Food trucks offering “hipster” gourmet fare are a step closer to operating in Toronto after the municipal licensing committee approved a city staff report Tuesday, with some modifications.

“I think this is one area, by every measure, where we can see the benefit that this brings to the city,” said Councillor Josh Colle. “It’s a no-brainer to proceed.”

The city’s last experiment with street food was an expensive flop. Launched in 2009, the A La Cart program lasted only a year. Critics blamed excessive red tape and $30,000 mandatory equipment.

Today, food trucks in Toronto can operate for a maximum of only 10 minutes in a parking lot.

With street food vendors flourishing elsewhere, city staff are recommending food truck vendors be allowed to operate on Toronto streets in “pay and display” parking areas. They included new regulations to address the concerns of restaurateurs worried about competition.

On Tuesday, the licensing committee voted to increase the number of hours that a food truck could operate in a parking lot from three hours, which was recommended by staff, to five hours.

The committee also allowed an unlimited number of trucks in a parking zone, said Carlton Grant, director of policy and strategic support with municipal licensing.

No area in the city will be off limits as long as the truck is 50 metres from an established restaurant. The rule won’t apply for trucks in private lots.

“That’s huge,” Colle said. “We don’t want to be too restrictive and overmanage.”

There has been some confusion whether business improvement area (BIA) groups and local councillors could request that food trucks be banned from neighbourhoods, he said.

“BIAs never had a veto,” Colle explained. Instead, BIAs and local councillors will have an appeal process where they can object to a truck in a certain location.

That is still subject to change, he added.

The full report will go before council April 1. If approved, the new rules would be in effect this spring.