Food trucks are destined for the streets of Hong Kong as early as the end of this year.

The government has today commenced accepting applications from mobile restaurateurs for a Food Truck Pilot Scheme.

A two-stage selection mechanism will select suitable Hong Kong food truck operators. The first stage will be the assessment of food truck proposals from applicants. Assessment criteria include the food concept and menu, business and financial proposal and design of the vehicle. The second stage will be a cook-off challenge at which the applicants will demonstrate their proposed signature dish.

“The Food Truck Pilot Scheme, positioned as a tourism initiative, aims to add fun and vibrancy to Hong Kong by providing diverse, creative and high quality food options to tourists and the locals, as well as to showcase the good standard of food hygiene and safety in Hong Kong,” said secretary for commerce and economic development, Gregory So at a launch briefing yesterday.

So has visited Sydney and San Francisco to see food trucks in action and examine regulatory management in the markets prior to opening the way for a trial of trucks in Hong Kong.

There are eight designated venues for food truck operation under the Pilot Scheme: Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai, Central Harbourfront Event Space, Ocean Park (the area outside the theme park), Tsim Sha Tsui Salisbury Garden, Tsim Sha Tsui Art Square, Energizing Kowloon East Venue 1, Wong Tai Sin Square next to Wong Tai Sin Temple and Hong Kong Disneyland (the area outside the theme park). Each operation venue will provide two parking spaces, allowing a total of 16 food trucks to operate in the pilot on a rotation basis.

The government will also line up food trucks to provide services at designated large scale tourism events to enhance the attractiveness of the events.

The government will establish a selection panel comprising representatives from the relevant government departments and food truck operation venues, food critics, members of tourist industry and financial experts, to assess all applications carefully. The name list of panel members will be announced later after it is finalised.

The cook-off process will test applicants on factors such as hygiene, creativity and taste.

“Whether you are a multinational company or a start-up company, I think we are quite fair on that one,” So explained of the process.

“You really test your cooking skill and how you process the food. So that is not an advantage to anybody. Mom and pop shops – we welcome everybody. It’s really competing on equal footing. And so we hope more people would be interested. We don’t really know how many applications will come.”

Today’s step follows an announcement in the 2015-16 Budget to consider introducing food trucks, which are popular abroad. The Tourism Commission under the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau was tasked with conducting a study and devised the Food Truck Pilot Scheme.

So described the food truck concept as “ international”.

“Hong Kong is quite an international city. I think we deserve to be having this sort of facility which I found quite attractive in other places. I think we can do better than that. We can add on to give rooms for our local chefs and young people in terms of expression to their creativity. I think that’s a great thing. I think this is quite exciting.”

The government has worked out an arrangement with the Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Limited (HKMC) that food truck applicants, where needed, may apply for a loan of up to $300,000 under the existing Microfinance Scheme. Persons interested in starting up business may also enroll for entrepreneurial training arranged by the HKMC.

A designated office will be set up on April 1 under the Tourism Commission to coordinate the implementation of the Pilot Scheme and matters related to licence application, providing one-stop services for the applicants.

“We expect food trucks will commence business at the end of 2016 or early in 2017,” said So.

“The Pilot Scheme will operate for two years. We hope that food trucks will enhance and enrich food options in Hong Kong and bring more specialty gourmet food to tourists and the locals.”

Applications to operate food trucks will close on May 30 prior to the selection process.  Application details including application form, application guidelines and frequently asked questions are available at the Tourism Commission’s Food Truck Pilot Scheme webpage.