Wellesley, MA: Food Truck Licenses Likely Coming to Wellesley

MFN Editor #1 — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 22:20:06 +0000

By Grahame Turner | Patch.com

There are already a couple of food trucks in and around Wellesley, and the Selectmen think it’s time they have rules. The Board of Selectmen discussed a draft of mobile food vendor regulations at last night’s meeting.

Selectman Katherine Babson explained that “there are a couple of mobile food vendor trucks going through town. We thought we should address this issue.”

She added that a sub-committee was formed to examine the issue, and has gone through several meetings and several drafts of regulations.

Among the regulations discussed: a requirement for hawkers and peddlers licenses; sign-off from the Police, Fire, Building and Health Departments; insurance if they are operating in a public location, proof of permission if in a private spot. The trucks will also be responsible for their own trash, and cannot deploy signs or seating for more than six without permits.

Trucks would also have to set up shop 200 feet from any existing common victualler license holders. That 200 feet will be determined by police officers if called to the street, Executive Director Hans Larsen explained.

When asked if these trucks would congregate in one area, and create a “block” of trucks, Larsen said he did not think that would be a risk.

He added, “I get the sense Wellesley is a bit of a filler. They [mobile food vendors] are more keen to be at some big event in Boston or wherever. Wellesley is a fabulous community, but it’s not where I’d deploy my food truck.”

A future version of the regulations may also include an exception to the 200-foot rule for trucks run by the license holder. Captain Marden’s Cod Squad, or the Whole Foods truck, as examples, need to be exempted in order to operate in their own parking lots.

The regulations are still in draft form, and need to be approved before they take effect.

What do you think? What kinds of food trucks would you like to see, or is Wellesley not the place for them?

http://wellesley.patch.com/articles/food-truck-licenses-likely-coming-to-wellesley

Needham, MA: Captain Marden’s ‘The Cod Squad’ Rolls into Town

MobileFoodNews.com — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 13:00:58 +0000

By Lee V. Gaines & Wei-Huan Chen | Wicked Local Needham

Roy Marden serves customers from Capt. Marden’s Restaurant “Cod Squad” food truck, on 2nd Ave. in Needham, Aug. 30, 2012. Wicked Local staff photo by Kate Flock

Needham, MA — A new food truck is rolling into town.

The Wellesley-based restaurant Captain Marden’s Seafood has expanded its business with the Cod Squad, a new food truck that aims to stop by Needham once a week.

The owner of the truck is currently applying for extended permits with the town, hoping for a potential location near Needham Center. The truck’s been in Needham before, appearing in the past weeks across the street from the Blue Ribbon BBQ food truck on Second Avenue—the captain of the Cod Squad (food truck, in landlubber terms), Terri Beal, said the owner of the barbeque truck invited her over to create a larger cluster of customers.

“When there’s more than one truck, it’s valuable for business. We also want to develop the food truck culture in MetroWest,” said Beal. “ People don’t just come to food trucks for food. It’s fun and informal. It’s a cultural phenomenon.”

“It promotes community. When we’re in Wellesley we set up two picnic tables with umbrellas. You see complete strangers sitting outside, talking to each other and trading business cards,” she added.

Around November of 2011, the co-owner of Captain Marden’s Seafood, Keith Marden, began looking into purchasing a food truck for the business.

Beal said she used a photo of the ship Killarney as the inspiration for the truck’s exterior. Marden’s great-grandfather, who founded the seafood business in 1945, was formerly the captain of the Killarney.

Beal said she gave the photo to a graphic artist, who designed the exterior graphic for the truck.

Aside from its seaworthy image, Beal said the 28-foot-long truck is also “all customized as full-service restaurant kitchen.”

Beal said she put in an application for renewing a 30-day permit for sale on public property on Aug. 24 and hopes to hear back from the town soon.

Beal said this is only the second year food trucks have been in Boston, and that the culture began in the Western part of the U.S.

Thus far, the Cod Squad is permitted in Wellesley, Boston, Needham, Woburn, and is also in the process of applying for permits in Natick and Westwood.

The truck has actively participated in events in Dover and surrounding communities since its inception.

The Cod Squad is open for business in Needham until November, and Beal expects to be in town at least once a week, on Tuesdays or Thursdays during lunchtime. She had held a 30-day permit and applied for and received an extension until November, she said.

Customers can order anything from fish and chips to lobster salads, and everything is “in season seafood, all fresh and made to order,” Beal said.

An important part of the food truck culture, Beal said, is buying ingredients from local and organic sources and getting people to talk about food.

Her top recommendation for hungry land and seafarers?

“If you like fried food, we use a special ingredient for our batter that’s very light in a nonfat vegetable oil. Made by chefs who have worked more than 20 years at Captain Mardens, the fried combo consists of fried striped bass and scallops, and fresh coleslaw,” said Beal.

“If you don’t like fried food, I recommend the lobster rolls,” she added. “The lobsters are blanched in seawater and dressed lightly in minced onions and celery, with lemon and light mayo and buns from [Needham’s own] Hazel’s Bakery.”

For more information about the Cod Squad food truck, visit cmsfoodtrucks.com.

Mobile Food News » Wellesley

Wellesley, MA: Food Truck Licenses Likely Coming to Wellesley

Needham, MA: Captain Marden’s ‘The Cod Squad’ Rolls into Town