francisco, bao (steamed buns) from The Chairman Truck are a must. Then again, you don’t want to miss the miso-coconut-braised pork belly koJa from KoJa Kitchen, either—it’s slathered with garlic aioli and tucked into a toasted garlic rice bun. Craving tacos? Get your fix with the carne asada and al pastor from El Tonayense Taco Truck.

Not surprisingly, New York boasts an impressive array of roving edibles, too. If you’re vegan, make your first stop The Cinnamon Snail, a go-to for beer-simmered ancho seitan burgers and crème brûlée doughnuts. But if falafel is your thing, hightail it to the Taim Mobile Falafel & Smoothie Truck, an ultra-fresh option for Middle Eastern sammies and lemon-mint dressed Israeli salad.

Not to be overlooked is Portland’s rich food truck and food cart culture. Among the endless options is chicken rice from Nong’s Khao Man Gai,Viking Soul Food’s savory, griddle-baked lefse and Whiffies’ incomparable apple pie.

http://www.orbitz.com/blog/2013/04/4-cities-with-amazing-food-truck-scenes/

This spring, you can bet there are plenty of entrepreneurs out there who are thinking about starting their own food truck here in Portland, now that city regulations allow it.

Karl Deuben and Bill Leavy have been trying to get their truck ready for a late May launch. For them, this isn’t going to be just another fad. The two chefs have worked at both Hugo’s and Miyake, two of the best restaurants in town, and they plan on making some serious food in their truck as well.

“We don’t want to make tacos or odd things,” Deuben said.”We want to be able just to cook, and this is an opportunity for us to do that. It was hard for us to find a brick-and-mortar location we really wanted to establish. This allows for a lot of freedom. There are a lot of restrictions in town, but it allows us to be mobile and take our kitchen to a catered event or to a farm and execute the same type of product that we provide to our customers on the street. We can do that at their house, at a farm, or anywhere else. That’s actually quite appealing.”

The truck will initially be parked by Tandem Coffee Roasters and Bunker Brewing in East Bayside, where they will serve breakfast and lunch at least five days a week.

Deuben says the food will include simple breakfast and lunch sandwiches, and hand pies made with a pierogi-based dough (using Maine potato flour) and three different fillings.

“It will be smaller than a traditional Cornish pasty, but very similar in nature,” he said.

Deuben made a prototype cheeseburger hand pie out of the Good Shepherd Food Bank’s new food truck last week at the organization’s annual dinner. Here’s what it looked like:

Deuben (right) and pal Rob Evans (left), owner of Duckfat, also made an appetizer of panelle with fennel, goat ricotta and Duckfat coppa:

Deuben has loved tater tots since he was a kid, and plans to make his own version seasoned with nori seasoning salt to sell from his food truck.

The menu will also include a series of daily breakfast and lunch rice bowl offerings. The rice bowls could have a Japanese flair, or have a southern twist – they’ll reflect a lot of different international and regional cuisines.

“The bowls would be a nice option for us to come up with a daily special or utilize the offcuts we can get from local farms and be able to do something a little bit different in a bowl format,” Deuben said.

Deuben and Leavy will be leasing “home kitchen” space for prep work, storage, etc. from One Fifty Ate’s Josh Potocki in South Portland, and in return they’ll be selling some of his breads on their truck.

The chefs bought their California-style food truck from a family in Rhode Island who had been selling Korean BBQ. It has a flat-top griddle, a double-bay fryolater and a steam table.
“I’ve never used a steam table in my life,” Deuben said, laughing, “so we’re going to have to figure out how to do that.”

The umbrella name for their business will be SmallAxe, which reflects Deuben’s belief that through the diligence of small actions you can accomplish a great goal, like cutting down a large tree with a small axe that’s been well honed and sharpened.

“Our hope is we’ll establish ourselves as good tenants at Tandem and Bunker, and then be asked to go to other businesses and park,” Deuben said.

http://www.pressherald.com/blogs/mainealacarte/202360321.html

LA’s Chego operating out of a truck while their restaurant undergoes a renovation

When talking about the memorable meals I have had from Seattle food trucks recently, my pal from Portland retorts, “P-town is so much more progressive when it comes to the mobile food scene.”

Game on sister; you’re steppin’ with your gat on safety because here are three mobile food concepts originating from Los Angeles, Portland, and San Francisco that Seattle has covered.

Concept #1 from LA, Brick and mortar to truck: Nineteenth century philosopher Nietzsche said, “The only way to start a Seattle food truck article is by talking about Los Angeles.” Instead of ceasing operations while L.A.’s Chego undergoes a complete remodel, the founder of the Korean taco truck sensation Kogi - Ray Choi – decided to operate from a truck. After all, that is how he built his fame as the supplier of the original 2 dollar Kalbi beef taco back in 2008.

Serving pork belly rice bowls, “3pm” meatballs, and ooey gooey fries, Chego churns out a faithful representation of their restaurant menu from their temporary truck location parked on the curb of their brick and mortar.

While the staff cannot wait to get back to the restaurant because all agree operating out of a truck is a lot harder, Chego’s street cred’ certainly increased by getting back on the street.

Chego’s ooey gooey fries are loaded with sambal, three types of cheeses, sour cream, cilantro and pickled garlic

Seattle’s version: With seven locations in the Seattle area, the fried chicken institution Ezell’s Famous Chicken is hitting the food truck scene in April with Ezell’s Express. Oprah will be pleased. You’ll never guess what their main menu item will be.

Concept #2 from Portland, Specialize: In our consumer-supported society, I am grateful for the rows of toilet paper selection at a grocery store, but sometimes I wish someone could just tell me which one is best for my tush. Another of my orifices feels the same about food trucks – just pick for me. This is where Portland’s Nong’s Khao Man Gai steps in. Nong has one item on her menu, her Hainanese chicken rice. Since she has specialized, she is able to turnaround orders lightning fast and focus on making the tastiest chicken rice this side of a hawker center in Singapore. Nong has such a loyal following she oftentimes sells out by 1pm.

Seattle’s version: In a similar vein, the owners of Diablo Food Truckz in Seattle have also focused on one headline dish: Yakisoba pan sandwiches. Translation: Noodles in your sandwich. Trust me, this is one of those dishes that perplexes people until they try it, and then they can’t get enough.

Concept #3 from SF, Get creative with Asian: I am always coveting the plethora of Asian-themed food trucks in the Bay area that strut their stuff by offering more than your Amercianzied fried egg roll. Hongrykong, for example, serves up Hong Kong-styled cuisine you can generally only find at dim sum joints or back in the motherland, ranging from egg custard tarts and siu mai dumplings. Chug down all of your treat with one of the country’s most prized drinks, an iced ovaltine.

Another much-loved SF truck, The Chairman, delights customers with their Taiwanese baked and steamed buns. Their Coca-Cola Braised Pork with Savoy Cabbage & Preserved Yellow Mustard Seeds is a must-try.

Xplosive owners Cathy and Romano Basilio also stay true to their Vietnamese and Filipino roots while having fun with dishes such as their grenade banh mi sliders and Xplosive chicken adobo fried rice.

Seattle may not have led in these concepts. But Seattle didn’t invite hip hop either, and Macklemore is blowing it up.

Follow Voracious on Facebook & Twitter.

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/voracious/2013/03/hey_west_coast_seattle_trucks.php

Gusto’s Food Truck on Commercial Street

Take a good look at this brand new food truck – Gusto’s – because  more than likely you will be seeing more of them around Portland  as time goes on.

Last week,  mhn.com had an opportunity to chat with Jim Chamoff, the owner of “Gourmet Streets of Maine” as well as take a tour of this new food truck.  The 20 ft. long truck was custom made in New York City and finished recently. The interior is stainless steel and is equiped with an abundance of equipment to allow them to serve everyone’s  Italian favorites.

The menu includes lunch & dinner items, soups, sides, desserts and drinks. And all at reasonable prices. Mhn.com tried a cup of corn chowder and it was absolutely delicious.  It was hot and good for a windy day on the Portland waterfront.  The bruschetta was delicious as well and mhn.com is looking forward to more of that treat soon. Scott Martel, is the food truck manager.

Chamoff said he doesn’t regret starting his new business at this time of the year.  It’s a soft opening he conceded, but by next spring they will be ready to go full steam ahead.

Although some have been critical of the food truck regulations in place, Chamoff has no problem with them.  “We can work with them very well,” he said.

http://munjoyhillnews.bangordailynews.com/2012/12/17/uncategorized/business-beat-gustos-new-food-truck-on-hill-workinprogress/

New limits on location and hours of operation prompt some to re-think setting up shop in the city.

PORTLAND – Foodies have seemingly cooled to the idea of operating food trucks in Portland.

At least, for this season.

Applications have been available since Aug. 16, but no one has submitted one.

A food truck task force was created more than a year ago after Sarah Sutton, co-owner of the Bite Into Maine food trailer, asked city officials if she could operate a food truck in Portland. The city didn’t have regulations, so the group worked for more than a year to craft rules to allow food trucks while also protecting the business interests of brick-and-mortar restaurants.

The final regulations allow food trucks on the peninsula from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., but only in specific locations — largely away from downtown and existing restaurants. Off-peninsula, they would be allowed to operate in certain business and industrial zones.

From 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., food trucks may operate anywhere downtown, provided they are 65 feet from operating restaurants and lodging establishments.

The restrictions are prompting some to re-think setting up shop here.

“We still need to figure out where we can be because it is so restrictive,” Sutton said.

Sutton now operates a seafood truck in Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth, where she paid $4,000 to set up shop. It costs $500 to operate a food truck in Portland.

The Cape Elizabeth business benefits from being set up in the same location every day, she said.

And that’s not easily accomplished in downtown Portland, where food trucks are largely banned until 10 p.m. Even where they are allowed during the daytime, trucks need to abide by normal parking limits, unless they are on private land.

“What they’ve opened up is pretty limited,” she said. “It’s not an opportune time to find a spot. If we could be on the street, that would be a different story.”

Julie Ann Johnson, a business license administrator with the city, speculated that some people may be waiting until next summer to get a license. But she is hopeful people will come forward this year.

“I was part of the task force, and there was some good interest,” Johnson said.

Steve DiMillo, the owner of DiMillo’s Floating Restaurant, who also served on the task force, had also expressed interest in opening a food truck. But for now, those plans are “on the back burner,” he said.

Dimillo said he hopes someone steps forward this season to open a food truck, because it would be good for the city.

But he doesn’t want it bad enough to allow them to set up in his waterfront parking lot.

“Maybe if they were selling margaritas,” he said. “Oh, wait, I guess we sell those, too.”

Fancesca Ferrigno said she was initially excited to bring her Fire & Company food truck to Portland. But the rig — a 1949 international harvester — exceeds the city’s size rules.

The city limits food trucks to 10-feet-by-20-feet, but the limits include side extensions and awnings.

Ferrigno, who uses the truck to cater events, said she is also part of a food truck outfitting business called Northeast Chop Shop. She is considering outfitting a smaller rig to bring to Portland, said but the city limits would be difficult to meet.

“I am skeptical we’d be able to fit in their dimension rates,” she said.

Michael McAllister said he is still interested in bringing the Shuck Truck — a 1963 Airstream Globe Trotter trailer that sells Cabin Cove oysters — to Portland, but probably not this year.

“I just don’t think people will be buying oysters out of a shiny truck in December,” he said.

McAllister said he would likely begin the application process this fall. When licensed, he would only operate at special events, rather than having a daily presence.

But even then, finding a location will be a challenge given the restrictions, particularly the 65-foot setback from brick-and-mortar restaurants.

“All the places where there’s one restaurant, there’s a string of them,” McAllister said. “So that blocks off a huge area you can’t go. There’s only a few good spots for us.”

http://www.pressherald.com/news/food-truck-plans-appear-to-be-put-on-back-burner_2012-09-01.html

By Sarah Delage & Kristin DiCara | WCSH6.com PORTLAND, Maine  — The city council will take up a proposal Monday night to allow food trucks in the city.

The new regulations would allow food trucks to operate overnight from 10 p.m. from 6 a.m. anywhere in the city, as long as they are at least 65 feet away from the entrance to other restaurants.  During the daytime hours from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. the trucks would be restricted to places where there aren’t a lot of restaurants, like the Bayside neighborhood, and industrial parks.

A special task force has been working on the ordinance for months. Portland already got a taste of food trucks when the Food Network reality show “the Great Food Truck Race” taped its season finale in the Old Port. City Councilor Ed Suslovic says food trucks are the next logical step for a city that is becoming known around the country for great food. Despite concerns from some restaurant owners about competition, Suslovic says there is room in the city for both.

“A lot of the bricks and mortar restaurateurs recognize that the food trucks really are a different market than what they serve,” Suslovic said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if some of our existing restaurants in Portland open up food trucks to tap into new markets and to develop customers that might then want to come to their sit down restaurant.”

The first reading of the food truck ordinance is Monday night. A public comment session and a final council vote are scheduled for July 16th.

http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article/205816/2/Portland-council-to-take-up-food-truck-ordinance

Outside of Portland, Maine, food trucks have exploded into a national trend.

PORTLAND – The city took its first major step tonight toward bringing food trucks to Portland.

The Creative Portland Corp. board of directors voted 6-1 in favor of food-truck policy recommendations. The recommendations will go to the City Council’s Health and Recreation Committee for consideration.

If the committee likes what it sees, it will place the recommendations into an ordinance, which it will send to the City Council for final approval.

“A lot of good work has been done in a very short period of time,” said Christopher Campbell, a Creative Portland board member, before voting yes on the recommendations.

Food trucks, and occasionally food trailers, are basically well-equipped kitchens on wheels. Unlike food carts, which the city now allows, food trucks generally have full-size refrigerators, freezers, grills and stoves, so they can produce more types of cuisine than food carts – including more gourmet cuisine – and produce it in large quantities.

Creative Portland is a nonprofit organization that supports efforts that enhance Portland’s creative economy. Its board approved 18 policy recommendations Wednesday for food trucks. It looked at ordinances in Brunswick, Chicago and other cities for guidance. The recommendations say food trucks:

• Must stay at least 65 feet from brick-and-mortar restaurants.

• Can be no wider than 10 feet and no longer than 40 feet.

• May not operate where restaurants are prohibited by zoning, except they would be allowed in city parks and school-parking areas.

• Can park in public parking lots, but not garages. They cannot be parked overnight on city streets or in city parking lots.

• Must have receptacles for trash and recyclables and follow National Park noise guidelines of 74 decibels at 10 feet and 60 decibels at 50 feet.

One-time inspections would cost $50. Permits for food trucks with their own generators would cost $1,500 per year. A permit to use only a private parking lot with power from a pole or building would cost $750 per year. A single-day license would cost $50.

Standard city and state health, safety and insurance rules would apply.

Andy Graham, the board’s president, said the board took the $1,500 permit price from Brunswick’s ordinance. He said it is “modestly steep,” “but one of the criticisms of food trucks is they don’t generate tax revenues.

“This will make sure they’re producing something for the city coffers,” Graham said.

City Councilor David Marshall was the lone board member who voted against the recommendations. He has been pushing for food trucks for years, he said, but doesn’t like the idea of letting them use city parking spots.

He says that would create a battle with Portland’s Downtown District and the Maine Restaurant Association, which will argue that less parking will hurt brick-and-mortar restaurants. Neither organization sent a representative to Wednesday’s meeting to speak.

Food trucks have become popular in other “foodie” cities, such as Portland, Ore., Seattle, Los Angeles and Austin, Texas. They’re unique, supporters say, because they allow restaurateurs to go and find customers instead of waiting for customers to come to them.

Norine Kotts, manager of El Rayo Taqueria on York Street, said they appeal to restaurateurs and entrepreneurs because they have lower overhead costs that brick-and-mortar restaurants. They’re also popular at weddings and other functions, which adds a source of revenue, she said.

Many high-profile chefs have begun opening food trucks across the country, citing such advantages.

Some restaurant owners have fought against food-truck ordinances, saying the extra competition detracts from their business. But Andre Polhill, who wants to start a food truck in Portland with barbecue and Southern comfort food, dismissed that argument.

“If I’m going to a food truck, I’m not going to go to a brick-and-mortar restaurant,” Polhill said. “If I want to sit down, I’m going to go somewhere where I can sit down. This is a win-win for the whole city.”

http://www.pressherald.com/news/Creative-Portland-works-to-bring-.html