NewHavenBIZ

n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 8 | n e w h a v e n B I Z 27 are represented on Cedar Street, the cluster of food trucks closest to downtown. Lunchtimes on Cedar are a swirl of white coats, blue scrubs and dangling Yale ID badges amid the sights and smells of doz- ens of far-flung cuisines. Be careful walking past the Peking Edo cart — you might get an intense noseful of chili from a spicy stir-fry. e cornucopia is not limited to Yale affiliates — there is usually parking along Congress Avenue for those who want to sample the fare. Seating can be found at the far end of Cedar across from Yale New Haven Hospital. Trucks seek new turf Looking ahead, you may see food trucks at new locations across the city, including near the St. Raphael's campus of Yale New Haven Hospi- tal and close to Southern Connecti- cut State University. Behind the scenes, city officials are carefully studying the scene and looking for ways to both improve the dining experience and of course generate some new revenue. Recent improvements at Long Wharf in- clude sidewalks, portable toilets, ex- tra garbage cans and new lighting. Better signage and benches are on the horizon — for now, most diners either eat in their cars or perch on fences. e spending was justified by a 2017 increase in revenue from vendors, who now pay $2,500 a year for the privilege of parking a truck at Long Wharf, plus a $500 annual fee for electricity hookups. With the new fees came new reg- ulations like the requirement that all employees have vendor licenses at cost of $200 a year and undergo background checks. e trucks can no longer play loud music and set up chairs on the sidewalk. A full-time enforcement officer also regularly stops by to check on compliance and conditions at the vending areas as of last year. "It was very messy, we were hear- ing from customers," Fontana says. "e system is working pretty well for the most part… the vendors have gotten used to it." Beyond the Elm City, food trucks have turned up across the county, prompting suburban officials to contact New Haven for advice about fees and regulations. Hamden hosts the seasonal lobster-roll ven- dor Lobster Hut at 1253 Whitney Ave. for most of the summer and fall. Another crustacean purveyor, Cousins Maine Lobster of Shark Tank fame, parked along Universal Drive in North Haven this October, along with stops at events at the Guilford Fair Grounds. Working hard for the money With the growing popularity of food trucks nationwide and TV exposure like Food Network's Food Truck Face Off and e Great Food Truck Race, more are entering the business. New Haven received nearly 160 applications for 91 available spaces in the summer of 2017, when the system was revised to accommodate new regulations — and of course new fees. Not everyone succeeds in the city: Nuñez of La Jaltera has seen many trucks come and go on Long Wharf. A seller of doughnuts and desserts next-door has decided to return to the carnival-and-fair circuit to make more money; a baked-potato truck likewise didn't last long. For those thinking about enter- ing the food-truck business, current entrepreneurs have some words of advice. "ink about it: It's a lot of reg- ulations, it's a lot of work," Nuñez says. He's one of the lucky ones — he's the owner and is in his truck only part-time. Other vendors who work for many of the Mexican trucks are there seven days week, 9 a.m. to midnight. "I don't do that," he allows. "It's hard." Many vendors carp about the weather, especially the biting winter winds that sweep in off Long Island Sound through the parking areas and the hot days when the grills heat the trucks up to 115 degrees or more inside. Warming tem- peratures don't help. "We did have a hard time last summer," Rachid Hmidouch said. "I hope next sum- mer I find something to help with the heat." When times are tough, the ven- dors work together. "We get along, we help each other out," Nuñez says. If he needs an order pad or more bags he'll stop by a neighbor- ing truck. "You're all out here all day, basically 14-hour days. We all get along." But dreamers like Rachid Hmi- douch of Sophie's Cafe, the struggle is worth it. "It costs a lot to open a restaurant, so the best thing to do is to do the food cart. is is a start, this is the beginning." n FOOD TRUCKS Diners can choose from a range of Latin-American cuisines at Long Wharf. PHOTOS: LIESE KLEIN

• Cover