Eastern Promenade Food Truck Pilot Program

Interest in outdoor dining during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a significant increase in food truck and customer activity on the Eastern Promenade. While the sense of community and fun this activity introduced was positive, it also resulted in excessive trash, root compaction of park trees and turf, excessive idling and generator use, loss of parking, noise, and other quality-of-life issues.

To address these concerns, City staff vetted options for a food truck pilot program with the public, two Council Committees, and the Parks Commission. The City Manager then announced a plan in April 2022 for a food truck pilot program on the Eastern Prom after receiving a significant amount of public feedback. The Food Truck Rules were then amended, as allowed in Sec. 19-23 of City Code, to allow food trucks only within the middle parking lot on Cutter Street and not on the Eastern Promenade roadway/esplanade. This change went into effect on June 15, 2022.

The pilot program provided 14 free spots for food truck vendors in a dedicated space in the Cutter Street lot in an effort to balance the needs of residents, small business owners, and visitors to the Eastern Prom. Being the steward of this incredible public asset, the City is committed to ensuring it is available for use by a wide variety of constituencies while also limiting any negative impacts to the park. During the pilot program, the City waived any permitting fees. The pilot program ends on November 15, 2022.

As with any pilot program, the City is reviewing the public feedback it has received over the course of the pilot. The City is also soliciting feedback from food truck vendors as well as the public through the use of surveys. Once staff has had a chance to do a final review of this collective data, they will share plans for the 2023 Eastern Prom Food Truck program with Council Committees and the Parks Commission. Following those meetings, the City Manager will release a final plan.