United States
Hong KongRunning a food truck: certification, commissary, and the water tanks
A food truck needs the same certified manager as a restaurant, plus a mobile unit permit, a commissary in most jurisdictions, potable and waste water tanks, and a handwashing sink with warm running water.
Nothing in the Food Code relaxes because the kitchen has wheels. The requirements are the same and the space to meet them is smaller.
What you need
- A certified food protection manager - usually you.
- A mobile food unit permit from the local health department.
- A commissary or fixed base of operations, in most jurisdictions.
- Potable and waste water tanks, with the waste tank larger.
- A handwashing sink with warm running water, soap, towels and a waste receptacle.
- A warewashing arrangement, or a plan for cleaning at the commissary.
- Refrigeration that holds 41°F under real conditions, not showroom ones.
- Thermometers, test strips and a log.
The commissary
The requirement operators argue with most, and the one that is hardest to work around.
A truck cannot do everything on board. Complex preparation, warewashing at scale, dry and cold storage, water filling, waste disposal and vehicle cleaning all need somewhere with plumbing. Plumbing decides it.
Shared commissary kitchens exist in most cities and are the usual answer for a new operator.
A jug and a bowl is not a handwashing sink. Warm running water, soap, towels and a waste receptacle, accessible while you are working. It is the requirement most often failed at a pre-opening inspection.
Temperature on the move
The clock does not stop for driving, parking or queueing. Food is under temperature control from the commissary to the customer, or under time control decided in advance and marked. Build in spare capacity.
Generators fail, and a truck in summer sun is a hostile environment for a small refrigeration unit. Building in more cooling capacity than you think you need is the single most useful design decision.
Local variation is extreme
Permitted menus, tank sizes, commissary rules, inspection frequency, where you can park and which counties you can cross all vary. A truck operating across county lines may need more than one permit. Ask first.
Ask before you buy the vehicle, because a build that satisfies one county can fail in the next one.
Why certification comes first
The permit application assumes it, the plan review conversation assumes it, and eight to fifteen hours of study is much easier before you own a truck than after.
Common questions
Do food trucks need a certified food manager?
Yes, in the same way a restaurant does. The operator is normally the person in charge, and the permit application assumes a certified person.
What is a commissary and is it required?
A fixed base with plumbing for cleaning, restocking, water filling and waste disposal. Most jurisdictions require one, because a truck cannot do everything on board.
Does a food truck need a handwashing sink?
Yes, with warm running water, soap, towels and a waste receptacle, accessible while working. A jug and a bowl does not satisfy it, and it is the most common pre-opening failure.
How big should the water tanks be?
The waste tank must be larger than the potable tank so it cannot overflow. Exact sizing is set locally rather than by the Food Code alone.
Do rules vary between counties?
Considerably - permitted menus, tank sizes, commissary rules, parking and inspection frequency. A truck crossing county lines may need more than one permit, so ask before buying the vehicle.