Jessica Noto served Jordan Todd from a truck parked outside West Sixth Brewing Company on Thursday. The proposed ordinance would allow food trucks in metered public parking spaces in some downtown locations. Councilwoman Shevawn Akers said she plans to bring up the proposal at next week’s session, with passage possible in early June.

Lexington’s Urban County Council spent two hours on Tuesday discussing details about a proposed six-month pilot program to create five food truck zones downtown.

The discussion covered everything from where and when the trucks can set up on the street to who would enforce the rules, and how. Council members at Tuesday’s work session eventually voted to send the pilot project to Thursday night’s council meeting for a first reading.

Under the proposal, food trucks would be allowed to set up in five zones that have metered parking spaces. Trucks could park there for two hours between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. As long as they are in line with other zoning regulations, the food trucks could operate downtown — or anywhere in Fayette County — between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m.

The trucks cannot be within 100 feet of the entrance to a business establishment during its regular hours of operation, or within 100 feet of a residential area.

Moments after the start of Tuesday’s meeting, some council members asked for some of the zones to be changed or eliminated. Councilman Steve Kay asked that South Limestone between Main and Vine be removed from the list because of limited on-street parking, and because it put the trucks too close to businesses, including several restaurants.

Kay said Bill Owen, president of the Lexington Center Corporation, had requested that food trucks be banned from an area around Rupp Arena because they would compete with food vendors inside the Lexington Center.

Chris Ford pointed out that all metered spaces on Elm Tree Lane between Corral and East 4th Street, near the Lyric Theatre, were within 100 feet of residential areas. He wanted that zone removed.

Harry Clark reminded fellow council members that the project was only a six-month pilot. “We have to have enough spaces to prove food trucks have viability,” he said. If zones are removed, “There would not be enough left to make any sense.”

Julian Beard said he did not see how food trucks on South Limestone would hurt downtown restaurant business. Besides, Beard added, competition is part of the American way of doing business.

Council eliminated Elm Street Lane as a zone, but added two blocks nearby on Corral Street between Spruce and Martin Luther King Boulevard.

Another concern was who would enforce the two-hour parking limit — Lexington police or the Lexington Parking Authority, the agency responsible for the city’s parking meters.

James Frazier III, board member of the parking authority, said the agency would enforce parking until 5 p.m., and enforcement would be complaint driven. The parking authority wants some discretion in enforcing parking decisions because the food truck program is new and they aren’t sure how it will work.

The food truck project would be evaluated in October, Councilwoman Shevawn Akers said, using information such as the number of police citations issued, parking authority citations and the volume of business by food trucks.

Sean Tibbetts, director of the Bluegrass Food Truck Association, said earlier that many of the food truck operators are concerned that the ordinance is too restrictive for them to be able to operate.

“The longer the process has gone on, the more restrictive the process has gotten,” he said. The first food truck task force was set up two years ago.

The food truck association currently has about a dozen members, many of whom have more than one truck.

He said the ordinance would require the trucks to open for business immediately upon parking, but it takes 20 minutes for his griddle to even warm up. “We just don’t see how we can actually make it work,” he said.

http://www.kentucky.com/2013/05/21/2648574/lexington-food-trucks-pilot-program.html

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – A plan to give people more food options in downtown Lexington has cleared another hurdle.

Tuesday, the Fayette Urban County Council approved the first reading of a food truck proposal.

This comes after the Lexington Parking Authority agreed to a plan to allow food trucks to operate on designated parking areas.

Right now, the trucks are only allowed on private property, and not on public streets.

http://www.wkyt.com/news/headlines/Lexington-food-truck-proposal-moves-forward-208431211.html?ref=211#.UZy7O6JmiSo

Customers formed a long line to buy crepes at La Petite Creperie in August 2011 at the Lexington Farmers Market. Hardwood Pizza also was at the farmers market.
Photo by Angela Baldridge — Lexington Herald-Leader file photo

The Lexington Parking Authority board of commissioners voted Thursday to accept the proposed new city food truck ordinance, subject to several modifications.

Commissioner Wayne Masterman, who operates Portofino restaurant on East Main Street, cast the lone dissenting vote, arguing that the proposed ordinance involves “too many unknowns, and too many unknown consequences.”

The pilot proposal would allow food trucks to stop in metered public parking places in specified areas downtown and sell food to pedestrians between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. They could operate between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. in any on-street parking areas where it is otherwise legal to park, with certain restrictions.

The mobile units now can operate only on private property.

The parking board’s requested changes essentially would tighten up the proposal. One modification, for example, would limit food trucks to no more than half of the parking spaces in operating zones designated by the ordinance. Truck operators also would be required to use pay-by-phone to pay for the parking spaces they use. Commissioners said that would ensure that operators do pay rather than simply feeding the parking meter whenever they see an enforcement officer approach.

Urban County Councilwoman Shevawn Akers, who heads the working group that is drafting the food truck proposal, called the parking board’s suggestions “very reasonable.” They should pose no problems, she said.

The board’s other suggestions include removing South Mill Street from the list of areas where food trucks could operate; adding West Vine Street between South Upper and Mill streets to the list; and prohibiting trucks from offering tables and chairs for customers.

Other provisions already in the proposed ordinance would ban food trucks from operating within 100 feet of the main entrance of any business during its posted operated hours. They also would be prohibited in residential zones.

The proposed ordinance notes that mobile food vendors are increasingly popular and says food trucks could “contribute to a vibrant and diverse food experience in Lexington.”

However, Masterman said he still has questions. Generally speaking, Masterman said, expanding food truck operations would lead to an “uneven playing field” for brick-and-mortar restaurants downtown.

“I do feel that by allowing them to use the public streets we’re creating an unfair advantage,” he said after Thursday’s meeting. “There are a lot of regulations and burdens on restaurants, and I think that people who are in buildings have to pay a lot more money and attention to things that people in trucks don’t have to do.”

Masterman said he’d like to see the trucks continue to operate on private property.

Meanwhile, Akers contended that food trucks could become “incubators for small business.” Many successful food-truck operators eventually might choose to start their own brick-and-mortar restaurants, she said. Indeed, Akers said some have already started to do that.

The proposed ordinance can move forward now that it has the parking commissioners’ endorsement.

Akers said her plan is to bring up the proposal for first reading at next week’s council session, with passage possible in early June.

The proposed ordinance would authorize food trucks in designated public parking places for an initial six-month pilot period only. During that time, officials could evaluate how well the system worked and fix any kinks that developed. If the plan is approved in June, it apparently would be good through December.

http://www.kentucky.com/2013/05/16/2642587/board-accepts-lexingtons-food.html

Working to alleviate hunger in the communities it serves, Fazoli's rolls out its second nationwide Breadsticks for Hunger Tour May 30.

A specially equipped food truck will visit 22 cities in nine states, including Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin. Fazoli’s is partnering with Feed the Children, a non-profit hunger-relief organization. Volunteers and truck staff will hand out free breadsticks, hot from the oven, and encourage the public to support Feed the Children.

Last year, Fazoli’s breadstick truck visited 15 cities, raising $50,000. This year’s tour includes the addition of franchised restaurants in Louisville, Ky. and Springfield, Mo.

The tour begins in Lexington, Ky. with a Feed the Children food distribution event. In addition to raising money and awareness for childhood hunger in the cities the truck will visit, participating Fazoli’s restaurants will sell a “Giving Grape” Lemon Ice. Feed the Children will receive $1 from Fazoli’s for every one sold.

The tour wraps up August 3 in Indianapolis, following a second food distribution there on July 30.

Following the inaugural tour, Feed the Children recognized Fazoli’s with its Community Excellence Award. Last year, the brand also raised $13,500 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation through the sale of a special Pink Lemon Ice.

Putting into practice the old adage that charity begins at home, Fazoli’s also helps its own employees through its Seeds of Compassion fund, which awards grants to associates needing financial assistance. The fund recently passed the $500,000 mark in grants. Fazoli’s manages the non-profit corporation, which is supported primarily by voluntary employee donations.

In recognition of its innovative workplace practices, Fazoli’s was recently honored by the University of Kentucky’s Institute for Workplace Innovation (iwin). The Dr Lee T. Todd Jr. Bridging the Gap Between Workplace Research and Practice Award, named after the retired President of UK, earns Fazoli’s a one-year grant to join 40 other Central Kentucky employers committed to advancing workforce development initiates throughout the Bluegrass.

Fazoli’s owns or franchises approximately 220 premium Italian quick-service restaurants nationwide.

http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20130508-916305.html

Sean Tibbetts, a non-voting member of the Food Truck Work Group, is director of the Blue Grass Food Truck Association.

After more than three months of meetings and discussions, the city’s Food Truck Work Group has agreed upon a Food Truck pilot program, according to 2nd District Council Member Shevawn Akers’ office.

Akers is the chair of the work group, which includes other council members, other city officials, and representatives from local food truck operators and brick and mortar restaurant owners. Vice Mayor Linda Gorton formed the work group in late January with the intent of creating a new Food Truck Ordinance.

Under the proposed pilot program – which must be presented as a resolution to the Urban County Council, following approval from the Lexington Parking Authority – food truck vendors will have access to designated on-street parking areas downtown within proposed food truck zones (see the accompanying map for the locations of proposed food truck zones).

The parking authority board will take up the matter on May 16, if the group approves of the proposed spaces, Akers said she will bring the resolution to council on May 23. Akers says if the parking authority board doesn’t approve of the proposed parking spots, the work group will likely propose on-street parking after 5 p.m. to the board.

a downtown map of the proposed food truck zones

Earlier this year the work group had success passing a partial ordinance streamlining the permitting process for food truck vendors, who are currently limited to operating on private property.

Voting and non-voting members comprised the Food Truck Work Group. Voting members include:

Shevawn Akers, 2nd District Council member

Bill Farmer, Jr., 5th District Council member

Kevin Stinnett, 6th District Council member

Under the proposed pilot program – which must be presented as a resolution to the Urban County Council, following approval from the Lexington Parking Authority – food truck vendors will have access to designated on-street parking areas downtown within proposed food truck zones (see the accompanying map for the locations of proposed food truck zones).

The parking authority board will take up the matter on May 16, if the group approves of the proposed spaces, Akers said she will bring the resolution to council on May 23. Akers says if the parking authority board doesn’t approve of the proposed parking spots, the work group will likely propose on-street parking after 5 p.m. to the board.

Earlier this year the work group had success passing a partial ordinance streamlining the permitting process for food truck vendors, who are currently limited to operating on private property.

Voting and non-voting members comprised the Food Truck Work Group. Voting members include:

Shevawn Akers, 2nd District Council member

Bill Farmer, Jr., 5th District Council member

Kevin Stinnett, 6th District Council member

http://southsidermagazine.com/2013/05/food-truck-work-group-agrees-on-pilot-program/

Sean Tibbetts, Bluegrass Food Truck Association and Cluckin Burger. April 2013 Food Truck Friday.

The two-year anniversary of the formation of Lexington’s Itinerant Merchant Task Force was April 20. While progress has been made, Lexington’s Food Trucks are not quite yet free.

Lexington Council Member Shevawn Akers, chair of Lexington’s Food Truck Work Group announced a Pilot Program just before Food Truck Friday, “The Food Truck Work Group has agreed upon a Food Truck pilot program. The Food Truck Work Group was formed in late January, with the purpose of crafting a new Food Truck Ordinance. The group has already been successful in passing a partial ordinance streamlining the permitting process for food truck vendors; however, they are currently limited to operating on private property. The group has since focused on crafting a resolution which would allow these vendors to operate on public streets. This pilot program will be presented as a resolution to the Urban County Council, following approval from the Lexington Parking Authority. The proposed program would allow food truck vendors access to designated parking areas downtown, in order to provide new and diverse food options to the citizens of Lexington.”

The first phase of Lexington’s food truck resolution was passed in February, and was followed by a Food Truck Friday at Cheapside Pavilion. The first phase:

• Eliminated the requirement and subsequent $15 fee for mobile food vendors to update the Division of Revenue with every address where they set up;
• Removed the requirement to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy from Building Inspection; and
• Required business owners to obtain a free Zoning Compliance Certificate valid for two years from the Division of Zoning and Planning to ensure retail food sales are permitted in their zone.

A sign parked outside a brick and mortar restaurant, across from the Food Truck Friday vendors.

A second Food Truck Friday was held in Cheapside Pavilion on Derby Eve, with most vendors again selling out within a couple hours (as the first one did). Food Truck Fridays are on the first Friday of each month at Cheapside Pavilion, and a portion of proceeds benefit God’s Pantry. Participating vendors have included Ogata’s Hawaiian, The Hub, Athenian Greek Grill, Cluckin Burger, J Renders, TNT BBQ, Bradford BBQ, the Snack Shack, and others. The trucks park on the corridor near the old Courthouse where vendors park during Farmers Market and Thursday Night Live, and they pay a fee to use the space.

Although crowds line up early and stay late for lunch, not everyone is a fan. A few brick and mortar establishments have been vocal in their opposition to food trucks, suggesting that mobile vendors cut into their dining dollar demographic, while paying less infrastructure freight. The long lines at the trucks are conducive to bystander chatter, and several customers who came down to the Pavilion from the nearby office towers pointed out that they are longtime patrons of downtown restaurants, while simultaneously supporting the diversity the trucks provide, and the elevation of downtown as a culinary hub.

Several customers wondered aloud if the new Pilot Program would mean Lexington’s streets will now be blooming with food trucks this summer? One young man who worked in the Fifth Third tower across the street commented on a banner he’d seen while he waited in line, “Free the Food Trucks…that’s funny… Aren’t they free yet?”

Not so fast.

Bluegrass Food Truck Association director Sean Tibbetts says, “While this resolution looks good on the surface it actually forces food truck operators to seek permission from every open business within 100 feet to operate, restricts us to an extremely limited number of parking spaces downtown with very little foot traffic and eliminates our ability to serve anywhere on public or private property within 100 feet of a residence without written permission from the Home Owners Association. Even if we manage to navigate this myriad of hurdles and actually operate, this is only a resolution and is set to expire in six months.”

Many of the vendors are optimistic that this summer will represent an improvement over last summer, but have strong reservations about the proposed resolution. Tibbetts says, “We hope that more trucks will be able to be out and serve various places and times around the county. Our fear is that we will see the same stagnation due to the introduction of many new hurdles to enable us to operate even on private property where we’re allowed to be now.” What would they like to see? “Our sincerest hope is that before this season ends food trucks will have been granted the same rights to use public and private property with appropriate regulations that focus on protecting public health and safety.”

After two years of task forces, and a flurry of activity this year, Tibbetts describes goals for next Summer that sound like the goals put forth by the mobile vendors in 2011. He says, “We would love to see Lexington’s leaders embrace our industry and encourage our participation in a progressive, vibrant and desirable city for the deserving consumers that are food truck fans and the innovative entrepreneurs that are food truck owners.”

Excerpts from the latest food truck draft proposal:

a) Mobile Food Unit Vendors shall not locate or operate on public or private property within one-hundred (100) feet of the property line of a dwelling unit located in an area zoned as a Residential District under the Lexington-Fayette County Zoning Ordinance, without the express written permission of the legally recognized Homeowner’s Association for the affected property. The above restriction does not apply to areas zoned for adaptive re-use.

b) Mobile Food Unit Vendors shall not locate or operate on public property or the public right-of-way within one-hundred (100) feet of the front door of any establishment while it is open for business, unless written approval is obtained from the business owner or the vendor is operating as part of a Special Event.

c) Mobile Food Unit Vendors may operate between the hours of 7am and 10pm in metered spaces in the following On-Street Food Vending Zones:

1. Limestone between Vine & Main
2. Mill between Vine & Main
3. Vine between Broadway & Upper

6.4. East High between MLK & Limestone

1. Elm Tree Lane between Corral & 4th
2. West Main between Jefferson & Felix
3. West High between Upper & Mill

http://www.aceweekly.com/2013/05/lexington-food-truck-pilot-program-proposed/

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – A proposal has been made to make it easier for food trucks to operate in Lexington.

Second District Councilmember Shevawn Akers says the Food Truck Work Group has agreed on a pilot program for food trucks.

Under the proposal, food trucks would be allowed to operate on designated parking areas downtown.

Right now, the trucks are only allowed on private property, and not on public streets in Lexington.

Akers says if the Lexington Parking Authority approves the proposal, it will be presented to the Urban County Council.

http://www.wkyt.com/news/headlines/205909781.html

WDRB 41 Louisville – News, Weather, Sports Community

http://www.wdrb.com/story/22030491/local-business-is-going-mobile-to-serve-farm-fresh-food

Giving you a little early notice so you can plan your lunch for next Thursday. Fellon McCord is hosting their second annual “East End Food Truck Roundup” at their location at 10200 Forest Green Blvd on Thursday April 25.

Lots of your favorite food trucks are scheduled to be there:
-Grind
-Lil Cheezers
-Holy Mole
-Bluegrass Brickoven Pizza
-French Indo-Canada Food Truck

Thursday April 25, 2013
11AM-1PM

A portion from sales at this event will be donated to Metro United Way. Getting excellent grub and doing good for the community at the same time? Clearly you win at life.

http://consuminglouisville.com/2013/04/east-end-food-truck-round-up.php

Spalding’s Student Development and Campus Life team welcomes back Food Truck Thursdays–a warm-weather, lunchtime event featuring food trucks from the Louisville area.

Every Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Library Lane (at the heart of the SU campus between York and Breckinridge Streets), the Spalding community and our neighbors can dine outdoors from a featured food truck of the week.

Last season, SU welcomed trucks such as Genius in a Box, Traveling Kitchen, San Diego Sandwich Works, among others. Food trucks will accept Spalding Dining Dollars as well as cash; some trucks also accept credit cards.

For other dining options around campus, click here.

http://spalding.edu/food-truck-thursdays-return/