Hosting Food Trucks

Food trucks, or mobile food vendors, are becoming increasingly popular across the country and are often a popular request by department staff and student organization leaders for campus events. While food trucks can provide an exciting element to your outdoor event, they are not risk-free. Since food is being prepared on-site, open flame and propane tanks are involved, rolling hazards, and staff operating with minimal supervision compared to traditional brick-and-mortar locations, the communities of Somerville, Medford, Boston, and Grafton and Tufts University have additional restrictions to ensure a safe and enjoyable event.

Before planning your event, consider:

Volume: Food trucks typically cannot quickly prepare large portions of food in such a small space. If you are expecting a large turnout at your event, ensure you have enough trucks to accommodate your attendees. Consider how many servings a single truck can provide in the time frame of your event and add a variety of trucks to allow your attendees to spread out as much as possible in the available space.
Location: Consider the safety of a food truck in the space where your event will be held. There should be adequate flat, paved surfaces for the food truck to park on. They should be able to easily access the area without driving off main access roads or sidewalks. Trucks cannot be parked on public or private streets on Tufts campuses. Crowds or lines should not impede pedestrian or vehicular traffic in the area. There should be adequate emergency access in case of a fire or other emergency.
Dietary restrictions: Many trucks provide a very limited menu and cannot provide allergen free environments because of the risk of cross contamination in such small prep areas. If your event is open to the public, a variety of vendors should be utilized to ensure adequate options for those with dietary restrictions or allergies. Staff should be ServSafe certified.
Planning timeline: All trucks, including ice cream trucks, must have a mobile food vendor license with the City of Somerville or Boston, depending on the location, and complete Tufts’ Food Truck User License Agreement. This process also includes an inspection from the cities’ health department and fire department and can take up to six weeks to complete.

Procedures

All events (student organizations and departments) involving food trucks, including ice cream trucks, must be approved by the Office for Campus Life (OCL). For student organization events OCL will assist with the municipal licensing, inspections, and Tufts agreements, as well as receive necessary permission from Tufts Dining, Government & Community Relations, and TUPD. OCL is happy to consult with departments sponsoring food trucks, but ultimately the department is responsible for reviewing guidelines and processing all necessary paperwork. Prior experience with mobile food vendors, the number of food trucks in a designated period of time, city or neighborhood concerns, and the impact on Tufts Dining are all considered when approving or denying requests for food trucks on campus.

Student organizations must adhere to the Student Organization Fundraising Policy.

To begin the process, student organizations wishing to host a food truck should meet with a staff member in the Office for Campus Life prior to completing their Event Registration Form. University departments should review all details on this webpage and contact the Office for Campus Life at ocl@tufts.edu with any questions and also to share information on plans to avoid any conflicts with multiple food truck events.

Space Reservation: Events hosting food trucks may only be held in spaces available for reservation on ReserveTufts. Trucks may not be parked on sidewalks, streets, or patios that are not within the reservation system.
Contracts: A Tufts Food Truck User License Agreement is required for all food trucks, regardless of the location or menu, or if the truck is being paid in full or selling directly to students. All Food Truck User License Agreements will be executed by the Office for Campus Life if the agreement is under $5,000 or with Purchasing if over $5,000. Each agreement outlines requirements for food service licenses and certifications (Allergen, ServSafe, etc.) and parking and safety protocols. Departments should use the Food Truck User License Agreement but execute this process themselves.
Permits & Inspections: Based on the location of your event (Medford, Somerville, Boston, or Grafton), a variety of municipal permit and inspections are required. Depending on the size of your event and if your event is open to the public, a Public Event License (PEL) may be required. The permitting and inspection process typically takes 2-4 weeks to complete and cannot begin until all contracts have been finalized and is required regardless of whether the event taking place on private or public property.
- Somerville: All food trucks must have an Annual Mobile Food Vendor License. In order to receive the license, trucks using propane will require an inspection by the Somerville Fire Prevention Bureau. A Public Event License (PEL) will be required for any event open to the public. A certificate of insurance (COI) naming the City of Somerville as additionally insured will be required. Trucks that do not have an annual permit can easily apply for a one-day Special Event Mobile Food Vendor License and inspection at a reduced rate.
- Boston: To receive a Boston Food Truck Permit (FTP), trucks must also have a Health Permit, Open Burning/Cooking Permit (if applicable, and includes documentation of an inspection), Business Certificate, GPS Navigation Contract, and a Hawker/Peddler License for at least one employee who will be on site, and a Commissary Kitchen Agreement. Given these requirements and the costs associated with each permit, trucks that do not have a current annual permit will not be approved for Tufts events on the Boston or Fenway campus.
- Medford: Trucks must have a Mobile Food Vendor License, a One Day Mobile Food Vendor License, or a Special Event Mobile Food Vendor License. A nominal fee is required with the truck’s application.
- Grafton: The truck must have a current Food Establishment Permit, which includes a Hawkers/Peddlers License for mobile food vendors.
TUPD & Fire Detail: Because food trucks tend to draw such large crowds, a TUPD detail is often required as part of your event. This request should be added via the Event Registration Form on JumboLife for student organizations, or online by a university department. The City of Somerville requires a fire detail as part of a PEL involving food trucks.
At Your Event: A professional staff or faculty member must be on site during the event to act as the point of contact for the vendor, municipal inspectors, and other fire or TUPD details. The on-site staff member should ensure that each truck:
- uses parking blocks,
- displays their required permits and inspection certificates,
- operates within the guidelines of the Tufts Food Truck User License Agreement,
- conspicuously displays the PEL (if required), and
- manages any overcrowding that may occur.