Donna Jackson greets a young customer from her Kona Ice truck on Riverside Drive in St. Charles. Jackson said business during the city’s April 16 food truck event was good despite the cool temperatures and threat of rain.

St. Charles’ second Food Trucks in Frontier Park drew an enthusiastic crowd even though the event didn’t actually take place in the park.

Two days of heavy rain saturated the ground and prompted officials to move the April 16 event to the asphalt of nearby Riverside Drive.

“We had to decide whether to leave it in Frontier Park, move it to Riverside Drive or cancel the event,” city Parks and Recreation Director Maralee Britton said. “We were fearful of cancelling it because we have three more events planned this year and we don’t want to lose our followers we’ve gained.”

Despite the wet conditions, gray skies and mild temperatures, all 15 businesses that signed up for the event showed up, and Riverside Drive was busy with patrons.

Emily Pogrelis of Lake Saint Louis found the perfect comfort food for a dreary day. She stood with friends and family in the line at Sarah’s Meltdown, which offered grilled cheese sandwiches and soup.

Pogrelis said she didn’t attend St. Charles’ first food truck event last October but has been to others in parks in St. Louis County.

“It’s fun because of the variety of things,” Pogrelis said. ”There’s always music and drinks, and you can bring your kids. One of my friends owns the Burger Ink truck and they told us about it.”

The St. Charles Parks Foundation sold soda and water, Little Hills Winery sold wine, and Trailhead Brewery Co. sold microbrews. Rhythm Music & Performing Arts Studio provided the music of Madison Letter singer Clayton Jones, Jordan & Andy and Mariah Broeker.

Britton said the attendance of more than 3,500 people at last year’s food truck event far exceeded officials’ expectations. The Parks and Recreation Department carried that momentum forward to this spring, getting the word out by using social media accounts through Twitter and Facebook. Britton said the department’s last Facebook post drew more than 17,000 viewings and received 158 shares.

Hot Aztec, which is owned by Robert and Dana Gardaphe and specializes in Mexican cuisine, returned after participating in the October event. Robert said they sold out of food in October in about an hour. Two of Hot Aztec’s biggest sellers are the Hot Aztec hot dog, which is bacon wrapped with roasted pork, hot sauce, Mexican cheese, peppers and onions, and the diablo shrimp taco.

“We do a lot of city events,” Dana said. “We’re doing park events this year as well. It makes it unique here because they do so much advertising and it draws a lot of the trucks and it becomes its own event.”

Despite less-than-ideal weather, Donna Jackson said her Kona ice truck was busy selling flavored shaved ice and that she was impressed by the size of the crowd.

“Kids don’t know what cold is when they see our truck,” Jackson said, laughing. She said her truck would return for the city’s Fourth of July festivities in Frontier Park.

Other food trucks included The Cheese Shack, Completely Sauced, Burger Ink, Cha, Cha, Chow, Yo! Taco, My Big Fat Greek Truck, Go Gyro Go, Guerrilla Street Food, Sarah’s Cake Stop, The Sweet Divine, Zia’s, and Speedway Eatery.

Dale Johnson and his wife, Lori, were tailgating on a parking lot adjacent to Riverside Drive. After getting their food, they wanted a dry place to retreat to if the rain started up again.

“I came back to St. Charles two years ago and so much had changed,” Dale said. “I like the historic areas, and St. Charles is doing a great job of promoting tourism.”

Future food truck events in Frontier Park are scheduled for June 18, Aug. 20 and Oct. 15. Britton said Tuesday nights were selected to avoid overlapping with festivals and bands that use the riverfront park and that business on Main Street typically is slower on Tuesday nights.

“Tuesday nights made the most sense,” Britton said. “Once you get into June, July and August, the Municipal Band plays in the park every Thursday, and we don’t want to intrude on their event. There are a lot of festivals on the weekends. We know from past experience these people will visit the food trucks, then travel to Main Street for more food and drinks.”

http://www.stltoday.com/suburban-journals/stcharles/news/food-trucks-make-nd-appearance-on-st-charles-riverfront/article_a6bfba38-ff35-5882-a0f7-eddeba4fa933.html

Credit St.CharlesParksDepartment

After a very successful premier Food Trucks in Frontier Park event last fall, the St. Charles Parks and Recreation Department is giving the public four chances this year to enjoy a variety of food options from 15 food trucks on Tuesday evening, April 16.

At the event, which runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., visitors can purchase food from 15 food trucks, including Cha Cha Chow, Completely Sauced on Wheels, My Big Fat Greek Truck, Hot Aztec and Yo! Taco, among others.

While enjoying the food, patrons can enjoy entertainment by Clayton Lester, Jordan & Andy, and Mariah Broeker, arranged through the Rhythm Music and Performing Arts Studio.

Beverages are being served the Little Hills Winery and Trailhead Brewery, along with soda and water by the St. Charles Parks Foundation.

“We had an overwhelming response last year,” said Maralee Britton, parks director. She noted that the lines for the trucks were so long, the Foundation decided to set up a soda and water booth to help out with the patrons that were just in line to get a drink.

Tuesday’s food truck event is just one of four planned for this year.

http://stcharles.patch.com/articles/food-trucks-in-frontier-park-has-everything-from-hot-aztec-to-my-big-fat-greek-truck#photo-13978547

Driver Rachel Kitchen gives change to a customer. Kitchen has been driving the truck and selling cupcakes since the truck opened in the summer of 2010. Credit Christopher Reilly

Food trucks have become very popular amongst St. Charles residents over the last several years and the Foundry Art Centre is hoping that popularity will help boost awareness for the arts.

The Foundry Arte Centre is teaming up with Saint Charles Riverfront Arts to host a free, monthly food truck series—coined “2nd Thursdays”—that begins next week.

The event will be held every second Thursday of the month between April 11 and Oct. 10. The event, held in the Foundry’s parking lot at 520 N. Main Center, is free and open to the public, though patrons will be charged for food truck food.

A full cart bar will also be available inside the Foundry’s Grand Hall.

Attendees, according to a release, will have a chance to interact with artists by drawing, painting, creating pottery, making jewelry, writing, actigng and dancing. Live music will also be provided.

More information can be found on the Foundry’s website.

Food Trucks in Frontier Park will be held four times in 2013. Credit Kalen Ponche

St. Charles Parks and Recreation plans to host four Food Truck events in Frontier Park in 2013.

The food truck events are scheduled for April 16, June 18, August 20 and Oct. 15 — all Tuesdays — from 5 to 8 p.m.

Park Director Maralee Britton said the department considered hosting events monthly from April to October but thought that might be too many.

“When we looked at it, it would be overkill,” she said. “I know there are others in St. Charles County looking to bring out food trucks as well.”

The Food Trucks in Frontier Park will be held every other month on Tuesdays because it doesn’t conflict with other city events like Music on Main on Wednesdays and performances by the St. Charles Municipal Band on Thursdays.

The day also works better for members of the St. Louis Food Truck Association, Britton said.

Last year just 12 trucks came to the first Food Trucks in Frontier Park event and many of the 3,000 people who attended waited in long lines for food. Britton said they’re hoping for more than 20 trucks at each event this year.

“Rightfully, some of the food truck proprieters were concerned, they weren’t sure how it would be received,” Britton said of the first event. “Having 3,000 plus visitors in the park, they learned St. Charles is very welcoming to food truck events.”

The parks department plans to start looking for entertainment for each event soon.

http://stcharles.patch.com/articles/st-charles-sets-dates-for-food-truck-events-in-frontier-park

By Rebecca Thiele | St. Charles Patch

From left, Steve Darlin and Kyle Cast wait for their food in the hot weather at Steve O's BBQ & More. The St. Charles City Council approved a permit for the barbecue trailer in July 2009. The council failed to approve a similar permit for an Indian food truck on Tuesday. Credit Rebecca Thiele

At Monday night’s planning and zoning meeting, the commission forwarded permits for two street food vendors to the city council for approval.

One is a new barbecue trailer near Barrel & Bottle liquor store on South Drive. Owner Don Abby was operating the trailer for a month, unaware his business was subject to city regulations instead of St. Charles County regulations. Abbey said the trailer would be operating year-round.

The other permit is for an existing snow cone stand that plans to expand its business. Steve Schad who owns the stand, said they would like to sell hot dogs and chili in the colder months.

Commissioner Richard Baum said street food vendors that operate year-round are taking business away from permanent businesses in the area, which are more invested in the city.

Schad said he is paying rent just like the other four businesses near his snow cone stand. He said he doesn’t understand why street food vendors are being targeted.

“Why are we being singled out for unfair competition when there’s four people competing?” Schad said.

Schad said he would love to move into a more permanent structure as the planning and zoning commission suggested, but he cannot afford it in this tough economy.

Both food permits are to be re-evaluated after one year. Commissioner Lindsey Devereux said she understands why food vendor owners might want to try running a year-round business before investing in a permanent space.

Baum said he opposes the one-year permits because the city has no way of revoking those permits unless the food vendor does not meet all the conditions set by the commission.

Mayor Sally Faith said it may be time for the city council to re-evaluate its policy on temporary food vendors.

“There has to be an evaluation or a time set as to how long you can be a street vendor,” Faith said.

Faith said the fact that more of these street vendors have been asking to expand may push this issue to the forefront.

The city has approved six out of eight conditional use permits for street food vendors within the past year. One of those vendors, Gaurang Bhavsar, had to go back to the city more than once to get approval for his Indian food cart on West Clay.

Commissioner Patricia Lang was absent at the meeting.

http://stcharles.patch.com/articles/pz-commission-still-divided-on-street-food-vendor-issue#photo-6491257

By Rebecca Thiele | Patch.com

Gaurang Bhavsar hoped to set up a temporary concession stand in the parking lot of West Clay Liquor from which he planned to sell Indian food. Credit Kalen Ponche

Before the city council meeting Tuesday, Gaurang Bhavsar said he was confident he would be granted a permit to sell Indian food out of a concession stand in the parking lot of West Clay Package Liquor.

Both the owner of the liquor store and the St. Charles City Planning and Zoning Commission gave Bhavsar approval to open the stand. All Bhavsar had to do was convince the City Council to give him a conditional use permit for it. Bhavsar said he wasn’t worried.

“As long as you follow the city’s conditions, they won’t give you a hard time,” said Bhavsar.

Bhavsar said he was surprised when the city council voted down a conditional use permit for the stand.

“I was so shocked, I thought everything was fine,” said Bhavsar.

During the city council meeting, city council members agreed Bhavsar may only be allowed the permit until December 2011 if the measure was approved. Despite this change, the motion failed 2-5. Six votes were needed for the motion to pass.

Council members Mike Klinghammer, Ward 8, Mary Ann Ohms, Ward 1, Tom Besselman, Ward 2, Ron Stivison, Ward 9, and Jerry Reese, Ward 6, voted for the permit, while council members Bob Kneemiller, Ward, 4 and Dave Beckering, Ward 7, voted against the permit. Council members Michael Weller, Ward 5, Laurie Feldman, Ward 3, and Bridget Ohmes, Ward 10, were absent from the meeting.

Some council members said temporary food vendors do not have to put as much of an investment into the city as restaurant owners do.

“It’s unfair competition with the other restaurants,” said Councilman Bob Kneemiller, Ward 4. “They don’t have to pay property taxes. They don’t get inspected by the health department. They don’t have to pay taxes on utilities.”

“We don’t want to get out of balance by having too many. There is a time and a place for them,” said Councilman Mike Klinghammer, Ward 8. “Flowers stands are in the spring, Christmas tree lots are in the winter, but businesses like this (Indian food stand) aren’t appropriate because they are in competition with businesses that have invested more into the city.”

In April, a request for conditional use permit for an outdoor vending cart that would sell hotdogs and soda on Main Street in St. Charles failed to get any support from the city council after several business owners in the area said the stands would take customers from their restaurants.

Steve Pundmann owns a barbecue trailer called Steve O’s BBQ & More which he sets up in the parking lot of the Pundmann Ford off of Duchesne Road. The city council approved the permit for his trailer in July 2009.

Pundmann said he may not have to rent a space for a restaurant, but he is still taking a risk.

“I’ve got $80,000 invested in this trailer,” he said. “Some hot dog carts can get away with spending only $15,000, but it’s still an investment.”

From left, Steve Darlin and Kyle Cast wait for their food in the hot weather at Steve O's BBQ & More. The St. Charles City Council approved a permit for the barbecue trailer in July 2009. The council failed to approve a similar permit for an Indian food truck on Tuesday. Credit Rebecca Thiele

Bhavsar said he was hoping to avoid the cost of a failing restaurant by opening up the less expensive concession stand. He said the city should recognize that there is a market for temporary food vendors in the area.

“There is a people who can’t afford expensive food,” said Bhavsar. “And there is a culture of Indian food that is supposed to be out here.”

Bhavsar said he intends to further appeal to the St. Charles City Council for a temporary permit for the Indian food stand. The city has granted five permits to street food vendors in the last year.

http://stcharles.patch.com/articles/some-council-members-discourage-more-street-food-vendors#photo-6491287