Food trucks and carts will be allowed at select Toronto parks this summer

Forget packing a picnic basket: food trucks and carts are coming to select Toronto parks this summer, thanks to a new pilot program approved by City Council on Thursday, April 23.

In an April 2 report by Toronto Parks and Recreation, the committee argued that it's high time the food offerings in the city's parks see a major glow-up. This past Thursday, City Council agreed, approving a new pilot project that'll allow food trucks and carts in more of the city's parks.

"Toronto's parks are among the City’s most valued public spaces, but food and beverage services remain limited, inconsistent, and developed on a site-by-site basis," the report reads.

Food trucks and carts (referred to as "mobile vending" in the report) are already allowed in some parks, but the report argues that a lack of coordination between the City and Toronto Parks and Recreation has stunted the ability to align these offerings with what most benefits each park's community.

The new pilot will take on a city-coordinated approach to better address the needs and expectations of communities around the city by increasing the number of locations around the city that mobile vendors can serve.

"The program will allow mobile food vendors to apply for a permit to operate food trucks or food carts within designated park locations across the City. The program's goal is to expand the availability of food and beverage offerings in select park locations while ensuring that all vendors operate under a consistent and coordinated City-managed framework," the report adds.

Importantly, the pilot won't introduce any new fees for vendors; it will work within the pre-existing licensing framework to adjust the list of parks where mobile vending is allowed and offer a single license for mobile vendors to operate anywhere within the approved list of parks.

It should be noted, though, that while alcohol licensing laws are lightening up in some areas of the city this year, mobile vendors selling alcoholic beverages won't be included in the pilot.

If all goes according to plan, the new pilot will operate between late June and October.