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Food Truck Lottery

Our annual live lottery is scheduled for April 10, 2025, at 4 p.m.

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Site lotteries

How the lottery system works

We award all public sites through a lottery system. There is an annual lottery before each vending season. Lottery sites are kept throughout the year, unless they are dropped. New vendors can submit an application on a rolling basis to join our program. They’ll be awarded sites based on what is available.

This year’s annual lottery deadlines ARE:
Lottery type Application deadlines Lottery dates
Lottery typeAnnual lottery (conducted via Zoom)
Application deadlinesApril 8, 2025
Lottery datesApril 10, 2025 

Please note: a late night food truck lottery will take place in the coming weeks. We will notify you about this second lottery as soon as possible.

REGISTER for the lottery NOW

In order to secure a site location, be sure to have all of the required documents to vend in the City of Boston:

  • Health Permit 
  • Fire Permit 
  • Hawker and Peddler 
  • Business Certificate 
  • Certificate of Liability Insurance 
  • Business Plan 
  • Commissary Letter 

We award all public sites through a lottery system. There is an annual lottery before each vending season. 

Lottery sites are kept throughout the year, unless they are dropped. 

New vendors can submit an application on a rolling basis to join our program. They'll be awarded sites based on availability.

Available Sites

Site #1: Clarendon Street (Near 206 Clarendon Street)

Monday through Sunday

  • Lunch, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
  • Dinner, 3 p.m. - 8 p.m. 

Site #2: Boston Medical Center (Harrison Avenue)

Monday through Sunday

  • Lunch, 11 a.m. -  3 p.m.
  • Dinner, 3 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Site #3: West End/Emerson (Near Mass. General Hospital)

Monday through Sunday

  • Lunch, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
  • Dinner, 3 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Site #4: Pearl and Franklin (85 Pearl Street)

Monday through Friday

  • Lunch, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Site #5: Milk and Kilby (71 Kilby Street)

Monday through Friday

  • Lunch, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Site #6: Seaport District Hall (62 Northern Avenue)

Monday through Sunday 

  • Lunch, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
  • Dinner 3 p.m. - 8 p.m.       

Site #7: Opera Place (Near Huntington Avenue)

Monday through Sunday

  • Lunch, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Site #8: MASCO Area (77 Avenue Louis Pasteur)

Monday through Friday

  • Lunch, 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Site #9: Maverick Square 

Monday through Sunday 

  • Lunch, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
  • Dinner, 3 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Site #9: Hurley Building (New Chardon Street and Cambridge Street) 

Monday through Friday 

  • Lunch, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.     

Site #10: Charlestown Navy Yard (3rd Avenue and 13th Street)

Monday through Friday

  • Lunch, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Site #14: Nubian Square (40 Warren Street)

Monday through Friday 

  • Lunch, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Site Rules

Please adhere to all site rules and regulations set forth by the City of Boston. Not adhering to these rules may result in removal from the lottery program.

ABSENCES

You are expected to vend at your lottery site for every shift. If you have an emergency, you must notify: 

  • the Mobile Enterprises Manager that you will not be vending that day (weldon.bodrick@boston.gov or 617-635-3534), and
  • your customers via social media. Posts on Instagram, X (Twitter), and/or Facebook must tag @bostonoeoi. 

Businesses that miss more than three shifts in one year are subject to removal from the location. They may also be suspended from future public site lottery opportunities.

Tows

If you arrive at your lottery site and notice that a car is parked, please immediately call the Boston Police Department (617-343-4911). When you call:

  • tell them them it’s not an emergency
  • provide them the license plate number of the vehicle, and
  • finally inform Mobile Enterprise Manager of this occurrence.
Vending without a permit

Vending without an Annual Food Truck Permit is prohibited by the City of Boston for all mobile businesses. If you are observed vending without proper documents:

  • you will be immediately subject to removal
  • you will be ineligible to participate in future City of Boston food truck programs, and
  • you may be fined by the Boston Police Department or another City of Boston authority.

Adding and dropping shifts

HOW THE DROP SYSTEM WORKS

Food trucks have an opportunity to drop sites without a penalty. This must happen within the deadlines set forth by the City of Boston. We make the dropped sites available for new participants to use throughout the year:

  • You must submit the drop form by the drop deadline for each quarter. After you drop your site, we make the site available for other food trucks.
  • You have two weeks from the permit issue date to pick up your site permit at Public Works. You can also coordinate a pickup with the Mobile Enterprise Manager.
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