Calgary food trucks are having one of the roughest years on record, as competition creeps upward while business slumps in the sluggish economy.

The number of new food truck permits has hit 76 this year, an all-time high. At the same time, the soggy summer and empty downtown offices have shrunk the city's appetite for street vendors, say operators.

"I would say we're about 20 to 30 per cent overall lower downtown, just purely because of the economy," said BentoBurrito operator Gillian Stanley, who has been in the business for three years.

Gillian Stanley, operator at BentoBurrito, says business this year has plummeted by 20 to 30 per cent because of the downturn. (Mario De Ciccio/CBC)

She estimates her business dropped by 70 per cent in July, purely due to the daily thundershowers.

Unmet expectations

Charlotte Swanson pulled up to the scene in July with her Roadtisserie truck, and has been putting in 16-hour days to get her business off the ground.

"Expectations were high, and it's been slower than I was hoping," she said.

But she remains optimistic about the future of the industry.

"People know that they can get really good food from food trucks, and they look out for them. I think on that front, the industry is doing well, and it has a nice reputation," she said.

Rather than focus on the daily street vending, she says she's chasing more catering opportunities, weekend events and neighbourhood block parties where customers are guaranteed.

Swanson says she doesn't feel threatened by the new food trucks arriving on scene, as many specialize in lemonade, ice cream, or hot dogs, which do not compete directly with her business. (Dan McGarvey/CBC)

'Not profitable at all'

Paul Brassard, owner of deVille coffee shop, recently imported a 1974 Citroën van from France to use as a mobile coffee vendor.

"Basically, it's a really expensive marketing tool," he said.

"The truck for us is not profitable at all. It's a passion project. We break even, and some days we lose a little bit of money. Overall, we think that a long-term strategy is to have this van on the road."

Still, he says his three cafes have overall seen an increase in sales, despite the recession.

"Coffee is an easier purchase to digest. Rather than a $50 steak, it's more like a $2.25 cup of coffee or a $5 latte."

'It’s really nice to be able to provide our coffee to people who normally would have nowhere close to our location,' says Paul Brassard. (Mario De Ciccio/CBC)

Swanson said regulatory changes could help the industry grow, if the city would address permit fees and other expenses that cut into food truck viability.

"It would have to come from a community of food trucks putting pressure on the city to say these things need changing. Whether we can come together as a community or not is yet to be seen."