After months of uncertainty, the city of Toronto has finally allowed food trucks to reopen amid the pandemic. However, new health and safety guidelines will mean that the industry will look a bit different this season.
Here’s what you need to know about the new rules for food trucks in Toronto.
New rules for employees
Employees will now be required to complete a health screening questionnaire before each shift. During shifts, workers must stick to separate workstations, and employers must limit the number of people in the workspace to ensure physical distancing.
Lineups at food trucks must adhere to physical distancing
Queues will look a lot different, with mandatory visual physical distancing markers as well as mandatory supervision by at least one employee. Take out counters will have Plexiglass installed to prevent contact between employees and customers.
No food samples and a change to condiments
Due to contamination prevention protocols, providing food samples will no longer be a legal practice. We won’t see seating stations anytime soon, either, as food trucks will be required to operate for takeout only. Similar to what we’re seeing in some cafes, condiments will no longer be provided through bottles or pumps, and individual packets will be provided instead.
Face masks are recommended
While face coverings and gloves have not been deemed mandatory for employees, they are strongly recommended. The government has also urged managers to refresh their employees on proper hand washing, hygiene and the frequent disinfecting of all surfaces.