It doesn’t matter how many vendors a food truck association starts with. The key is how it helps the existing and future members build the industry in their area. Food truck vendors need a single voice when dealing with community government to make sure that laws never become over restrictive.

SASKATOON, CANADA – Nine Saskatoon food truck owners have joined forces to create an industry association they hope will better represent their interests and make event bookings easier.

“Over the course of (last) summer, as we got to know the other food truck owners, we realized it could be a good thing to have a common voice and resources and to share ideas … and if one person can’t do an event or something, you just pass it on to someone else,” said Erin Sader, treasurer of the Saskatoon Food Truck Association (SFTA).

Sader and her sister Marissa Venne started selling sandwiches and mini-doughnuts from their Cocoa Food Inc. truck last June. This spring, Sader helped launch the non-profit, volunteer-run association, which is expected to engage with the city on issues such as parking fees and the upcoming rehabilitation of Broadway Avenue, as well as help with marketing and business operations.

The SFTA currently has nine members, including Cocoa Food Inc., Rebel Melt, Dapper Dane and Last Mile Coffee. Membership fees are $200 for the first year and “much, much lower” for each successive year, Sader said, noting that “99 per cent” of the initial budget went toward building a website.

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