Food trucks allowed to open in Waterloo region, but must follow public health rules

Food trucks are starting to pop up around Waterloo region, but they'll operate under strict rules laid out by public health.

Takeout will be the only option, so that means no tables or chairs and people will be expected to leave the area once they get their food.

Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the region's acting medical officer of health, said on Monday that public health gave food trucks guidance on how they can operate.

Wang says there is only one truck allowed per parking lot or in close proximity "so that we avoid crowding or gatherings."

'We will adapt'

Despite the colder temperatures this week, Christina Schal who owns the food truck Berlin 95, was thrilled to set up for her first night on Tuesday.

"We are totally excited. It's been a long wait to be honest because the season is quite different, but we salute everybody who is out there," she said.

They'll have pylons to help people physically distance and hand sanitizer, she said.

Not having tables or chairs will change the vibe around her truck, but "it's different everywhere."

"It will be different but it's the new normal," she said. "We will adapt and it will be OK."

She was just excited to serve people food.

"The busier we get, the more hyper I get, the more excited I get. I'm in my element," she said.

"It's a trial and error and we will try our best and maybe tomorrow we'll change the set up a little because then we'll know what works better."

Expect reduced menus, lineups

Parminder Pabla owns the Jashan-e-dawat food truck and said he's been working hard to make sure everything is sanitized and clean to keep both his customers and his workers safe.

He is starting with a reduced menu for now and says he'll be able to build from there.

He says he knows this has been a tough time, with many people out of work, but he hopes people who can afford it will come out and support his truck so he can continue his business.

"That's definitely something I wanted to ask all of my good customers and all of the new customers, because this is hard for them, too," he said. "Believe us, we are trying our best."

Kamil Mytnik of Ish and Chips says many of their events like festivals and concerts are cancelled for this year. That's a big hit to how the food truck makes money.

"I would like to see them happen but there's the fact that I would rather not have a second wave of the pandemic come through," he said. "2020's an interesting year."

'People are craving some street food'

Sandor Dosman owns Fo'Cheezy and helps run the KW Food Trucks group. He helps organize food trucks in various church parking lots throughout the region.

This year the schedule is still listed on the group's Facebook page, but instead of multiple trucks per parking lot, there's just one truck per church.

"It's obvious people are craving some street food," Dosman said, noting he's heard from dessert trucks that are doing particularly well.

As the weather warms up, Dosman says he has also lost a number of gigs, including events in August like Moparfest in New Hamburg.

"The events really hurt, no doubt. They make up a majority of our business as well as a lot of corporate lunches that we do, or their family day events that they hold," he said.

"We're kind of in the same boat as other restaurants. We're in the same storm," he said. 

"If we don't get the support, it certainly hurts," he added. "We'd love to see people out there, just be patient."