Mayor Michelle Wu Announces Launch of Late Night Food Truck Program

Food truck operators encouraged to sign up for lottery by Wednesday, June 4 for opportunity to participate in new nighttime food truck program across Boston neighborhoods

Mayor Michelle Wu today announced the launch of the Office of Nightlife Economy Late Night Food Truck Program. This new program will provide food trucks the opportunity to utilize public sites designated for late night service. The seven sites are located near hospitals, universities, music venues, and nightlife districts, providing workers, residents, and patrons nighttime food options. This announcement builds on Mayor Wu’s work to make Boston a home for everyone and the City’s efforts to support small businesses across Boston neighborhoods.

“My very first efforts in city government working under Mayor Menino focused on improving the restaurant permitting process and launching food trucks in Boston,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “Fifteen years later, I’m excited to continue creating opportunities for our food businesses and to make our city vibrant, welcoming, and fun. I encourage interested food truck operators to register for the lottery for a chance to operate at a late night location this summer and fall.”

 

Similar to the City of Boston Food Truck Program, food truck operators will participate in an online lottery to select their sites. The lottery will take place on Friday, June 6 at 4:00 p.m. Interested operators should sign up using this online form by Wednesday, June 4 to ensure they are entered into the lottery. Food truck operators must also provide all of the documents required to vend in the City of Boston. A list of required documents is available at this link.

“The creation of the Late Night Food Truck program is about more than just meals—it’s about unlocking new opportunities for Boston’s entrepreneurs and increasing access to late night food,” said Corean Reynolds, Director of Nightlife Economy for the City of Boston. “This initiative is a direct response to conversations with residents, workers, and business, as they consistently indicated to me the need for more food options after hours.”

“I’m excited about the launch of the Late Night Food Truck Program and what it means for our city. In a district like mine, where hospitals, music venues, and college students are always active, having more food options available at night just makes sense,” said District 8 City Councilor Sharon Durkan. “This is a win for small businesses, those getting off a late shift, students finishing a long study session, and folks enjoying a night out. It also gives small businesses a new opportunity to connect with customers. I appreciate Mayor Wu and the Office of Nightlife Economy for pushing creative ideas that reflect how people really live and move through Boston.”

The Office of Nightlife Economy will announce the list of locations and food truck operators after the lottery in June. The Late Night Food Truck season will take place throughout this summer and end in the Fall. This is an initiative of the Office of Nightlife Economy, which serves as a vital link between City Hall and the stakeholders within Boston's nightlife ecosystem.

“Being able to serve food later into the evening is a key part of continuing to make the city more vibrant and livelier,” said Josh Bhatti, Senior Vice President for The Bowery Presents, which operates Roadrunner. “Providing food for concertgoers and our staff along with creating business opportunities for others is something that has been much needed in the city. I applaud the Mayor for pushing this initiative forward.” 

“With so many employers offering lunch to incentivize workers to come back to the office, Boston's food truck community is still struggling to recover from the impact of COVID,” said Jen Faigel, Co-Founder and Executive Director of CommonWealth Kitchen. “The City's new initiative to offer food trucks the opportunity to operate in high profile locations at night will be a huge boost for these hard-working businesses and an enormous benefit for the people they serve. We're thrilled to see this idea coming to life.”

Since 2023, the Office of Nightlife Economy has engaged several hundred stakeholders. These conversations led to a range of initiatives, including the creation of the NITE Committee, implementation of a social district pilot on Temple Place, distribution of 33,000 drink spiking prevention covers, and the dissemination of over $300,000 to local businesses and entrepreneurs through the Wake Up the Night Grants, which funded over 50 events attended by over 19,000 Boston area residents. Recently, the Office of Nightlife Economy launched Night Industries Training and Education (NITE) U, a one-stop location that provides nightlife employees and business owners with resources and support.