Montreal Street Food Blindsided by Loss of Winneburger

One of Montreal's luminary food trucks, the Winneburger truck from Mile End restaurant Nouveau Palais, will not be on city streets this summer. Operator and Nouveau Palais chef Gita Seaton: "I love that truck. Every time I got on it I thought, this is so great." Alas, the truck has been listed on Craigslist for $45,000. The description explains: "This food truck is a reconstructed RV, the engine and cabin are from a Chevrolet Citation 1984. The truck is wired for electricity and has a propane hot water system. Service can be conducted from both sides of the truck!"

In a widely disseminated article published in 2013, Gazette critic Lesley Chesterman outlined some of the inherent challenges food truck operators face in Montreal. Last October, Gaëlle Cerf, a Grumman 78 partner and vice-president of the l'Association des restaurateurs de rue du Québec, reflected on the scene: "[W]e should be proud of what we have in Montreal. We hosted some food truck people from Los Angeles for a First Fridays event earlier this summer. I told them how First Fridays in L.A. had inspired us and they said that the L.A. scene was nothing like Montreal. That was really nice to hear."

Update: two more Montreal food trucks up for sale.