Eight Hong Kong food trucks to launch after Lunar New Year
Commerce minister confirms February 2 start date as good luck tradition for business; eight others to follow in same month
About eight food trucks will hit the road in February to mark the start of Lunar New Year and the debut of the city’s much anticipated mobile eateries.
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Greg So Kam-leung announced on Wednesday that the meals on wheels would begin operation on “a lucky date”, February 2, in the Year of the Rooster.
According to So, “about eight” of the 16 winning applicants selected after a cooking contest in July will be making an entrance.
The first batch will be positioned at popular tourist attractions across the city, with the rest expected to follow within weeks.
However, none of the applicants has yet received confirmation of a launch date because they are still in various stages of preparation.
At least one of the would-be operators has blamed bureaucratic red tape.
But So said “progress has been very good”, adding that a number of operators had already gone through all the required procedures and started final vehicle examinations.
“About eight food trucks should be able to commence services on February 2 once they obtain all the licences and fix the rental terms with landlords,” So said.
The launch on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year is meant to bring good luck, and as always, there will be a mobile phone application – to help hungry locals and tourists find the food truck of their choice.
A government spokeswoman blamed delays on the new operators’ lack of experience in the business.
She added that the food trucks would be sent to the Transport Department for examination once they were ready.
Operators will also need to get relevant licences from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.
The two-year food truck plan, announced in last year’s budget, will see 16 trucks stationed in eight districts.
Among the 16 operators, Atlantic Sunrise (HK) Ltd – which offers American-style barbecue meat steamed bread – and Tan Sing Café, selling fresh cream pineapple buns, are the ones that are most likely to hit the street soon.
Both have their food trucks fully decorated with vehicle examinations arranged in the next few weeks.
“There is no problem for us to start operation in February,” Lam Kai-chung, owner of Tan Sing Café, said.
However, others were still making their final preparations.
Michael Sun, operations support manager at Beef & Liberty, which will offer slow-cooked pork shoulder sandwiches on its food truck, said 80 per cent of the installation works of the vehicle had been completed.
However, it was still waiting for its licence to be approved by the government – some three months after it had submitted the necessary documents.
“We are ready. It really depends on how fast the government approves our applications,” Sun said.
Liu Chun-ho, owner of the food truck that will sell five-colour dumplings, said he would meet the representatives of the eight designated sites to work out rental arrangements.
Meanwhile, tourist figures continued to recover in December, with 4.4 per cent more travellers visiting the city in the first two weeks of the month over the same period last year.
