Kingston extends food truck hours to help homecoming partygoers sober up

The City of Kingston is turning to unexpected allies to help soak up booze and slow down partying around Queen's University during homecoming: food trucks.

During a meeting Tuesday night, councillors voted in favour of a motion that will allow the vehicles to serve students and other customers on campus until 2 a.m. rather than the typical 11 p.m. closing time.

The concept was brought to council by Conny Glenn, who represents Sydenham District, which surrounds the university.

"Really, it's just an old fashioned idea in a new package," she said, adding the aim is to put food and water in the pathways of partiers and to keep them from clogging up emergency rooms.

"It slows the absorption of alcohol, but it also slows down the rate at which people drink."

Glenn said it would be a "real win" to see trucks scattered around campus to spread out students and help them sober up.

Homecoming is scheduled for Oct. 20-22, but the extended hours will be offered between Oct. 14 and Nov. 1 in case other events spring up before or after the weekend.

The motion also includes a caveat that the city's director of licensing and enforcement can impose conditions or pull the plug on any exemptions for the food trucks if staff find it necessary to do so.

Sydenham District Coun. Conny Glenn says the goal of allowing food trucks to stay open longer is to help cut down on alcohol consumption. (Submitted by Conny Glenn)

Glenn said the move was first suggested by the Alma Mater Society, which represents students at Queen's.

The initial motion involved food trucks both on and off campus, but some councillors balked at that idea, saying the city would essentially be endorsing partying.

Mayor Bryan Paterson said while he supports the vision, he had concerns about the optics of opening the initiative up to trucks off campus, describing it as a "very dangerous signal and a big mistake."

A 'tempting' option for truck owners

There are currently four food trucks parked on campus, according to FryWay owner Andy Williams, who operates two of them.

"It's very tempting," he said of the city offering extra hours.

An alumni of Queen's, Williams said he's enjoyed homecoming from the perspective of both partygoer and business owner and believes offering a late-night dining option could make a difference.

"Having a place to go grab a bite to eat is a good way to slow you down if you're in party mode," he said. "You might start to feel better than you did before and you might decide you don't need to party anymore."

FryWay was already planning to sell sausages, poutine and burgers during the homecoming football game, but Williams said he's now looking at staying open to catch the end-of-the-night crowd too.

City will consult on locations, operating times

However, he does have a few questions about what the extra hours will look like.

Williams said he pays around $900 a month to park on campus and wondered whether opening that up to other companies during a busy weekend could undercut his business.

He also asked whether it will be possible to move his trucks closer to Aberdeen and Earl Streets, which tend to be the epicentre when street parties break out.

Customers visit the window of a FryWay food truck on the Queen's University campus on Oct. 4, 2023. (Dan Taekema/CBC)

While a move could mean intercepting more students, Williams said it would also require him to find a new location and apply for a special event permit from public health, which can take 14 days to process.

With homecoming just a few weeks away, he questioned whether there will be enough time to tick all the necessary boxes.

The city will consider allowing new trucks to set up shop on campus on a case-by-case basis, Curtis Smith, Kingston's director of licensing and enforcement, wrote in an email to CBC on Wednesday. Anyone interested in applying is asked to contact his department.

Staff will consult with community partners to determine the safest locations and times for trucks to operate, he added.

Smith said all existing rules around licensing and health inspections will remain in place during the expanded hours. The food trucks on campus also won't be allowed to serve alcohol.