The Mom on the Go food truck is breaking new ground wherever it goes.
As food trucks become more popular in cities, small towns on the South Shore aren’t exactly sure what do with these trucks yet.
“I’ve been up and running since Oct. 1,” said Mom on the Go owner June Somers, a Hanover resident. “I’ve thought about doing this for two years and I was hoping to be up and running last April. I had some trouble finding a truck in my price range, but I found one in New Hampshire and bought it in July.”
Finding a truck wasn’t the only problem. After bringing it back from New Hampshire, it had to be refitted to fit Massachusetts codes.
To move forward, she had to obtain licenses from the board of health, hocker and peddler’s, the fire department, plus restaurant certifications like allergens and ServSafe.
In Boston, they have streamlined the process so it goes through one central unit, which allows the truck owner to travel throughout the city and its surrounding area.
“The South Shore is very new to this type of thing,” Somers said. “I had to do the whole process through Hanover, but the other towns don’t know what to do with me. They are making me re-permit in every single town. Right now, I’ve done Hanover, Pembroke and Scituate. I’ve learned that most of the permits expire at the end of December, so what I’m doing is getting one-day permits. When I went to Bridgewater the other day, I just got a one-day permit, but I still had to bring my truck there to get it inspected.”
Pembroke honored Hanover’s inspections, which was only the month before, but she said the fee for the inspection was still necessary.
Somers said the food truck has come with its own set of surprises. It doesn’t have heat, but once she realized they could do without the exhaust fan at times, that problem was solved. Electricity and size is limited, so a space heater isn’t an easy solution.
While preparing to make her food truck dream a reality, she began reading many books and watching online videos on how to make a business like this work. Following trucks around Boston was another important lesson.
Somers was previously a vice president at an insurance agency for 23 years, so that knowledge has come in handy.
While most food trucks have fairly simple menus, she has taken cooking classes in France, Italy, Greece and Iceland. The breakfast menu offers quiches, French toast sticks, parfaits and muffins. The lunch and dinner menu offers grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup and butternut squash soup.
For more information about Mom on the Go, search Mom on the Go Food Truck on Facebook.
Follow Adam Silva on Twitter @AdamSMariner.