Amsterdam launches food truck pilot project

The City of Amsterdam is set to embark on a food truck pilot project, which will allow culinary entrepreneurs to operate multiple food trucks at a number of pre-designated locations for a period of two years.

A total of 50 innovative entrepreneurs are set to participate in the pilot, with mobile kitchens given the green light to serve up their dishes at 24 locations throughout the city. Alderperson for Economic Affairs Kajsa Ollongren will hand out the first permits on Monday 29 June.

More diversity in street food
The trial will provide opportunities for innovative food concepts to flourish in places where the street food offering is currently scarce, as well as adding to Amsterdam’s culinary diversity. One of the criteria for participating in the pilot was that the new food on offer should differ from the street food already sold in Amsterdam, such as fries, herring, ice cream and hot dogs.

In addition, the sustainability and healthiness of the proposed foods were important criteria for the selection committee. The selected entrepreneurs will work within a rotation system so that each location can be visited by different trucks on a given day. This ensures that each of the 24 locations will enjoy a varied selection of street food. The pilot will be evaluated after two years, and a decision will subsequently be made regarding whether to continue the project.