Independent Operators
Northampton, Massachusetts mulls allowing food trucks downtown
November 26, 2025
Northampton, Massachusetts is considering whether to allow food trucks in its downtown area. The Ordinance Review Committee debated whether to update the ordinance during a meeting, according to a report by Gazette Net.
Under current guidelines, food trucks are not allowed to operate in the Central Business District. City Councilor Garrick Perry argued that this rule should be changed to add more late-night food options.
"We are now a city that closes at essentially 9 o'clock. I see room to look at the food truck ordinance to maybe use it as a tool to help," Perry said."If we're looking for a vibrant downtown, I think that this is a nice starting place."
Of those at the meeting, 43% said they'd be in favor of changing the ordinance, with 22% stating they would possibly support a change. Some business owners in attendance expressed concerns over food trucks negatively impacting brick and mortar locations.
"Food trucks will compete with brick-and-mortar. And brick-and-mortar right now are just trying to come back from COVID. They're very nervous," Judy Herrell, owner of Herell's Ice Cream said. "I just would like everybody to be very, very careful at looking how they do this, if they do it at all, and really, really think about how it's going to affect people."
