Yesterday, I was doing what I do — reading blogs by some of my favorite local bloggers — and I came across a post about Boulder food trucks that excited me to no end.
I was over on Claire Walter’s Culinary Colorado blog and noticed that she had an update to Boulder’s position on food trucks for the 2013 season (commence glee sequence). As an aside, Claire’s blog is a great toolbar bookmark if you’re a fan of food. But I digress.
Boulder’s previous position on food trucks has been contentious for truck owners at best. In an effort to support local restaurateurs, Boulder food trucks have been made scarce through highly restrictive guidelines on where they can and cannot setup for business. I see the issue from both sides (as I love local business), but I was delighted to learn that from June until August of 2013, the Department of Parks and Recreation will be trying something new with food trucks.
In what’s been named the Mobile Food Pilot Program for Parks, food trucks will be able to setup and serve patrons without penalty. Here’s the straight scoop from Parks and Rec on where you can soon find your favorite food truck in Boulder for the summer months:
Tom Watson Park
- Tom Watson Park map
- Number of mobile food vehicles permitted: 4
- Days of the week: All
- Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Foothills Community Park
- Foothills Community Park map
- Number of mobile food vehicles permitted: 2
- Days of the week: All
- Mobile food vehicle hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
North Boulder Park
- North Boulder Park map
- Number of mobile food vehicles permitted: 2
- Days of the week: All
- Mobile food vehicle hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Harlow Platts Community Park
- Harlow Platts Community Park map
- Number of mobile food vehicles permitted: 2
- Days of the week: All
- Mobile food vehicle hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
East Boulder Community Park
- East Boulder Community Park map
- Number of mobile food vehicles permitted: 5
- Days of the week: All
- Mobile food vehicle hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Municipal Campus
- Municipal campus parking lot map
- Number of mobile food vehicles permitted: 6
- Days of the week: Sundays
- Mobile food vehicle hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
I’ll be interested to see how Boulder adapts to this new (and pretty wide-open) food truck culture. The inevitable politics between truck owners (since trucks are limited in number at each location) will be interesting as well.
I’m hoping for a favorable outcome — both for the City and for the four-wheeled snack purveyors. If this all goes well, perhaps we’ll see an expansion of regulations and more of our favorite food vendors in more of our favorite places. Because sometimes there’s nothing like a food truck to quell a feisty stomach.
