Hurricane Sandy was devastating to millions of people in the New York tri-state area. With electricity, food and water in short supply (or non-existent) in many neighborhoods, David Weber and the NYC Food Truck Association stepped up to help feed hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers in some of the hardest hit areas.

David organized corporate contributions and donations from the Mayor’s Fund To Advance NYC, in addition to coordinating dozens of food trucks, to get over 350,000 hot meals served in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

Now David and the NYCFTA have been chosen as an honoree for the 2013 Neighborhood Achievement Awards.

In addition, they are in the running for the Helping Hand Award for their post-Sandy relief work which will be determined by public vote. That’s where you come in. VOTE HERE!

Remember all the smiles that David, the NYCFTA and its food truck members brought to our friends and neighbors in their time of need. Now let’s recognize them for their selfless service.

Cupcake Crew Handing Out Smiles In Queens

http://newyorkstreetfood.com/42292/vote-for-the-nyc-food-truck-association-for-the-2013-neighborhood-achievement-awards/

Media Credit: Samuel Klein | Photo Editor
Doug Povich, center, chairman of the Food Truck Association of Metropolitan Washington, attends a D.C. Council hearing Friday on new regulations for food trucks operating in the District.

Student leaders joined more than 50 residents and business people from around the city Friday to speak out against a proposed crackdown on food trucks.

Under the new rules, a lottery would dish out a limited number of parking spots, allowing food trucks to operate in those areas between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Trucks not chosen in the lottery would have to park at least 500 feet away.

That would mean just three trucks could park on the Foggy Bottom Campus at one time, pushing out the dozen or so vendors that often line up on the popular food truck row – H Street between 21st and 22nd streets.

Media Credit: Hatchet File Photo
Food trucks, serving kabobs and cupcakes on H Street, often flock to campus each weekday.

Scott Lauermann, the Student Association’s vice president for financial affairs, said at the public hearing that food trucks liven the campus’ atmosphere.

“A few years ago, we’d see one or two on our campus, and now on H Street we see 12 during the day, with lines on every one,” the sophomore said. “They do provide a lot of cultural diversity and a great source of food for our students, and we’d really like to see them stay.”

The SA pushed to allow food trucks to accept GWorlds in December, and Ryan Counihan, chair of the finance committee, said students might be able to use their cards at the trucks this fall.

Counihan said members of the SA met last week with Vincent Orange, chair of the D.C. Council’s regulatory committee, and both Orange and D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray asked them to testify on behalf of GW students.

“I really think [food trucks] should be given a fair shot,” Counihan said, adding that the sales tax food trucks charge their customers puts them on an equal playing field with brick-and-mortar restaurants. The city has argued that food trucks are given an unfair advantage because their overhead costs are not as high as the other businesses.

The D.C. Council has until June 22 to pass or reject the vending regulations, after which members cannot amend the rules without passing emergency legislation.

“If we were to vote today on these regulations, I can tell you that these regulations are not going to pass,” Orange said during the seven-and-a-half-hour-long hearing. “I think what we have been able to do today is push people to the point where these regulations, with some minor tweaks, can move forward and we can get this in place before the end of this calendar year.”

The Council enters its summer recess July 15.

Jackson Carnes, a junior and member of the Foggy Bottom and West End Advisory Neighborhood Commission, said at the hearing that the regulations would stifle entrepreneurship and consumer choice.

“Foggy Bottom has historically had few dining options, and in recent years, food trucks have filled this void,” he said. “These regulations will transform D.C. overnight, from a leader in mobile vending to one of the worst in the country with a one-size-fits-all approach.”

The lottery would especially hurt customers who have enjoyed a burgeoning D.C. subculture, said Kristina Kern, who runs the popcorn truck Stella’s PopKern.

“The really cool thing about being an owner of a food truck is that you’re a part of this really neat culture,” she said. “If there’s this lottery, and all the trucks that win that lottery are kabob trucks, you’re stifling customers’ choices.”

At the hearing, some restaurant owners who run brick-and-mortar shops in Adams Morgan and Farragut Square spoke out in favor of the regulations, saying the food truck craze has hurt their businesses.

Steven Loeb, who owns Loeb’s NY Deli on 17th and I streets, likened the food trucks crowding Farragut Square every morning to “the Wild West” and said it can also be a safety hazard. He added that his deli, which serves K Street customers near campus, has seen declining revenues because of competition from food trucks.

Gray, whose mayoral administration includes the city’s regulatory agency, has faced flak for the proposed regulations. But Director of the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs Nicholas Majett said the mayor supports the food truck industry’s creativity.

“There is absolutely no plan, desire, hope or wish for this administration to have food trucks banned from operating in the District of Columbia,” he said.

The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council rated the District less business-friendly than all 50 states, compared to Maryland’s No. 17 spot and Virginia’s rank at No. 10. Council member David Grosso called the ranking “an embarrassment to me every time I think about it.”

Famed chef José Andrés, who taught at GW this semester, also entered the D.C. food fight when he told the Washington Post last week that restaurants and food trucks “can coexist successfully,” though the city needed tighter regulations.

If the proposed regulations fail in the Council, food trucks will continue to follow “ice cream truck” rules that require parked vendors to have a line of customers waiting for service at all times.

- Cory Weinberg contributed to this report.

http://www.gwhatchet.com/2013/05/12/at-d-c-council-hearing-students-stand-up-against-food-truck-regulations/

The fight over food trucks translated into a lengthy public meeting at the D.C. Council Friday, where red T-shirts bearing the message “Save D.C. food trucks” identified those who say their livelihoods are at stake if the Council decides to pass proposed regulations.

Restaurant owners also got in their arguments during the seven-hour meeting, saying it’s not fair for food trucks to operate with little or no regulations.

If passed, the regulations would require food truck owners to particpate in a monthly lottery to receive designated parking spots.

A map by the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs shows the 20 proposed truck zones, with a total of roughly 180 spots.

About 120 food trucks currently operate each weekday. Many of them move around frequently during the day, broadcasting their locations via Twitter.

Some truck owners say getting locked into a single spot for an entire day would hurt business.

“It requires business to rely on a game of chance,” said one critic Friday. “If you don’t win, you’re out of the most popular areas.”

“We have about four or five spots a day,” said D.C. resident Sam Whitfield, who co-owns Curbside Cupcakes with his wife, Kristi. “We come to one spot for half an hour, an hour max; [we] serve our customers [and] we’re onto the next.”

Owners of brick-and-mortar restaurants also weighed in at Friday’s hearing. They say food trucks park in their customers’ parking spots, and long lines can obstruct their front doors.

“What we seek, and what we believe the current proposed regulations provide is a reasonable framework for managing the locations for [food] trucks so that their operations are not unfairly disruptive to other users of public space,” said one.

The D.C. Council now has until June 22 to pass or reject the regulations, or take no action at all.

Amendments would not come easily, or quickly. The Washington Post reports: ”Emergency action to amend the rules would require the approval of nine of the 13 council members, who will then have ‘their own ideas on the regs,’ [D.C. Councilmember Vincent] Orange said.

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/DC-Council-food-truck-rules-207200711.html

via facebook

City Council President Stacy Head’s long-discussed legislation to reform the code governing permitting and operations for vendor food trucks has been on the legislative agenda for some time now – being passed from committee, back to the drawing board for reintroduction, and then returned to committee. Now, the full City Council’s final vote on the food truck ordinance could take place as early as tomorrow.

Head’s original legislation simply sought to update the laws drafted back in the 1950′s. It has been more than two months since that Council Committee meeting, and even Council President Head has commented before that she never saw these changes inciting such a debate, which have lead to hours of committee discussions, public comments and town hall meetings on the subject.

Council members Jackie Clarkson and District B’s Latoya Cantrell have raised constituents’ concerns about proximity to currently established businesses (which has been at the heart of the mobile vs. brick-and-mortar clash). The current regulations prevent most of the mobile units from being with-in 600 feet of a restaurant or competing enterprise, while new legislation would reduce to 100 feet, potentially.

Also brought up by some members of the Economic Development Committee was the idea of expanding the number of permits allowed, designating certain spots in the city as “go” and “no-go,” and even setting standard aesthetic criteria for the vendors in question. Many of these items have been considered and added, and those that haven’t could see a last stand as the legislation goes to vote on the Council floor.

Opponents of the changes have claimed that restaurants are not only ones who will be affected by seeing a loss on their bottom line to the mobile vendors. Lead by the Louisiana Restaurant Association, the opposition believes a food truck’s presence will impede traffic in the city, cause crowd control issues that may ward off customers to other brick-and-mortar establishments (aside from restaurants), and even increase crime. On top of that, opponents are also concerned that the trucks themselves will make neighborhood looks aesthetically unpleasing.

But the New Orleans Food Truck Coalition recently released some figures that allege the number of pro-food truck comments the Council has received since this debate started outpaces the negative by a margin of three-to-one.

“Numbers like these show the broad support that New Orleans’ food trucks enjoy,” said attorney Andrew Legrand, who represents the New Orleans Food Truck Coalition. “Any city council opposition to reforming the city’s food truck laws has to be a response to special interests or heavy hitters.”

A release issued today does not specify the total number of responses the Food Truck Coalition received from their Freedom of Information Request, but it does say that the food truck laws in New Orleans remain an archaic and burdensome interference to these local businesses, and even calls a comparison between that interference and deliberate unfair business protection practices by government (referencing a 5th District Court of Appeals decision, between Louisiana funeral homes and a group of monks facing jail for attempting to sell some caskets they made—I’m not making this up).

“New Orleans’ 600-foot proximity restriction exists for one and only one reason,” said the Coalition’s statement, “to protect brick-and-mortar restaurants from food truck competition… It’s time for the New Orleans City Council to listen to its constituents and the Courts, scrap its protectionist approach to regulation, and pass laws that make it easier for food trucks to operate.”

The Food Truck Coalition has come out in support of some the proposed additions to Head’s original legislation—which include carrying sufficient liability insurance, providing proper trash receptacles and picking up of trash, and the additional permitting fees for approved vendors.

Tomorrow’s regular meeting, where a Council vote could take place, is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at City Hall.

http://www.noladefender.com/content/food-tru23ck-ordin56ance-vote-could-come-thursday-city-council-meeting

“Our food truck provided a way to test the market and build a brand and customer base, and it has convinced me that we could open a successful brick-and-mortar store in the District.”

WASHINGTON, DC – One of the growing number of brick-and-mortar businesses that also operates a food truck today spoke out against Mayor Vincent Gray’s proposed new food truck regulations.

“For my business, our food truck provided a way to test the market and build a brand and customer base, and it has convinced me that we could open a successful brick-and-mortar store in the District,” writes Craig Barsi, co-owner of Sweetz Cheesecake and That Cheesecake Truck.

The full article is available at http://ow.ly/k9Hnv.

“I’m one of a growing number of Food Truck Association of Metropolitan Washington members who started as brick-and-mortar businesses then opened a food truck,” Barsi writes. “Like my colleagues who started as food trucks then grew into brick-and-mortar restaurants, I believe that regulations that stifle entrepreneurship and put at risk hundreds of jobs are not just bad for food trucks, they’re bad for all small businesses.”

Three food trucks that opened brick-and-mortar restaurants last year wrote a similar commentary about the effects bad vending regulations have beyond food trucks. The article was by Stephan Boillon, owner of the El Floridano food truck and Mothership restaurant; Roger Horotwitz and Brian Sykora, owners of the Pleasant Pops food truck and Pleasant Pops Farmhouse Market & Café; and Trent Allen and Josh Saltzman, owners of the PORC food truck and Kangaroo Boxing Club restaurant.

About the Food Truck Association 

The Food Truck Association is a group of more than 60 local food truck owner-operators. We seek to sustain the wellbeing of our industry, foster a sense of community and work in partnership to improve food truck regulations. We are engaged community members who deeply care about our city and believe in working together to make a positive impact. The Food Truck Association’s signature event is the Curbside Cookoff food truck festival series. For more information visit www.DCFoodTrucks.org.

The public has spoken, and they want their food trucks with fewer regulations.

Public comments were due Monday for the proposed vending regulations that will decide how mobile and stationary food vendors do their jobs in the District. From a quick examination of the comments, the vast majority of the public does not sound happy with the rules that could limit food trucks in the Central Business District.

Take a look for yourself:

* From Erek Dyskant: “I strongly oppose the mobile vending zones proposal that subjects trucks to a lottery and caps the total number of trucks in each popular area. Under a lottery, some of the best trucks would be forced to shut down, as there’s not a business model in not knowing each month whether you’ll be allowed to operate.”

* From Thea Cohen: “Of course, it is unfortunate that established restaurants are losing business. But nothing “unfair” is happening here. The fact is, the brick-and-mortar restaurants in this area cannot compete in quality, which is why people are turning to food trucks.”

* From Daman Toth, vice president of operations for AlliedBarton Security Services: “I work in the public safety/private security field. In such, I have experience during evacuation drills dense crowds — waiting in line for the food trucks — blocking the sidewalks. This is a public safety concern. The crowds created by the lines funneling from the food trucks put the public at risk in emergency situations (and in general).”

* From Jason Kestecher: “The lottery parking system makes absolutely no sense. I live near Union Station and there is never a problem when the trucks congregate in that area. I never see any complaints from businesses nearby.”

* From Jerimiah J. Sanders: “There are plenty of problems in the District and food trucks are not one of them.”

* From Read Porter: “We all want Washington to be a world class city, and part of that is avoiding the accretion of unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles to economic development and opportunity.”

* From Alexandra Michel: “The proposed regulations are a blatant attack on independent small business in favor of inferior offerings. Everyone in D.C. has the right to decide for themselves what they want for lunch.”

* From Sandra Panetta, owner of Sweetbites truck: “My food truck provides me the opportunity to earn a living working for myself and provide for my two children. However, narrow special interests are calling for you and the D.C. government to decide where I can and cannot park to do business. Regardless of their stated reasons, please recognize they seek to manipulate city policy to favor one business over another, limit competition and consumer choice and ultimately drive out my and every other food truck in the District.”

* From Jim Tise: “Limiting the number of trucks in a zone could very easily result in me losing my favorite trucks, and my favorite trucks losing their best customers, creating a zero-sum result. Trucks lose, customers lose and D.C. government loses (through reduced taxes on meals).”

* From Nasir Khan: “Supporting the new proposal for the food truck regulations. Hope it will improve the public parking spaces.”

* From Meredith Carlton: “I found Mayor Gray’s comments about crowd funding pretty hilarious. The man praises a local restaurateur for using the crowd funding service Kickstarter to open a business in Union Market while not mentioning anything about the food trucks. Is he unaware that there are 3 D.C. food trucks (D.C. Empanadas, Curbside Cupcake and TaKorean) that also opened a “brick and mortar” shop in that same market? Does he not see how food trucks grow into full fledged restaurants?”

* From Angelina Lee Cho: “Listen to us. We are the consumers. We are asking you to not let these regulations pass.”

* From the Food Truck Association of Metropolitan Washington: “Rather than address the issues that exist on those few high demand city blocks where everyone recognizes that greater management is required, the proposed regulations impose broad based restrictions that attempt to solve problems that don’t exist and, worse, create conditions that will exacerbate vending outside of Mobile Roadway Vending (MRV) locations and run vendors out of business due to a lack of viable vending locations.”

* From the Apartment and Office Building Association: “The DDOT Director should conduct periodic reviews of existing vending locations, including, for example, upon the expiration of a vending site permit and prior to granting an extension of such permit.”

* From Alex DeMots: “Please stop with the food truck regs. They are a ‘solution’ in search of a problem. The food trucks offer great lunch options. These are the hustling small businesses that should be encouraged, not arbitrarily smacked. These regs are a naked attempt by politically powerful restaurant owners and landlords to stamp out competition.”

* From Cristen and Kevin Sizemore, owners of That Cheesecake Truck: “The new language that defines the lottery system for MRV zones is extremely concerning. The fact that a percentage of trucks can theoretically be unable to vend for an entire month is unimaginable. Can you imagine any other business being forced to close its business in high traffic areas for a month?”

* From Rob Crawford: “What would I do if the food trucks weren’t an eating option downtown? I’d bring lunch or I’d work from home. That means I’m not contributing to Metro/cab revenue, and I’m not shopping in stores downtown. You know who else uses food trucks? Young people who can’t afford to eat at DC Coast every day.”

* From Leland Smith: “I work full time in downtown D.C. near where the food trucks often congregate, but I live in Virginia. Should these regulations pass and food truck owners go out of business as a result, I will cease to make any purchases in D.C. until entrepenuer [sic] friendly rules are reinstated.”

* From Josh Saltzman, co-owner of the PORC truck: “This rule could be used to conceivably create a protected zone of all of the Central Business District, while making Georgetown and other areas outside the CBD completely off limits” for trucks.

* From Daniel E. Meyerson, Esq.: “The city should not be in the business of picking winners and losers among food providers.”

* From Sam and Kristi Whitfield, owners of Curbside Cupcakes: “These regulations give the illusion of progress while actually eliminating our ability to compete for customers where folks have come to enjoy and expect food truck options.”

* From Jessica Hill: “On the off-chance that any of them pay attention to public comments, you might remind some of D.C.’s elected officials that many of us that like to frequent food trucks in D.C. are also D.C. voters. Rather angry ones. And since eating lunch is something I do everyday, I have no doubt I’ll remember that for many election cycles to come.”

* From Ashleigh Whelan: “While I understand the concerns of the brick-and-mortar business community at large, as a consumer, I am very disappointed at the range of creative and ethnic foods available in D.C. as a whole and specifically in the downtown area. The consumer-driven popularity of food trucks has resulted in a wide range of creative concepts and represents the best in a competitive, capitalist economy.”

* From Natalie Cook: “With the advent of food trucks in my area daily, I eat out significantly more often than before, contributing to employment in the District, paying sales tax to the District and boosting the economic bottom line as many trucks are owned by brick-and-mortar restaurants in the District.”

* From Edward Harris: “The mayors [sic] proposed regs are an excellent idea. It would spread those food trucks out and provide adequate service to employees. It would also free up some parking spaces around Farragaut [sic] Square. Fifteen trucks around the park is insane.”

* From Kristina Kern, owner of Stella*s PopKern: “The proposed regulations will seriously affect all of us and quite frankly put most, if not all of us, out of business.”

* From George Bouza: “It’s disappointing that the mayor cares more about pleasing the restaurant lobby than encouraging businesses that can help make D.C. stand out as a city that’s more than the National Mall. The proposed regulations would kill these small businesses and force workers to [eat] garbage food like Subway, Quiznos, and horrible D.C. ‘pizza’.”

* From David Silva: The only thing that will be accomplished by this lottery proposal is that you will push the food trucks out of D.C. and into Maryland and Virginia.”

* From James Evans: “As a consumer protection attorney, I sympathize with the D.C. government’s desire to protect public health and safety. But in much of the Corrected Notice of Fourth Proposed Rulemaking, I see measures that will slash lunch choices for hungry District workers and dampen competition for their lunch dollars without countervailing benefits.”

* From Stacey Riska: “I find the way that the current rules are administered very unfair. The reality is that the food trucks DO NOT follow the rules as they are now. The law states that you can’t just park and wait for a customer to come to you. You have to be ‘contacted,’ then serve your customer, then leave. THIS IS NOT HAPPENING.”

* From Mikala Brennan, owner of Hula Girl Truck: “There are more trucks then proposed MRVs that the city will roll out — so some trucks will be ‘out of luck’ with the lottery.”

* From the Institute for Justice: “As we explain in our comments below, the Institute calls on the District to scrap the current draft of the regulations and instead issue narrow, targeted rules that address actual health and safety issues while leaving food trucks free to compete and succeed.”

* From Charles H. Ellis III: “Food trucks effectively reduce vehicular traffic congestion downtown, and maximize the value of parking spaces. In places like 21st Street and Virginia Avenue NW, where there are few restaurants, food trucks make it possible for workers to eat without having to drive to some other part of town for lunch. Moreover, while one food truck may take up two car spaces for two hours at lunchtime, it is likely to serve lunch to approximately 100 people in that time, whereas two cars parked to visit a restaurant might mean lunch for only two to eight people. That is a pretty good use of the parking spaces.”

* From the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington: (The association did not submit a public comment.)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/going-out-guide/wp/2013/04/10/public-is-hungry-for-better-vending-regulations-for-food-trucks/

Save DC Food Trucks

http://foodtruckfiesta.com/food-truck-owners-meeting-april-1-open-to-all-food-truck-operators/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FoodTruckFiesta+(Food+Truck+Fiesta+-+a+real-time+automated+DC+food+truck+tracker

WASHINGTON, DC – Food trucks will become illegal in most of downtown if Mayor Vincent Gray’s proposed new regulations are passed, said the Food Truck Association of Metropolitan of Washington, who today released a map showing the impact of the proposed regulations.

“The proposed regulations have one outcome – less choice and competition for District resident’s dollars and fewer food trucks just where residents want them the most,” said Doug Povich, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Food Truck Association and Co-owner of Red Hook Lobster Pound-DC. “The proposed parking restrictions have little to do with protecting public health and safety, and everything to do with restricting competition and consumer choice.”

Mayor Gray has proposed severe restrictions on where food trucks can serve customers, including:

• Restricting food trucks in the most popular locations – with the exception of a limited number of lottery-assigned designated spaces;

• Banning food trucks from serving from within 500 feet of lottery-assigned spaces;

• Banning food trucks from serving where there is less than 10 feet of unobstructed sidewalk.

A map by the Food Truck Association shows the proposed regulations would make most of the Central Business District off-limits to food trucks – highlighted in red on the map.

“Red means dead,” said Povich. “Food trucks who do not win a lottery spot will have few places to go. The bottom line is that, if enacted, the proposed regulations will severely limit consumer choice, force many food trucks out of business, and put many food-truck employees out of work.

“Simply put, these regulations will hurt the city, ” Povich said. “The District will lose hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue. And DC residents and workers will be left with fewer choices and less opportunities for their dollars.”

Tallahassee, FL – It’s like food heaven.

Downtown Tallahassee was filled with treats galore — and of course, folks to enjoy them all.

Today was the grand opening of the city’s new Food Truck Court.

Just about every food you can think of is available from pizza to tacos, and snow cones and deep fried desserts.

The new Food Truck Court is located on the Johns lot, which is on the south side of Madison Street between Bronough and Duval streets.

John Brown is the owner of Big Easy Snowballs. He says he’s excited as a vendor to be a part of Tallahassee’s food truck movement.

He says, “Hopefully it’ll make more people that maybe can’t afford to start a restaurant, they might can be able to afford to start a food truck. It cost a lot less money. But, you can create just as good a product in a truck if you have a little creativity and the know-how and the right attitude.”

The food truck court is available to all area food trucks, by permit, seven days a week.

Any vendors who would like information on permits and hook-ups for the new food truck court, please see the press release below.

Press Release: City of Tallahassee

On Wednesday, March 27, downtown is in for a real treat! The City of Tallahassee and the Tallahassee Food Truck Association will host the grand opening of the Tallahassee Food Truck Court from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The new Food Truck Court is located on the Johns lot, which is on the south side of Madison Street between Bronough and Duval streets. It is available to all area food trucks, by permit, seven days a week.

“The City supports local businesses through a variety of initiatives and programs. Ideas like this add flavor to the whole community,” said Mayor John Marks. “With the growing interest in food trucks and the Court’s central location, we think this is the perfect mix for success.”

Five trucks will participate in the grand opening:
· Big Easy Snowballs – Keeping with the tradition of the Big Easy, this flavorful food truck offers up shaved ice topped with big, bold syrups.
· Fat Mac’s Café – Offering up a mix of barbeque, burgers, sandwiches, seafood, soul food and more, Fat Mac’s features a seasoned chef and equally seasoned food.
· Fired Up Pizza Truck – Fired Up Pizza focuses on quality pizza, making the dough fresh daily and using homemade marinara/pizza sauce on its wood-fired oven baked pizzas.
· Street Chefs – It’s not fast food; it’s good food fast! Street Chefs offers seasonal menu selections with new items and specials daily.
· Tacos Gringos – Tacos Gringos provides mobile Spanglish comida offering American favorites with a Spanish twist specializing in tacos, empanadas and burritos.

The formal dedication of the site will take place from 11-11:30 a.m. with speakers from the City, the State and a local food truck owner. Local dignitaries will kick off the event by joining in the ceremonial “First Bite.” This event is open to the public. Food will be available for purchase from the food trucks. Live music will be performed by Cottonmouth Perry, a one-man Delta Blues band, provided by the Tallahassee Food Truck Association.

The Johns lot, named after the 32nd governor of Florida, was one of the original locations on the list of approved sites for where food trucks can operate downtown. The land is owned by the City of Tallahassee, which is allowing its temporary use for the Food Truck Court.

Seeing success from group events like Food Truck Thursdays on Tharpe Street, the Tallahassee Food Truck Association approached the City about working together to make the site more attractive and accessible so multiple trucks could operate at once.

“It’s another great piece of what makes Tallahassee a fun place to live,” said Rebecca Kelly, owner of Street Chefs. “It’s a beautiful location. It’s right in the center of all the downtown buildings and just a really great place to come down and relax and have something to eat.”

The site was enhanced with a temporary gravel strip to ease access and reduce wear on the site. The City also installed electric service, which allows up to six trucks to connect to and operate off of without the use of generators. Picnic tables have been placed on site to allow for a casual, outdoor dining experience.

Food trucks can receive a permit to set up on the site by calling 891-3887. Food truck permits cost $31 per day per mobile food vendor site with electrical hook-ups, such as the Tallahassee Food Truck Court. The cost is $26 per day per mobile food vehicle site with no electric hook-ups.

Food trucks are licensed and regulated by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the Florida Department of Agriculture.

For more information on event planning and permitting from the City, please visit Talgov.com/Parks. You can also stay up-to-date on general City news by following @COTNews on Twitter or liking the City of Tallahassee on Facebook.

http://www.wctv.tv/news/headlines/Food-Trucks-Roll-Into-Downtown-199967031.html

credit image : western libraries

It seems like every day I read another article about a city somewhere in the United States that has decided that their constituents needs are best served by limiting competition.  It always starts off with a mayor, or a city council person proclaiming that they have to protect local restaurants from competition.  Maybe they should start protecting their constituents from businesses that don’t want to compete for their dollar.  When a city decides that they want two segments of the food service industry to negotiate how best to split the consumer dollar, they are doing their city a disservice.   This type of negotiation is usually called “compromise” by city officials, but to the average consumer it looks more like collusion.  A city government should not tell it’s citizenry how and where they should spend their money.

In 1979 a California appellate court ruled; “ we conclude that section 80.73(b) 2A(2)(bb) (100 foot buffer zone) is a “rather naked restraint of trade,” and determine that it is “ . . . arbitrarily made for the mere purpose of classification.”  In other words, the court found that the 100 foot buffer zone was unconstitutional.  Regulations must be made to serve the public good.  A city must show that there is a rational basis for the regulation.  Restricting competition does not serve the public good.

If you’re a food truck operator, or a a food truck fan, it’s important to control the message.  When a city official says food trucks engage in “unfair competition”, explain to them that you’re concerned with “consumer choice,”  Ask a city official if they’ve tried to ban pizza places from delivering pizza near restaurants.  Inquire about how the city tried to limit Netflix deliveries by Blockbuster Video stores.  Ask why they think competition is unhealthy for the market place.

Competition is good for your community.  Restaurants have an incredible advantage over food trucks.  Shelter, seating, alcohol and on-site restrooms are hard to compete with.

http://socalmfva.com/uncategorized/protectionism/