The Commerce Secretary, Greg So, said potential applicants will have to undergo a cook-off challenge during the screening process. Photo: RTHK
The government will start taking applications for its Food Truck Pilot Scheme from Thursday until May 30.
A total of 16 successful applicants will be chosen by August and they are scheduled to begin operation in late this year or early next year.
They'll be allowed to operate in eight locations across the territory, such as the Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai, or the entrance of Ocean Park and the Hong Kong Disneyland.
The Commerce Secretary, Greg So, said the potential applicants will be required to submit a detailed business plan on the kind of food they are going to sell, the design of their trucks, and their financial soundness.
They will then go through a second round of screening: a professional culinary contest in which they will have to prepare their signature dishes for judges to taste. The panel will include some well-known chefs.
Given the requirements and the huge cost of setting up each truck, experts believe it will cost around HK$600,000 to run a food truck.
Critics say it is almost certain that the 16 operating permits will eventually fall into the hands of either large fast-food chains or big catering conglomerates.
The scheme was floated by the Financial Secretary, John Tsang, in his last year's budget. He said the trucks would consolidate Hong Kong's position as a culinary hot spot.
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1251602-20160330.htm
