Food truck industry on the move in Townsville with registrations doubling in the last two years

Townsville has seen a surge in food truck registrations with business owners are on the move for a more flexible lifestyle.

Mangiamo food truck have been operating since September last year and is one of 26 new food trucks that was registered with the council in 2019. Justin Bland is the owner. PICTURE: MATT TAYLOR.

Townsville has seen a surge in food truck registrations, with business owners on the move for a more flexible lifestyle.

Mobile food van registrations almost doubled in the past two years, with 14 council registrations in 2018 increasing to 26 applications in 2019.

Italian food van Mangiamo owner Justin Bland has one of the 26 new food trucks that hit the Townsville streets in 2019.

After years of thinking about buying a van, the experienced chef picked up the keys to his new mobile restaurant in September last year.

Mr Bland said opening Mangiamo was everything he wished for after working in a kitchen for years.

“I get to select the events I want to go to and I am making up my own hours, which is great,” he said.

“It is that one-on-one contact with people I love. In a restaurant the chef is behind the scenes but with a food truck you are right there with the customer.”

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Mr Bland said he loved the simplicity of the business model.

“It is my own restaurant that I have always wanted to own,” he said.

“It may not be a 100-seater restaurant but I can feed hundreds of people out of it.”

Townsville City Council relaxed food truck registration laws in 2019, boosting the industry in the region.

Many local events offer a variety of food trucks, including the monthly Strand Night Markets, Townsville Eats and Cotters Markets.

Although food vans offer convenience for the owners, there are challenges with the mobile business.

“Obviously they are tight quarters and limited storage space so you have to adapt the menu,” Mr Bland said. “You have to be very creative with the stuff you are cooking.”

Mr Bland said the rising popularity of the food truck culture was a testament to keeping options fresh.

“Restaurants have the same menus for several months but with food trucks, you can change your menu weekly,” he said.

“You can go to an event with 20 or 30 food trucks and it is an experience for the patrons with a diverse selection of food to choose from in one area.”

Cotters Markets manager Cliff Kern said the rise of the food truck was “wonderful for our tastebuds”.

“It gives people a chance to express themselves artistically through taste and all the vendors are super creative people and want to share their talents with everyone,” he said.

Originally published as Food truck industry on the move in Townsville with registrations doubling in the last two years