City abruptly — and indefinitely — postpones overnight food truck market set for Fishtown

Fishtown partyers looking to cure the munchies with forkfuls of gnocchi and brisket mac and cheese after midnight are out of luck.

The City of Philadelphia and the Fishtown Business Improvement District announced that they are indefinitely postponing their pilot of an overnight food truck market, set to launch Thursday in a lot adjacent to the Fillmore.

“The City of Philadelphia and @Fishtown_District regretfully announce the postponement of the grand opening and schedule for the Overnight Food Truck Market pilot initiative,” the Department of Commerce wrote in a joint Instagram post with the Fishtown BID Wednesday afternoon. “We appreciate the tremendous amount of public enthusiasm for this first of its kind project.”

The pilot was created as a response to concerns about the food trucks that line the intersection of Frankford and Girard Avenues, which civic groups and restaurant owners say brought unnecessary noise and trash to the area. In November, Councilmember Mark Squilla introduced legislation that would ban food trucks from vending at the intersection but it failed.

The market was intended to redirect food trucks — and late night revelers — from gathering on the street corner, night mayor Raheem Manning previously told The Inquirer. It was set to run Thursday to Sunday from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. in the space under I-95 at 25 E. Allen St. through Nov. 3.

» READ MORE: Street eats at 2 a.m.? A food truck market will open next to the Fillmore in Fishtown

Marc Collazzo, executive director of the Fishtown BID, stressed that this was a “temporary postponement” stemming from ongoing logistical and cleanliness concerns with the lot. The Department of Commerce did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

“It’s not a cancellation. There’s no problem with the concept,” said Collazzo, who called the necessary improvements “easy things to take care of, but still a bigger lift than we anticipated.”

Collazzo said the decision to postpone the market was made Tuesday alongside the Department of Commerce, and that all six participating food trucks have been notified.

Vendors would’ve included food trucks such as Farina Pasta Bar — which was prepared to sell short ribs and gnocchi coated in vodka sauce — and Southern food purveyor Bake’n’Bacon, alongside Mister Softee and Haagen-Dazs for dessert.

Though spots at the overnight market are free, Collazzo said that the food trucks would be “made whole” for any money lost on food and prep. It is unclear if reimbursements will come from the city or BID.

Daniel Lee, who owns Farina Pasta Bar, said he was unaware of the potential for any reimbursements. He had already purchased 20 pounds of short ribs to use at the night market when he was informed Tuesday of the postponement.

Lee said he had to cancel several events so Farina could be available for the market’s opening weekend. He said he didn’t know of any concerns the Fishtown BID or the city had about the space.

“It still doesn’t seem to make any sense to me,” said Lee. “We put a lot of work into preparing.”

There is no new timeline for when the overnight market will officially open, said Collazzo, who said that the cold weather could push the launch into 2025.

Food trucks are officially prohibited from operating between midnight and 7 a.m. under city law, but the rule has never been strictly enforced — except for a brief stint in 2016 when inspectors began shutting down trucks for late-night vending.

Food trucks have been a fixture in Fishtown since at least 2011, when chef Verna Swerdlow opened her comfort food truck, Vernalicious, on the corner of Frankford and Girard, setting off a trend the neighborhood hasn’t been able to shake.

“When we launch this thing, it has to be and should be perfect,” said Collazzo. “It’s going to be a model that the city expects to launch in other parts of the city.”