Mobile Food Vending

The City of Nanaimo supports a vibrant, diverse, and accessible food‑vending culture by offering a variety of designated locations for mobile food trucks, trailers, and carts. Vendors can operate year‑round at approved on‑street spots and within select City parks, helping bring unique culinary experiences to residents and visitors. In addition to public spaces, food vending is also permitted on private property—provided the property owner grants approval and the site is zoned for restaurant use—creating even more opportunities for local entrepreneurs to share their food and creativity.

A food truck parked on a street in downtown Nanaimo

Park locations

Approved food vendors can reserve designated City park vending locations up to two months in advance, ensuring they have ample time to plan their operations. Each site has been thoughtfully selected to enhance the vibrancy of Nanaimo’s parks, offering convenient access to a variety of food options for residents and visitors while also protecting park infrastructure and natural features.

To further support vendors, the Mobile Food Vending Operator’s Guidebook outlines everything needed to operate successfully. The guidebook includes application submission requirements, a helpful Q&A section, bylaw highlights, detailed operational standards, and comprehensive, location‑specific information for each approved site. Vendors can find site maps, descriptions of available amenities, and online scheduling guidelines. Together, these resources make it easy to identify suitable vending opportunities and manage bookings well in advance.

Additional information on park locations, operation requirements and scheduling procedures can be found in the following publications:

The City’s Food Truck Scheduling Calendar provides vendors with a convenient, real‑time view of available park vending dates and locations. Through this interactive tool, approved vendors can review open time slots, confirm site availability, and submit booking requests directly within the system. The calendar is updated continuously to reflect new reservations and cancellations, making it easy to plan ahead and secure preferred locations well within the two‑month booking window.

Street locations

If on-street vending is more your style, a full listing of all designated street locations is available in the Mobile Food Vending Operator's Guidebook.

Private property locations

Food vending is also permitted on private property as long as the property is in a zone that permits restaurant use.  Current examples of appropriate private property food vendor locations are Home Depot and Canadian Tire.  Some conditions apply so please contact us if this is of interest to you.

Mobile food vendor business licence application

Mobile vending business licence application are available in pdf or online versions.  If pdf is preferred, please complete, sign and forward application and supplemental documents to Business Licensing for review and approval.

Contact Us

Business Licensing
250-755-4482
business.licence@nanaimo.ca

Last updated: April 30, 2026


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