How to Start a Food truck in Boston Massachusetts
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How to Obtain a License to Operate a Food Truck in the City of Boston
Do you have questions about how to obtain a permit for a food truck in the city of Boston? We wish to be of assistance. In this section, we will provide you with an overview of the steps that must be taken in order to obtain a food truck permit in the city of Boston.
How to Start a Food truck in Boston Massachusetts
You should also prepare a business strategy for your food truck either before you apply for your permit or while you are in the process of filing for your permit. This is something you should do before you apply for your permit. The process of obtaining a permit for your food truck can be sped up with the help of a well-made business plan, which will also provide you with the information, financials, and road map you'll need to be successful. How to Start a Food truck in Boston Massachusetts
Note that all of the information in this section comes from the Food Truck Legal Toolkit that is provided by the City of Boston. This toolkit provides you with all of the information that you require in order to obtain a food truck permit in the city of Boston. For individuals who are looking for a more comprehensive overview, this page provides a summary of the requirements that must be met in order to submit an application for a food truck permit.
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How to Start a Food truck in Boston Massachusetts
how to get a permission to operate a food truck in the city of Boston
Put in an application for a food truck in Boston (FTA)
The price is $500 each year (annually).
You will need a completed application for a Boston Food Truck Permit in order to operate legally.
HEALTH PERMIT
Annual fee of one hundred dollars (annually).
Your food truck must be able to pass a health inspection in order for you to be granted a health permit. Be sure that the laws of the state of Massachusetts and the Food Code from the FDA from 1999 are followed by your food truck.
You will be need to schedule an appointment in order to have your health inspection performed.
How to Start a Food truck in Boston Massachusetts
An application for a health permit can be obtained on the website of the city of Boston's government. You can download a copy of the application.
Sample Menu Since the configuration of your food truck will be based on your menu, providing the health inspector with a sample menu will provide them with a better understanding of how your food will be handled and will enable them to determine whether or not there is a potential for food-borne illnesses.
Documentation demonstrating that you are in communication with a licensed commissary kitchen is referred to as "Proof of Commissary Kitchen.""
How to Start a Food truck in Boston Massachusetts
In order to transport food legally, you are required to have on board your vehicle at least one person who is a qualified food protection manager. After receiving training from a third-party organization, such as ServSafe, and successfully completing an exam, a member of your team can earn the title of Certified Food Protection Manager.
Application to Use Premises: This form is only required to be filled out by private site sellers.
Application for a Food Truck Permit That is Currently Being Processed If you are successful with the health inspection, the health inspector will sign your FTP application.
How to Start a Food truck in Boston Massachusetts
FIRE LETTER
Price per year is $110 USD (annually).
During the health inspection of your food truck, the Boston Fire Department will look for objects within your truck that have the potential to spark a fire there. The only thing left to do is schedule a time for your health inspection.
It's possible that you'll need a Cooking Permit or an Open Burning Permit, depending on how you cook.
Food trucks that prepare their meals using generators in line are required to have an open burning and cooking permit.
A fire permit is required for food trucks that cook using any method, including propane, an open flame, or any other method. A permission for starting a fire requires that the fuel, the location where it will be stored, and the method by which it will be moved be examined.
Take note that your vehicle must be equipped with both a fire extinguisher and a method for putting out fires. If you plan on using a deep fryer, you should have a fire extinguisher of class K on hand. If not, you will require a fire extinguisher that is multipurpose and has a 3-A:40-B:C ratio.
During the time of the fire inspection, you will also be required to bring your application for a food truck permit, which is still in the process of being processed. If the fire inspector determines that your food truck is safe to operate, he or she will sign your application for a permit to operate a food truck.
How to Start a Food truck in Boston Massachusetts
CERTIFICATE FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP
In Boston, the price is $50, but in other cities the cost may be different.
Any company that conducts business under a name other than its official name is required to obtain a certificate allowing them to "do business as" that name. This certificate is required, for instance, of a lone proprietor who does not use his or her own name as the name of the business. Your food truck enterprise will have your name mentioned on its company certificate as the individual in charge of running it.
A request for an application for a business certificate can be obtained in this location.
Boson requires that you have a valid business license issued by the city in which your company is headquartered.
This can be the address of your office, the kitchen of your commissary, or any other permanent location at which your company operates. It is not necessary for this to take place in Boston.
A PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH TRIMble Regarding GPS NAVIGATION
GPS Unit Cost: $299 per unit.
The cost of installing a GPS is $89
The monthly cost of the data plan for Sprint is $35.
How to Start a Food truck in Boston Massachusetts
It is required for all food trucks operating in the city of Boston to have a data plan with Sprint and to rent a GPS navigation equipment from Trimble. The city obtains the GPS information from your truck without you having to do anything. What are they doing in Boston?
to modify the website for the Office of Food Initiatives so that it displays, at various points throughout the day, where your food truck is located selling food and to what customers. People will have an easier time locating your truck as a result of this. Take note that your customers will only be able to find out where your vehicle is when you are actually selling something to them.
How to Start a Food truck in Boston Massachusetts
for the purpose of ensuring that you are selling in the appropriate location at the appropriate time and for the purpose of readily identifying trucks that attempt to sell without the appropriate authorization.
Hawker/Peddler License
Cost: $62 per license (annually).
Everyone who will be receiving money from passengers on your vehicle needs to have a Hawker or Peddler License. You'll need at least one license, but you'll probably need more than that since you need a hawker or peddler license for each person on the truck who will be handling money. If you don't have enough licenses, you won't be able to legally operate your business.
SITE LICENSING MATERIALS
In Boston, the majority of food trucks compete with one another for public areas where they are allowed to sell food that has already been approved. To sell at any of these locations, you will need to fill out a Food Truck Site License Application.
locations that are accessible to the general public and have previously been authorized
The city of Boston allows mobile food vendors to sell their wares at specific hours and locations inside the city. As of current now, there are twenty of these kinds of locations in Boston. A good number of these locations have their schedules organized in such a way that three distinct vehicles can use their allotted time periods at the same time:
Breakfast: ma.m.–10–a.m.m
Lunch: 1ma.m.–3–p.m.m
Dinner: mp.m.–9–p.m./11 p.m.m (for some sites)
The twenty locations have been divided into three categories according to how appealing they are:
Tier 1: These are the greatest places, and you may win them by entering the annual food truck lottery held in Boston in the month of January.
Tiers 2 and 3 are not as advantageous as Tier 1, but it is simpler to earn those levels. These websites are presented to users in the order in which they appear. After a truck has been granted permission to operate at a non-prime location, the permission can be extended after every three months. It is impossible to obtain a license that would allow a food truck to sell food in more than one location at the same time.
Parking fees for food trucks might vary widely from one location to the next.
Tier 1: Breakfast: $12.50/day
Lunch: $25.00/slot
Dinner: $12.50/slot
Breakfast at Tier 2 costs $8.25 per day.
Lunch: $16.50/slot
Dinner: $8.25/slot
How to Start a Food truck in Boston Massachusetts
Tier 3: Breakfast: $4.25/day
Lunch: $8.50/slot
Dinner: $4.25/slot
City Hall Plaza charges $50 per day for breakfast, $50 per slot for lunch, however there is no price specified for dinner.
In addition to the public sites that have previously been sanctioned, there are also public sites that are under consideration, as well as special sites and private sites. You can learn more about these locations and how to get an application for a Food Truck Site License by reading the Boston Food Truck Legal Toolkit, which is available online.