The increase in popularity and variety of food trucks in Birmingham means more options for students and employees. When these food trucks are invited onto campus, there is now one extra step to ensure the food trucks operate within established safety practices.

“Traditional restaurants that set up shop on campus are inspected by the Health Department, and permits are issued and updated on an annual basis,” said Rob Emmons, Environmental Health & Safety Campus Safety Manager. “However, while the food trucks go through an inspection with the Health Department, we don’t see those results. So, we have a process to ensure the safety of our campus community.”

Emmons said the process was not in response to any incidents, but merely a precaution to ensure all documents were in place for food trucks that are invited onto campus.

So, how does this work? If a department or student organization is hosting an event involving food trucks, organizers should reach out to Emmons at least two weeks in advance of the event with information on where the truck will be located. It’s important that no trucks are set up within 20 feet of a building and that Campus Safety receives a copy of the updated permit to ensure compliance.

Trucks that set up on public streets are not required to go through this process, but those vendors must comply with the city of Birmingham's food truck policy. Only food trucks that request to come onto campus property will be subject to the campus process.

If you have questions about the process, please contact Emmons at remmons@uab.edu.