Regina food trucks support proposed changes to city permit rules

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Local food truck vendors say permit changes coming before city council this week to entice them back to downtown will probably work, if they pass.

On Wednesday, the executive committee will consider a slate of recommendations from city administration to update the temporary mobile vendor permits, which food trucks must have to operate curbside in Regina.

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Five vendors, along with the Regina Farmers’ Market and the Regina Downtown Business Improvement District, were consulted to develop the proposed changes, which focus on where trucks can park and lowering permit fees.

Tim Philp, owner of the Frying Deutschmann and Nacho Fiesta, was one of the consultants. He’s been a food truck guy since 2015 and has seen the industry evolve from a bit of a niche to a pretty robust part of the food scene.

Under Regina’s traffic bylaw, food truck vendors pay at least $1,300 each year to hold a permit — a fee that goes up to $1,680 for a permit plus a parking metre bag.

Philp said the attached rules around locations are both wide open and complex, tied to road classifications that are hard to navigate. He said it “wasn’t clear” where he was allowed to park and the fees are too costly.

Many truck owners, including himself, stopped bothering with permits, instead turning to strictly event appearances.

“We had basically abandoned the city permits and that area, and gone off on our own,” said Philp.

City staff noticed, made clear as permits declined steadily since 2017 into single digits, even as the city waived fees from 2020 to 2022. They flatlined last year at zero, despite there being at least a dozen food trucks active in the Regina area.

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The data led to meetings with local vendors that Philp said produced a set of updates to “re-engage food trucks” in the city, especially downtown.

A new fee structure, if okayed by city council, would slice permit costs to a base fee of $225 per year, or $575 with a metre bag.

Also recommended is to allow vendors to operate on any street with parking and a sidewalk that has a posted speed limit of 50 kilometres per hour or less.

This would open up prime spots like the Dewdney Avenue bar strip, and the Warehouse District as a whole. Seven spots at Pat Fiacco Plaza are also specifically outlined, which would be new.

“It’s a win-win for us, and for the people who work and live in that area,” Philp said.

El Tropezón owner Roberto Flores operates full-time from the kitchen inside Rebellion Brewing, and was part of the city’s consultation alongside Philp. During the busy season, he has three rigs potentially available to set up on streets or at events.

“We want to be out there every day, because the season here is so short,” Flores said. “If you have the permit, you can fill those empty days with going downtown.”

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He’s been willing to pay the fee in years past, but said it can be up in the air whether he gets the full bang for his buck.

Kyle Forrest opened The Paddy Wagon last year, working the late-summer circuit on wheels, then moving into a concession spot at the Highland Curling Club.

Though he wasn’t at the city’s round table, he does want to do more this year and would be willing to buy a permit — if these updates land.

“You can pull up somewhere and it could be the craziest busy day and then the next day, not so much,” he said. “Being downtown, it’s kind of a guessing game, so its a pretty high fee for being a question mark at the end of the day.”

Philp estimates about 40 per cent of his business comes from walk-up traffic, the rest from event appearances and catering-style commitments.

He thinks enticing food trucks back to the downtown market may end up being a big deal, given the Regina Folk Festival is on hiatus and the Regina Farmers’ Market is displaced from the plaza until 2026.

“There’s going to be a bit of a void,” he said. “And so it’ll be something that food truck operators can actually gather downtown again, make this permit worth it and get some activity going.”

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He feels bolstered by the city’s willingness to hear vendors’ concerns and work on a solution.

All three said having more choices and less fees would be good for business, and for the city centre’s vibrancy.

“The people of Regina love food trucks. It’s such a good vibe,” said Forrest. “To see that they (city council) might be trying to help out the small businesses, I’m super grateful.”

Should executive committee endorse the recommendations, city council can take a final vote of approval on March 20.

If passed, the bylaw changes would come into play before the start of the local busy season for food truck operators.

lkurz@postmedia.com

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