Additional Street Vendors License Required From Baltimore Mobile Food Trucks

City officials threatened to shut down mobile food trucks after notifying them that they are required to purchase a $25.00 Baltimore, MA street vendors license in addition to the $450.00 worth of permits they already have.

Upon receiving a complaint against two mobile food trucks from a local restaurant owner, Alvin O. Gillard — chairman of the city's street vendors board informed owners of Souper Truck and Iced Gems on Wednesday that they would have to close shop until they acquire this license.

"In part, it's not their fault, because we were still struggling with whether the street vendors’ board had to bring these folks under compliance," Gillard said of the "misunderstandings.”

However, Gillard said they would have to wait for the city’s next board meeting for city officials’ approval of this license and although the next meeting will be held on June 3, discussion about this license may be pushed off until the August meeting.

According to The Baltimore Sun, this constraint would have affected most of the city's food truck fleet, and the approval process could have put several out of business.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake stepped in late Wednesday afternoon and granted street vendors additional time to acquire the food permit they never knew they needed. In addition to allowing the trucks to operate as usual until they get the required license, the Mayor asked city agencies to help expedite the licensing process.

“Mayor Rawlings-Blake has answered my prayers,” Irene Smith, owner of the Souper Freak soup truck, wrote on The Sun’s dining blog, Dining@Large. “Her leadership could not be more appreciated.”

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