New York City Food by the Numbers: Food Trucks

In many cities, food trucks have become an important part of the food scene.  What’s the story in New York City?

• Number of licenses NYC Department of Health issues for food trucks and carts: 5,100 mobile-food-vending permits, which include trucks and food carts; just 500 belong to food-truck operators.
• Most common food sold by food trucks:  ice cream
• Estimate for cost of leasing a permit from another holder: $15,000 to $20,000 for two years
• Estimated revenues from food trucks and carts in NYC: $15 million

USA Today’s the Ten Best Food Trucks in New York City are

Some resources on food trucks

Davidson A. The Food-Truck Stops Here. New York Times Sunday Magazine, May 12, 2013, p. MM16.

Davis J, Morales A. Fining the Hand That Feeds You: Street Vendor Fines and Increasing Revenues to New York City. Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Working Paper 12-01, April 2012.

Fickenscher L. Food trucks stuck in park, Crain’s New York Business, May 11, 2014.

National League of Cities. Food on Wheels: Mobile Vending Goes Mainstream, 2013.