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December 7, 2022

New Haven signs on to new food truck program

PHOTO | Contributed Neil's Wheels, a Woodbridge caterer's new food truck.
By Liese Klein

New Haven’s already vibrant food truck scene will likely get livelier now that the city has signed on to a new state program that allows out-of-town trucks to sell across the state under streamlined rules. 

Late last month the city’s Board of Alders adopted a resolution to sign on with a new state Department of Public Health (DPH) program that relaxes rules on the permitting of food vendors seeking to sell in other areas. The final approval was recorded on Nov. 21. 
  
In announcing the new program, state DPH Commissioner Dr. Manisha Juthani said, “This reciprocal agreement will allow food trucks licensed by one of the participating local health agencies to forgo the license/permit fee in other participating jurisdictions for their routine itinerant food vending.”

The DPH set up a statewide database to allow local health officials to
access permit information and inspection records of food vendors, in addition to a second site for vendors that lists the program’s rules and participating towns. 

The reciprocal licensing applies to health permits and licenses only – vendors still must obtain local permits for parking, fire and zoning. Local health agencies also retain the right to conduct inspections at their discretion.

As of late last month, 14 health districts comprising dozens of towns and cities had signed on to the program. 

New Haven’s food vendors – which cluster at spots like “Food Truck Paradise” off Interstate 95 and on Cedar Street near the Yale Medical School – have seen their numbers grow in recent years, according to 
Rafael Ramos, director of Environmental Health at the New Haven Health Department.

A total of 119 food vendors are currently permitted in the city, compared to 103 in 2021 and 89 in 2020, Ramos said. 

Contact Liese Klein at lklein@newhavenbiz.com.

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