The Welcome Kit
Permit-paperwork help (DOH + County Peddler's Licence), a ServSafe training voucher, and branded QR signage for your window. ~$500 of value per truck — free for member vendors.
Apply for a kitA Hawai‘i 501(c)(3) · Aloha from Hawai‘i Island
For the people
who feed
the islands.
The Hawaii Mobile Food Foundation supports the food trucks and mobile vendors who carry Hawai‘i’s street-food culture forward — with permits help, training, advocacy, and the rallies that bring the whole community to the curb.
“ʻAʻohe hana nui ke alu ʻia” tap for translation
Mission
We exist to make it easier and fairer to run a food truck in Hawai‘i — and to make sure every island gets the food, the gathering, and the mākaukau (readiness, preparation) that comes with it.
For the vendors
Permits, training, signage, and a network. Less time on paperwork; more time at the window.
For the public
Rallies, mini-docs, and a discovery app so finding the truck you love is one tap, not one rumor.
For Hawai‘i
Local money stays local. Street food keeps its place as part of who we are.
“E ʻai i ka mea i loaʻa”
tap for translation
What we do
Four programs.
One island chain worth feeding.
Each program is a small, concrete commitment to vendors and the communities they serve — funded by donations, sponsorships, and grants.
Quarterly Rallies
Four times a year, on four islands: a public food-truck rally with live music, family-friendly setup, and a press window. Small-batch, well-run, never the same twice.
Sponsor a rallyAdvocacy
We work directly with City & County of Honolulu, the Department of Health, and the State on permit fees, zoning rules, and the regulatory snags that hit small operators hardest.
Read our priorities‘Ōlelo Storytelling
Two-minute mini-docs spotlighting vendors — narrated in ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i with English subtitles. Shot at dawn fish auctions and Hāmākua taro fields. Earned-media that funds itself.
Underwrite an episodeBy the numbers
A small foundation,
a statewide footprint.
9+
Vendor interviews logged
and counting
300+
Licensed mobile vendors statewide
our active universe
4
Quarterly rallies planned for Year One
Honolulu, Hilo, Kona, Kahului
1
Foundation, working for all of them
501(c)(3) confirmed
Numbers refresh as the work does.
Vendor voices
The trucks tell us
where to push.
Every program here started in a vendor interview. These are a few of the things we keep hearing — quotes used with permission. Names withheld where requested.
The hardest part isn't the cooking. It's the paperwork that sits between you and the cooking.
Operator, second-year truck
O‘ahu
A rally pays our rent for the month. Not the food — the line of people who didn't know we existed yesterday.
Owner, six trucks across two islands
Hawai‘i Island
We're not competing with each other. We're competing with the rumor that the islands don't have a real food scene.
Co-founder, plate-lunch truck
Maui
For vendors
Run a truck?
We have your back.
Tell us where you’re at — a permit you’re stuck on, training you need, signage that’d help — and we’ll send back a Welcome Kit and a real human who can help.
- Permit-paperwork help (DOH + County Peddler’s Licence)
- ServSafe training voucher
- Branded QR signage for your window
- Access to quarterly rallies
- Membership in our vendor network
For supporters
Back the
people who feed us.
Every dollar funds welcome kits, rally permits, and ‘Ōlelo-narrated mini-docs that keep this work visible. HMFF is a confirmed 501(c)(3) — contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
EIN forthcoming · Receipts via Stripe
Friend
$25–$249
Buys signage, ServSafe vouchers, and rally permits.
Rally Sponsor
$250–$2,499
Underwrites a quarterly rally, naming optional.
Founding Partner
$2,500+
Multi-year partnerships. Logo placement, board reports, joint comms.
Grant Inquiry
Foundations
We file proposals for permit-help, training, and storytelling work.
Sponsor / Grant inquiry
Let’s talk about a partnership.
For one-off rally sponsorships, multi-year partnerships, or grant proposals — leave a note and the right person here will reply within a week.
About
How we got here
and where we’re going.
The Foundation began as the Hawai‘i Mobile Food Association (HiMFA) — a working group of food-truck operators, organizers, and a small board pulling together articles of incorporation, bylaws, and a vendor master list across all the islands. As the work widened past trade-association scope, we re-chartered as the Hawaii Mobile Food Foundation (HMFF), a Hawai‘i-domiciled 501(c)(3).
We sit alongside a sister project — Food Truck Hawai‘i, a vendor-discovery app being built to help diners find the trucks already operating across the chain. The Foundation does not run the app; the Foundation supports the vendors the app helps people find.
Board recruitment is open. Articles, bylaws, and welcome-kit policies are drafted and currently under cultural and legal review.
“Mai poina i ka mea i hala”
tap for translation
Questions
Things people
tend to ask.
Is my donation tax-deductible?
Yes. HMFF is a confirmed 501(c)(3) public charity. Contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. EIN will be published here once it’s issued.
How is HMFF different from HiMFA?
Same people, same work, broader charter. We started as the Hawai‘i Mobile Food Association (HiMFA), a trade-style working group. As the scope widened past trade representation, we re-chartered as the Hawaii Mobile Food Foundation — a 501(c)(3) that can take grants, run programs, and serve the public good.
What islands do you serve?
All of them. Our vendor master list covers O‘ahu, Hawai‘i Island, Maui, Kaua‘i, Moloka‘i, and Lāna‘i. Year-one rallies are scoped for Honolulu, Hilo, Kona, and Kahului.
I run a food truck — how do I get involved?
Fill out the vendor application above. We’ll send back a Welcome Kit (permit-paperwork help, ServSafe training voucher, branded QR signage) and add you to the network. Membership is free.
How are donations spent?
Roughly: vendor Welcome Kits (~$500/truck), quarterly rallies (~$4.5k each), advocacy and legal work, and ‘Ōlelo-narrated storytelling assets. Annual numbers will be published on the site once year-one closes.
Are you the food-truck app?
No. Food Truck Hawai‘i is a separate, allied project — a discovery and ordering app being built for diners. The Foundation supports the vendors that app helps people find.
How can I help if I’m not a vendor or a donor?
Show up. Quarterly rallies are public. Follow vendor mini-docs as they release. Tell a friend on the mainland that the best meal in Hawai‘i is probably out of a window.