Insomniacs with a major cheeseburger jones, this one’s for you.
Mayor Michelle Wu’s office announced Saturday that the city is launching its new “Late Night Food Truck Program,” aimed at bringing treats to places where people are working late or are stumbling out of clubs and bars and find themselves in need of a snack.
This new program will led by the city’s Office of Nightlife Economy.
“My very first efforts in city government working under Mayor Menino focused on improving the restaurant permitting process and launching food trucks in Boston,” Wu said in a statement.
“Fifteen years later, I’m excited to continue creating opportunities for our food businesses and to make our city vibrant, welcoming, and fun,” the mayor continued. “I encourage interested food truck operators to register for the lottery for a chance to operate at a late-night location this summer and fall.”
A lottery to operate near the seven sites near hospitals, universities, music venues, and nightlife districts will take place on June 6 at 4 p.m.
If you’re a food truck operator and you want in, you should sign up using this online form by Wednesday, June 4.
You’ll also need all the requisite documents to vend in the city. You can find a list of those required documents is available at this link.
The new late-night program is “about more than just meals—it’s about unlocking new opportunities for Boston’s entrepreneurs and increasing access to late-night food,” Corean Reynolds, the city’s director of nightlife economy, said. “This initiative is a direct response to conversations with residents, workers, and businesses, as they consistently indicated to me the need for more food options after hours.”
District 8 City Councilor Sharon Durkan called the effort a “win for small businesses, those getting off a late shift, students finishing a long study session, and folks enjoying a night out.”
“It also gives small businesses a new opportunity to connect with customers,” Durkan said.
The city will announce the list of winning vendors in June, with the late-night program running until this fall.
Business owners and the foodservice industry welcomed the new effort.
“Being able to serve food later into the evening is a key part of continuing to make the city more vibrant and livelier,” Josh Bhatti, the senior vice president for The Bowery Presents, said. “Providing food for concertgoers and our staff along with creating business opportunities for others is something that has been much needed in the city. I applaud the Mayor for pushing this initiative forward.”
“With so many employers offering lunch to incentivize workers to come back to the office, Boston’s food truck community is still struggling to recover from the impact of COVID,” Jen Faigel, the co-founder and executive director of CommonWealth Kitchen, said.
