One day after receiving the green light from the City Council, the ownership of The Kitchen is not sure if it will use its food truck this summer.
Matt Greco, co-owner of the Islington Street restaurant said city officials are not willing to prorate the $5,000 permit fee that covers the five-month period between Memorial Day and Columbus Day.
As a result, Greco said they may wait until the summer of 2014 to roll out their new food truck that will serve New York City-style deli sandwiches, pretzels and potato knish.
"We want to stay away from what other downtown restaurants are doing," Greco said.
If the new food truck does go into service this summer, it would be parked on State Street across from TD Bank during the hours of 11 a.m. To 2 p.m. for lunch, 6 p.m. To 8 p.m. for dinner and from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. for late night snacks, according to Greco.
With so many people who attend outdoor events downtown and who go to Prescott Park and Strawbery Banke Museum, Greco said a food truck would be a great asset, especially at night when, "A lot of people want to eat it, grab it and just go home."
If the Kitchen Deli chooses not to use the new food truck this summer, Greco said at least they managed to open the door for food truck business in the city going forward. While food trucks are relatively common in cities like Boston, Chicago and New York, he said they represent a new concept for Portsmouth.
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