It turns out Londoners aren’t as hungry for food trucks as many thought.

More than a year after city council voted to roll out a pilot project with the mobile eateries, only five trucks are on the road and two of the early entrants have already quit the business.

At first, the city capped the number of allowed food trucks at eight. But that was removed last year to make it easier for entrepreneurs to get the financing for their trucks to feed what had appeared to be a hefty appetite in the city for the mobile eateries.

At about $80,000 and up, the steep cost to buy and equip a food truck without a guarantee there would be a licence available left a bad taste in the mouths of prospective entrepreneurs, said Orest Katolyk, the city’s bylaw enforcement boss.

Omar Hanan, owner of the downtown Barakat restaurant, had one of the first food trucks to hit London’s streets, but after about a year he sold it.

His truck, Tahini’s, specialized in Mediterranean fusion food.

“I had it the whole summer downtown, but I felt like the people in London were not welcoming of food from a food truck,” Hanan said.

But a greater problem than Londoners not being very receptive to getting their meals on wheels, said Hanan, was the small profit margin in the business.

“It’s very little profit for a lot of work,” he said. “Even if (business) did pick up, it’s really not worth the hassle.”

Shelby’s Food Express, another starter in the food truck business, also lost its taste for it, choosing to focus on its two restaurants instead.

Co-owner Yazan El-Shalabi didn’t renew his licence this year and is trying to sell the truck.

“It’s not about not working out, it’s about me finding the time,” he said.

“What we’re finding is that the established restaurants that went into the food truck business are getting out of the food trucks,” said Katolyk. “But the ones that are starting are ones that don’t currently have bricks-and mortar restaurants operating.”

While many other cities embraced food trucks early on, the concept took a while to be allowed in London because of concerns from restaurant owners — who pay city taxes and fees — that their business would suffer from the street vendors. Similar concerns erupted years earlier, over street hot dog carts.

But that excuse rings hollow for Harley MacIntyre, the owner of bricks-and-mortar Shmokey’s BBQ and The Walking Fed food truck.

“I say, ‘Hey, if you’ve got a problem with food trucks, you better make better food,’” said the French-trained chef.

His food truck has been popular with Londoners, he said.

“You would not believe how many people take the picture of it and come up beside it because they love the series (The Walking Dead),” he said.

But he’s had a tough time serving up grub streetside.

“Mostly, I’m just doing events because there’s not really that many prime locations in the city for us to operate.”

But despite some bumps in the road, other entrepreneurs are braving the streets and putting their pedals to the metal.

“I think it’s a great business for many people,” said Ricardo Cavaco, the owner and operator of Bifana Boys, which specializes in Portuguese food.

“It’s a great outlet for people that like to cook,” said the executive chef for a downtown restaurant, adding he hopes to get the truck out on the road more.

“We’re really still part-time. I feel that it’s been received really, really well,” he said. “We’ve developed a really good following. I think Londoners are ready for it — it’s just a slow start so far.”

alalani@postmedia.com

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FOOD TRUCKS ON THE ROAD