Bureaucracy barrier for food trucks

Food trucks are popping up at a variety of locations across Perth’s suburbs, but red tape and operating fees are holding back further growth in the fledgling industry.

While food vans are commonplace at major (and minor) festivals and events across the globe, Perth’s food truck phenomenon began in earnest in 2010, when placemaking firm Place Match rolled out the first food van gathering at Curtin University

Since that first event, trucks serving international fare have become a major drawcard for night markets in the Perth CBD, Mt Hawthorn, Victoria Park, Fremantle and Armadale, among other locations.

Punters have embraced the casual, family-friendly atmosphere of food markets, taking the opportunity to sample diverse cuisines from far and wide.

But despite the popularity of the trucks, seven out of 14 operators surveyed by Business News said red tape was a big inhibitor of growth.

The majority of those food trucks operate in suburban locations, north and south of the Swan River.

Food trucks need to be licensed by local councils to operate and, depending on the location, it can take up to three months before approval is given.

Fees are also a big issue for the operators, with some markets charging each operator hundreds of dollars.

Those fees mean some food vans need to sell around 150 serves a night to ensure the business is viable, however some can get by selling only 20 serves.

See the graphic below for the full results of the survey (click for bigger).

See full photo gallery here.