SURREY — Ever tried a tasty torpedo? How about a hillbilly hotdog?
Surrey residents will have the opportunity to try these delicacies and more now that the city has chosen 10 mobile food vendors to be part of its new food truck program.
In May, prospective vendors were invited to apply to be part of the pilot project. The deadline was June 2 and a panel looked at factors such as experience, qualifications, menu diversity, healthy options and waste management plans before choosing 10 vendors from the 16 who applied.
Vendors will operate in pairs at five locations around the city: the east and west parking lots at North Surrey Recreation Centre, Bear Creek Park/Surrey Arts Centre parking lot, Newton Wave Pool parking lot and the new City Hall Plaza.
To make it fair, the trucks will change locations every three months.
“I think we’ve chosen some great spots to have the vendors,†said Laurie Cavan, Surrey’s general manager of parks, recreation and culture.
The chosen 10 will also be listed as “recommended†vendors to organizers of outdoor events and festivals throughout the year.
Here’s a list of the mobile food vendors:
* Hillbilly Dawgz, a Surrey-based hotdog vendor, specializes in wild game sausages, including kangaroo, crocodile, duck, snake and bison.
* Old Country Pierogi, a family business based in Surrey, serves Eastern European food.
* Japadog, a Vancouver staple for nearly 10 years, serving Japanese-inspired hotdogs with toppings such as teriyaki sauce, seaweed, plum sauce, bonito and miso.
* Fijian Fusion serves spicy halal street food.
* The Place Next Door Canteen serves “guilt-free cuisine†such as salads, wraps and sandwiches, along with snacks.
* Hot Grandma’s Kitchen serves comfort classics such as soup, perogies, cabbage rolls, paninis, hotdogs, burgers, fries, poutine and grandma’s apple dumplings.
* Taj Tadka, which started up in a minibus in October, serves traditional Indian curries and naan, and caters to both vegetarians and meat lovers.
* Taj Express serves Indian cuisine.
* Don’s Smokies serves hotdogs and smokies.
* Tasty Torpedo serves sandwiches.
It’s expected that the program will be up and running next week.
“We’re going to be trying our very best,†said Cavan. “We’re hoping for some great weather next week.â€
The pilot project will last one year and after that it will be evaluated to see if expansion — including the possibility of streetside food trucks — is in the cards.
The food truck trend isn’t entirely new to Surrey, with mobile food vendors appearing at special events, farmers’ markets and festivals over the years.
At least three of the vendors have participated in the PARKit program, a temporary pop-up park that provides the public an opportunity to eat from vendors and chill in an outdoor space. The program will be expanded this summer to accommodate three vendors at a time.