Mumbai is all set to get its first food truck park in Bandra

Until now, food truck owners in the city haven't had it easy. Many young entrepreneurs consider starting one to simply avoid making a large and risky investment in the form of a brick-and-mortar restaurant. Ironically, thanks to the lack of a dedicated food truck licence and ambiguities in the law, getting a food truck on the road ends up becoming a bigger hassle for these entrepreneurs. In some good news, things are about to change, not just for existing food trucks, but also those in the works.

Roysten Misquitta

After a six-month struggle, the Mumbai Food Truck Society is finally launching the city's first food truck park next weekend. Spread over a 5,000 sq ft commercial property in the heart of Bandra, it will have a seating capacity of around 50, with a canopy for protection from the rain.

"Even Ahmedabad and Surat got these parks some time ago. It was high time we did something about it," begins Roysten Misquitta, who heads the Mumbai Food Truck Society. He adds that once launched, 10 food trucks from across the city, and even one from Gujarat, will roll into the park every day from noon till late in the night, serving everything from pizzas, burgers and fries to juices and desserts.

"We plan to keep changing things every few months, from menus to the line-up of trucks. There will also be stalls, where home cooks and small entrepreneurs can come and set up shop on a rotational basis," he shares. "Additionally, there will be board games; we also plan to let visitors use the park as a workspace."

Getting to this point has not been without any speed bumps. According to Misquitta, who owns two trucks, several food trucks in the city had been facing issues with authorities. "A food truck park will solve many of these problems, but it was taking us time to find the right space. We are only allowed to set up shop on privately owned land," he says.

He shares that for the park, all permissions are in place. "If this succeeds, the plan is to create similar zones in other parts of the city, like Juhu, BKC, and South Mumbai."

Launches on: July 14, 12 pm to 10 pm
At: Above Anthony Garage, St John Road, behind Candies lane, Bandra West
Call: 8080204204