Brookline Officials Set to License Ice Cream and Canteen Trucks

Thanks to a sub-set of the food truck regulations approved earlier in the year, ice cream and canteen trucks may be trucking more food into Brookline. 

After approving the, the Board of Selectmen last night looked at the licensing fees for other types of mobile food vendors: ice cream trucks and coffee coaches, for example. These fees will be finalized at a later meeting, but what those regulations entail were part of the discussion last night. 

Selectman Betsy DeWitt explained, "these are incorporated in the regulations for food trucks. Canteen trucks are singled out because of [Statewide] legislation pertaining to ice cream trucks."

Unlike the food trucks, these are vehicles which stop in neighborhoods for around 10 to 15 minutes at a time, and then move on--usually along a route. 

"For the most part, these vendors go around town to various neighborhoods, ringing their bell," Environmental Health Chief Pat Maloney explained, "They can’t station themselves for a lengthy period time."

The length of time and route would both be conditional parts of these licenses, officials say. Licensing would be in person initially, and then part of the annual licensing review process by the town's licensing board, the Board of Selectmen.

While no decision was made on the fee, the Selectmen did compare some of the existing licensing fees in town. For food trucks, the fee depends on how many days they will be operating--the maximum fee being $360 for the Board. Convenience stores like 7-11 are charged $225 for licensing. 

Litter, a , is a question for the mobile vendors as well. One the Selectmen will discuss with the rest of the regulations.

"Food trucks are required to bring with them a container. That may not be appropriate for the other types of food trucks," said Selectman DeWitt.

In the mobile food truck program: two of the five food trucks, Pennypackers and the La Tour Eiffel from Paris Creperie, are operating in Brookline now. Two others, Renula's and Compliments, are expected to have their final inspections done over the weekend.