Let the slavering begin — the food trucks are rolling in.

And it seems that many Toronto residents can’t wait. As many as eight in 10 polled Torontonians approve of city council’s decision to allow vendors to set up food trucks for two months, starting Thursday, in Woodbine Park, Sherbourne Common, Roundhouse Park, Canoe Landing and Allan Gardens. Twenty-four food trucks are participating.

Forum Research polled a random sampling of 1,368 Torontonians over the age of 18 on July 29 and found that only one-tenth didn’t approve of the city’s pilot project. A similar proportion had no opinion. The 80 per cent overall approval rating was almost even among male and female respondents (81 per cent of men and 79 per cent of women approved the council decision).

The results also indicate that almost half of Torontonians polled think there are too few food trucks in the city, with those in the downtown (57 per cent) the most eager for more. Some 82 per cent of those polled feel food trucks should be allowed to park on any city street and/or municipal parking lot.

Disapproval of the city’s food truck pilot project is higher in older groups (13 per cent, 55 and older), the least educated (15 per cent), and among those who approve of Rob Ford (13 per cent). Approval is highest among middle- to upper-income respondents (79 per cent of those earning $20,000 to $40,000, 83 per cent of those earning $100,000 to $250,000).

“It’s apparent Toronto wants food trucks, especially downtown,’’ said Forum Research president and founder Lorne Bozinoff. “If you look at the demographics, this trend tends to be an artifact of the middle classes and elites, the better educated and wealthier people who live downtown. For instance, Ford Nation doesn’t appear to be particularly interested in food trucks,” he said.

Getting the trucks into parks is a great “first step,’’ said Ward 15 Councillor Josh Colle, who, along with Ward 32 Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon, has long championed the food truck project and loosening restrictive street food bylaws. (McMahon is currently on vacation and couldn’t be reached.) Before now, food trucks have been restricted to private parking lots and were not allowed to sell on city property.

Colle says that over the two-month pilot, more food truck operators could be added, as well as additional locations.

Adding food trucks to the street-food mix “widens the variety dramatically,’’ says Colle, and he thinks Torontonians are very much behind that.

Participants include Beach Boys Food Truck, Beaver Tails, Bestia, Blue Donkey, Buster’s Sea Cove, Caplansky’s, Choco Churros, Curbside Bliss Cupcakes, Crossroads Diner, Dobro Jesti, Fidel Gastros, Gourmet Bitches, Gourmet Gringos, Hogtown Smoke, Per Se Mobile, Pretty Sweet Bakery, Smoke’s Poutinerie, Stuft Gourmet Sausages, Sweet Snow Shave Ice, The Feisty Jack, The Food Dudes, The Rome’n Chariot, Tiny Tom Donuts and Urban Smoke.

All food trucks in the pilot program must have city licences and a permit to operate on city parkland. The trucks are being scheduled and co-ordinated by the Ontario Food Trucks Association.

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