New South End Location Set to Debut as Food Trucks Officially Return

The food trucks officially return to the streets of Boston this weekend and the South End now has a new location.

Mayor Tom Menino released the 2012 schedule for the City of Boston Food Truck Program on March 20, simultaneously announcing four new sites—including one at Tremont and Berkeley Streets, across the street from Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology in the South End.

The city also announced the first three-truck cluster at Stuart Street and Trinity Place in nearby Copley Square.

Here’s the rundown of the new sites:

• Copley Square at Stuart & Trinity Place – while this site existed last year, we’ve created the City’s first three-truck cluster site on city streets by adding two additional truck-vending sites here.
• China Trade Building at Boylston Street – next to the outdoor plaza in front of the China Trade building and across from the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
• Financial District – the City’s third food truck cluster site (after City Hall & Stuart Street at Trinity Place) is located on the corner of Milk and Kilby. This site can accommodate two food trucks.
• South End at Tremont Street and Berkeley Streets adjacent to the Benjamin Franklin Institute.

“Last year’s food truck pilot program was a great success and it’s wonderful to see so many new and returning food trucks this year,” Mayor Menino said in a March 20 press release. “My administration has worked extensively across City departments and with food truck operators and residents to create a program that continues to give opportunities to small businesses, enliven public spaces, and promote access to fun, interesting, fresh food across the city.”

While they have been around all winter, the food truck season officially gets underway on April 1, and the trucks will be out in full force across seven city sites. There will be 74 new lunchtime shifts and 63 breakfast and dinner shifts, according to the release.

Earlier this month, the city held a food truck lottery that attracted 23 vendors to participate in a “random, draft-style” selection event to choose from the over 150 available vending shifts—including the above-mentioned new shifts.

Here is a list of all the food truck sites throughout the city, and here is the complete food truck schedule.

Mayor Menino announced the Food Truck Program and the 15 initial permanent locations in July, 2011.