The Town of Golden has approved two food truck licences in town, allowing mobile vendors to set up shop in five different locations.
Licences will fall into three categories. An annual licence grants to occupancy of an area over a calendar term, and a seasonal licence allows for a specific range of months, and a day licence, which is valid for 24 hours.
Mobile vendors that are issued annual or seasonal licences are permitted only in licenced areas, which include Confluence Park, the Whitetooth Brewery, the CP Parking lot across from 7-Eleven, Kumsheen Park, and Keith King Memorial Park.
Food trucks and mobile vendors are only permitted to be a single unit or structure no more than eight metres in length, and can only occupy the approved area between 7 am. and 10 p.m., and will not be entitled exclusive occupancy of the area.
“Council still feels this is a pilot project to test the market, and see what works out,” explained Town CAO Jon Wilsgard. “I would expect we will have at least one person out there applying for a licence.”
Shortly after town council put the finishing touches on the mobile vendor plan, Columbia River Catering Company owner Dan Bracko applied for an annual licence. And he has already spent one weekend serving up tacos and other meals outside of the brewery.
“It will be big for apres ski, people come down the ski hill and go straight to the brewery. We got a good taste of that Friday night. It seemed to work out pretty well for people who came for drinks around dinner time,” Bracko explained.
Bracko has been operating his food truck at the Golden Farmer’s Market, the Eco Ranch south of town, at special events at the Rec Plex, and weddings on weekends. Columbia River Catering Co. will continue to service these events, Bracko explained, adding that he is working on being at the brewery on the weekends, and might set up at the ball diamonds during softball games.
“There’s so many events in town, and this is just another layer for when there aren’t special events that we need to be at,” he said.
With the ski hill closing last weekend, Bracko says he might just stick to vending on the weekends until spring is over, but he is excited about what will come from serving food next to Whitetooth’s new patio.
“I think it will be huge in the summertime. They have that huge beautiful 200 person patio… I think once the nice weather hits and the bike trails free up, people will start hanging outside some more,” Bracko explained, adding that people have been allowed to bring their tacos into the brewery.
With summertime on the way, town council, Bracko, and Kent Donaldson from the brewery are excited to see how the new food truck and mobile vendor policy will turn out.
“I think it will be a great local experiment,” Wilsgard said.
The Town of Golden did a lot of research into the ratios of food and beverage establishments and food truck licences in other communities including Revelstoke, Fernie, and Osoyoos.
In Osoyoos, a community closest in size to Golden on the briefing note with a population of 4,520, there are 32 food establishments and three food truck licences.
The population of Golden is 3,708, with 34 food and beverage establishments and two food truck licences.
