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Chapel Hill, NC: The Town Should Ease Restrictions on Food Trucks

MFN Editor #1 — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:00:18 +0000

The Town of Chapel Hill should reduce fees and look to its neighbors in order to create a policy that encourages more food trucks in the area.

Chapel Hill is notorious for its high food truck fees. Total fees in the town add up to $861 annually, much higher than those of neighboring cities Durham and Raleigh.

For these businesses — many of which are start-ups — it is not worth the additional cost to operate in Chapel Hill.

By looking to its neighbors, the town could figure out a way to make food trucks work.

This includes looking at ways to deregulate parking restrictions. The Chapel Hill Town Council passed an ordinance in January to allow food trucks to park in private parking lots in downtown Chapel Hill.

While this is a good first step, the town needs to continue to loosen restrictions in order to make food trucks welcome.

Reducing fees would allow the town to encourage this innovative type of business.

Food trucks are a great way to promote entrepreneurship, as well as give students a new — and cheap — late night option.

While some might fear food trucks are unsanitary, county health officials inspect them twice yearly.

However, the inspections differ from those of restaurants in the sense that the trucks are only given a passing or failing grade, not a letter grade.

Giving food trucks letter grades is fairer to everyone involved. It reinforces the notion that food trucks and restaurants should be treated similarly, and also holds the trucks to a higher standard.

In addition, food trucks in Orange County are forced to have a permanent facility that they are required to return to at least once a day. The county should not require business owners to have these commissaries, as they add yet another cost.

Cutting the high cost of permits, easing parking restrictions and standardizing the health code across restaurants and food trucks are good first steps to promoting food truck growth.

The Town of Chapel Hill should also consult with Carrboro and Durham to find new ways to welcome food truck owners.

http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2012/11/edit2_1128

Chapel Hill, NC: CHTC Has Second Thoughts On Food Truck Fees

MFN Editor #1 — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 20:00:45 +0000

By Elizabeth Friend | Chapelboro.com

CHAPEL HILL- “We seem to have over-regulated.”

Those were the words of Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt, and the general consensus of the Chapel Hill Town Council on Monday, as the council reviewed the impact of new rules governing food trucks in town.

In January the council approved an ordinance designed to encourage food trucks to set up shop while at the same time protecting established restaurants. But since that time, only one vendor has paid the licensing and permitting fees to operate in Chapel Hill, and that, as council member Lee Storrow pointed out, has been a labor of love.

“The Baguetteaboutit truck, who is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the owners live in the town of Chapel Hill, really wanted to be able to provide their food and their service to their friends and their family who live in Chapel Hill,” said Storrow. “And they told me it didn’t really make economic sense to apply in Chapel Hill, but they did it because they wanted to bring their service to the community they live in.”

Brian Bottger, owner of the Durham-based Only Burger food truck and restaurant, told the council the high fees have kept him from expanding to Chapel Hill.

“The first thing that comes to mind as I try to do events in Chapel Hill is that the vendor fee is expensive. It is $600-plus dollars, and that is prohibitive, up front, as a cost,” said Bottger.

A vendor seeking to do bring a food truck to Chapel Hill must pay $600 to apply for apermit and the property owner for the lot where the truck will park must also get a zoning compliance permit, at a cost of $118. Once both are approved by town staff, the vendor pays an additional $25 for a business license.

There have been several successful celebrations in Chapel Hill in the past year that featured food trucks, but in each instance the trucks were granted special event permits valid only for the duration of the event.

When the council established the licensing fees last January, the revenue was intended to cover the cost of hiring a staff member to inspect food trucks to make sure they complied with the town’s new rules governing hours of operation and where the trucks can park. But council member Matt Czajkowski said it’s clear that’s not working.

“We set the prices so high that you’ve got two whole fees, which ain’t paying for an inspector. Nor is it requiring a lot of inspection,” said Czajkowski. “So to the extent to which we’re hearing that fees are an impediment, I would say we should be looking real hard at reducing them.”

Council member Jim Ward told the planning department staff he’s also ready to see the rules loosened.

“I just want to encourage the staff that we need to have a ‘why not?’ perspective instead of a ‘why?’ perspective on encouraging food trucks in our town,” said Ward.

The council took no formal action on the matter, but directed staff to return in a few months time with possible revisions to the ordinance for the council to consider.

http://chapelboro.com/CHTC-Has-Second-Thoughts-On-Food-Truck-Fees/14828830

Chapel Hill, NC: Local Merchants Find Success in Food Trucks

MFN Editor #1 — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 21:00:52 +0000

By Jeanna Smialek | NewsObserver.com

Time Out restaurant director of operations Ira Green, left, says that his company’s newly-wrapped food truck/mobile unit still has to be outfitted after an inspection from the local health department before the Chapel HIll eatery can reach out with its chicken to more remote locations. Green went out to move the new mobile food truck Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 from in front of the Time Out restaurant at University Square Chapel Hill.

Chapel Hill — Square biscuits topped with freshly filleted chicken and real cheddar cheese have drawn customers to Eddie Williams’ Time-Out restaurants in Chapel Hill for decades.

Now, Williams has decided it’s time to bring his famous biscuits to the customers.

Following the food-truck trend, Williams is expanding the brand, which now includes Time-Out Restaurant and Time-Out Sports Bar, by buying into the meals-on-wheels format.

Time-Out’s new food truck will offer five menu items, said Ira Green, Time-Out’s director of operations, and he said he believes it will turn a profit while hooking new customers.

“I think the whole food truck market is exploding,” Green said.

The Time-Out truck, which will sport a sign reading “Taste of the South since ’78” isn’t the only mobile eatery to pair with a Triangle area brick-and-mortar restaurant. State and nationwide, business leaders are using trucks to expand established brands, even as aspiring restaurant owners use trucks to raise money to buy permanent eateries. Operated together, owners say food trucks and grounded restaurants enjoy production and marketing synergies.

“The trucks are building up brands,” said Richard Myrick, the founder of mobile-cuisine.com and author of a “For Dummies” brand book on running a successful food truck business.

Time-Out, which expects its truck to hit the road in two to three weeks, hopes to roll its products into Raleigh and Durham, and Myrick said expanded geographic reach is a benefit restaurants often seek when opening a truck. Owners also test out new items that would be tough to try in their larger-scale, brick-and-mortar establishment, Myrick said. “Restaurants are learning from the food trucks. They are seeing what’s happening and taking best practices,” Myrick said.

The money factor

Financial barriers and tough-to-come-by loans often prevent foodies from opening the restaurants they dream of, Myrick said, and food trucks can provide a low-overhead way to get companies started, or in Time-Out’s case, expand its business.

Food truck businesses cost under $100,000, Myrick said, and in many cities range between $60,000 and $80,000 to start. Green wouldn’t disclose how much Time-Out paid but said trucks cost between $30,000 and $100,000 locally. Brian Bottger, owner of Durham-based Only Burger, said his used truck cost $70,000 when he bought it.

Stephan Bayer is the German-American co-founder of Wake Forest-based Café Prost, a food truck peddling hand-twisted gourmet pretzels. While Bayer dreams of a brick-and-mortar location, he said his mobile unit is an affordable way to jumpstart the business.

“We wanted to start a café. We went to see a business advisor, and he said, ‘How much money do you have?’” Bayer said.

Time-Out will not increase its prices in the food truck to account for fuel costs or other expenses, Green said, but he does not know how that will impact profit per item yet. While advertising Time-Out’s food is the truck’s major goal, he said they aim to also turn a profit. Myrick said because food trucks pay lower rent, have fewer employees – or only employ their owners – and serve as self-advertisements, they often turn higher profit margins than brick-and-mortar restaurants.

However, volatile weather, fuel costs and kitchen wear-and-tear from jostling during travel can drive those profits downward. Food truck kitchens are often more costly to maintain than stationary kitchens. Plus, trucks operate on a smaller scale and owners don’t buy products in bulk, so they can have lower margins than larger grounded operations if they price similarly, Myrick said.

Overcoming hurdles

Only Burger, which started as a food truck in 2009, used food truck proceeds to expand into a brick-and-mortar location in 2010, Bottger said. Though he said the restaurant has a more consistent cash flow than the truck, the combination has created benefits like those Time-Out hopes to see – the permanent location provides a home base for food assembly while the truck allows Only Burger to tap into new markets.

“It’s a driving billboard, and it makes money on top of it,” Bottger said.

But opening a food truck comes with unique hurdles, Myrick said, and owners need to have a passion for what they serve, a firm understanding of their business model and a willingness to work tirelessly if they hope to make a food truck business successful.

When a truck needs repairs, that puts the entire business on hold, Myrick said.

Also, customers can have trouble finding the truck if it moves around frequently, Bottger said, and food trucks experience lulls during cold or rainy weather.

“To succeed, you have to put a tremendous amount of work into it,” Bottger said. Understanding a price point – people are usually willing to pay only $5 to $10 for a mobile lunch – and making use of neighborhood events and corporate campus partnerships also helped Only Burger’s truck, he said.

Despite the hurdles, Time-Out’s leaders are confident that the joint operation with the brick-and-mortar business will make its truck successful in its own right.

http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/11/12/2477868/finding-success-in-food-trucks.html

Chapel Hill Co-Hosts Town’s Inaugural Food Truck Rodeo

MobileFoodNews.com — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 13:11:17 +0000

By Jenny Surane | The Daily Tar Heel

Logan Savage / DTH
Ben Shirley of Parlez-Vous Crepes passes out an order. WCHL 97.9 sponsored a food truck rodeo on Thursday night.

Alycia Inserra gets a rush of excitement every time she sees a new customer at the window of her food truck.

Inserra, who co-owns American Meltdown with her husband Paul, saw plenty of new customers Thursday night at Chapel Hill’s inaugural food truck rodeo, held at the WCHL radio station on Weaver Dairy Road.

“It’s awesome,” she said. “Food truck customers always have really great energy.”

The rodeo was co-sponsored by the town of Chapel Hill and WCHL to celebrate the station broadcasting on 97.9 FM.

Inserra, who is also a program manager for the UNC School of Government, said she has always wanted to bring her gourmet melts to Chapel Hill, but the current town ordinance has discouraged her from doing so.

The ordinance requires food truck owners to pay an annual $600 fee, as well as a $118 zoning compliance fee.

“It has always been our desire to go to the whole Triangle,” she said. “But the permits right now are a little too high.”

Fellow food truck owner Becky Cascio said it wasn’t the price of the permits that deterred her from coming to Chapel Hill, but the lack of available locations for food trucks.

“We are already really established in Durham,” said Cascio, who owns Pie Pushers, which sells pizza. “So it’s the financial burden and the fact that we can just cross on over into Carrboro.”

UNC students also got in on the food truck action.

Seniors Bryanna Foote and Devika Chawla said they heard about the event from friends.

“It’s cool because it supports local businesses, and it’s really cheap food, which is what students want,” said Chawla, a biology and psychology major, while eating a slice of eggplant feta pizza.

Foote, a global studies major, said she wishes there were more food trucks on campus.

“There is so much going on at Lenoir during lunch,” she said. “It would be cool to have a food truck to go to on campus.”

And the two said they are already making plans for their next food truck visit.

“One of the ‘Where We’ll Be’ signs on a food truck over there said they will be at Duke for, like, the rest of the week,” said Foote. “And I’m really jealous.”

The Chapel Hill Town Council will review its food truck ordinance this fall. Only one food truck has applied for a permit since the ordinance was passed in January.

And even though the food trucks aren’t here to stay yet, owners and students said they were happy to come out for the event.

“For me, this is all about a having a passion and a dream, and seeing that dream come to fruition,” Inserra said, while wiping her hands on her full-body apron. “It’s been a great journey, though.”

http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2012/08/5040297c40025

Chapel Hill, NC: CHTC Member Set To Petition For Food Truck Regulation Changes

MobileFoodNews.com — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 19:44:32 +0000

By Ran Northam | ChapelBoro.com

CHAPEL HILL – The Chapel Hill Town Council passed an ordinance allowing food trucks to do business within certain boundaries that took place March 1.

Since it took effect, no one has applied for a permit and the general consensus is that the fees and regulations are not worth it.

Council member Lee Storrow says he is going to propose a change.

“I’m planning to petition the council prior to our summer recess to move forward our reassessment and evaluation of our food truck ordinance,” Storrow says. “We haven’t seen any food trucks express interest to come to Chapel Hill. I’m interested in trying to bring that type of business to our community and I think we need to figure out what some of (the) problems are.”

The ordinance officially took effect on March 1. Prior to that time, Chapel Hill technically did allow food trucks, but only during special events and other highly restricted circumstances. But the ordinance allows food trucks to operate on privately owned nonresidential property in specified zoning districts.

All food truck vendors are required to have a Zoning Compliance Permit and an annual privilege license. Those vendors must also pay $118 for a site permit and $50 for a license, in addition to $600 per vendor to cover inspection and enforcement costs.

Storrow says while he believes the fees are too high, he feels they aren’t necessarily competitive with the area.

“Food trucks really are a regional business model,” Storrow says. “When we are competing with Raleigh, Hillsborough, Durham, and Carrboro, while our fees may not seem exorbitantly expensive, when food trucks are operating just fine in the current places they are, it doesn’t make economic sense for them to want to come to Chapel Hill.”

Owner of Parlez-Vous Crepe Jody Argote currently takes her food truck to Carrboro and Durham when school is in session. She says the Chapel Hill permit would cost about $861 per year which is just one of the reasons she does not work in Chapel Hill.

“The message that the food truck operators got from the Town of Chapel Hill is that they really weren’t welcome there,” Argote says. “Not only (are the fees exorbitant, but) the ways the restrictions are written, there are very few places that a food truck could actually park in Chapel Hill, even if the fees were to be paid.”

Storrow says, while it’s not a normal time to petition, he feels it is important enough for the Council to review their food truck regulations before they break for summer.

“I’m planning to petition Council to move the review up to the early fall at our last meeting in June,” Storrow says. “I’m also reaching out to folks now to find out what the particular concerns are so I can provide some ideas and thoughts about what good changes could look like.”

Coucil member Lee Storrow will petition the council June 25 at their meeting in Council Chambers at Town Hall.

http://www.chapelboro.com/CHTC-Member-Set-To-Petition-For-Food-Truck-Regulat/13466966

Chapel Hill, NC: Despite Ordinance, Interest In Food Trucks Lags In CH

MobileFoodNews.com — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 20:46:55 +0000

By Anne Brenner | ChapelBoro.com

Klausies Pizza Truck - Raleigh, NC

CHAPEL HILL-Four months after Chapel Hill Town Council passed an ordinance to allow food trucks in the town’s boundaries, not many food truck operators have taken advantage of the new regulations—and some are saying that’s because the guidelines are too restrictive.

According to recent reports, including one from the News and Observer, Chapel Hill hasn’t had any applications for food truck vendors since late January, when Town Council first passed an ordinance to make them legal within town boundaries. Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt says the lack of interest might be a result of the associated costs.

“Anecdotally, I think some have said the prices were higher than they’d like, and given the prices in nearby communities, they’ve chosen to continue working there rather than coming to Chapel Hill.”

Michael Stenke is the owner of Klausie’s Pizza in Raleigh. In light of the costs to operate a food truck in Chapel Hill, he says he’s not surprised by the recent reports.

“Oftentimes, people are getting into food trucks because they can’t afford to open up a restaurant,” he says. “We’re not talking about a million dollar budget to open; we’re talking, in my case for instance, about a hundredth of that.”

Stenke adds that aside from the monetary implications of its food truck ordinance, Chapel Hill would otherwise make an attractive option for his business.

“There’s a lot of great flavors already in Chapel Hill, and there’s room for more,” he says. “Chapel Hill is a great, open, vibrant community, and this law, I think, it very contrary to that.”

Kleinschmidt says although he acknowledges the food truck owners’ concerns, it’s difficult to balance their interests with those of existing businesses.

“This isn’t an issue with just one stakeholder,” he says. “The reason it was hard to draft regulations to begin with, is other people in the community who have concerns about their operations. We want to balance those concerns with those of the folks already doing business in town with those who say they might want to come into town.”

And even though the issue is still a hot-button topic, Kleinschmidt says he’s unsure about how soon Town Council will be able to address the owners’ concerns.

“I’m not sure we’d address it in the coming weeks,” he says. “We’ve got three weeks left in this fiscal year, and we have an extremely packed agenda. I’ve heard a couple council members have questions, and perhaps we’ll get a petition, but I’m just not sure.”

Town Council will hold its final business meeting of the season on June 25, along with a special session on June 27, before going into its summer recess for the months of July and August.

http://www.chapelboro.com/Despite-Ordinance-Interest-In-Food-Trucks-Lags-In-/13394678

Chapel Hill, NC: Fees May Stall Food Trucks

MobileFoodNews.com — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:11:08 +0000

By KATELYN FERRAL | NewsObserver.com

Will Pettis was told last March he could not park in front of Dead Mule Club on West Franklin, despite having the property owner's permission. photo: HARRY LYNCH

CHAPEL HILL — Food trucks will soon be allowed in Chapel Hill, but many vendors say the costs will keep them away.

The Town Council unanimously passed new regulations for food trucks and trailers this week that restrict the vehicles to private property and include several permits – the most expensive in the Triangle.

Vendors will have to pay a $600 annual fee, get a $118 zoning permit and a $50 privilege license. The property owner that hosts the truck will have to get a $118 permit.

“That’s going to be cost prohibitive for a lot of trucks,” said Brian Bottger, owner of Durham-based Only Burger food truck. “That’s going to give me second thoughts.”

The fees will offset the cost of hiring a part-time employee to enforce the new regulations, which take effect March 1.

Trucks will be inspected at least once a month and can only be parked on private property, at least 100 feet away from a restaurant while it is closed, unless a property owner waives that restriction, according to the regulations.

The call to consider food trucks in town came last summer from Lex Alexander, owner of 3Cups cafe on Elliott Road in Chapel Hill. His wife, Ann, who works with food trucks in Durham, says the couple is disappointed in the new regulations and expensive permitting requirements.

“We just think it’s ridiculous,” she said. “Chapel Hill is making it so hard for the food trucks to be here.”

“I can guarantee you they don’t have $600 in their pockets,” she said.

Food truck fees and permits across the Triangle are several hundred dollars less than Chapel Hill’s fees.

Raleigh charges the trucks $150 to sell their food and a $76 permit for property owners.

Durham requires a $50 zoning permit and a $25 privilege license for vendors, and no permit for property owners.

Carrboro charges $25 for a privilege license, $60 for a zoning permit for vendors and no permit for property owners.

Mike Steinke talks to business students at UNC-Chapel Hill about entrepreneurship but says he can’t afford the new fees to park his Klausie’s food truck, which sells pizza, in town. The new ordinance is a “dream killer,” he said.

“This law is great way of saying to food trucks, ‘No, we don’t want you,’ ” he said. “We want to look cool passing a law, but we don’t intend for anybody to use it.”

Will & Pops food trucks was kicked out of Chapel Hill last summer, before the town adopted rules for food trucks, but says they won’t return.

“The fees are exorbitant,” said Carol Edenton, who runs the truck with Will Pettis and his father. “It’s obvious that the town truly does not want to embrace the trucks.”

Jonathan Richelson plans to open his food truck, Sympathy for the Deli, next month but probably not in Chapel Hill.

“I’m glad that they’ve allowed food trucks,” he said. “It’s better than having it banned completely, (but) it makes Durham and Carrboro even more appealing to work in.”

Chapel Hill: Food Trucks Come to Chapel Hill

MobileFoodNews.com — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:29:06 +0000

By Gregory Childress | The Herald Sun

CHAPEL HILL — The food trucks are coming.

The Town Council on Monday approved food truck vending on private property in commercial zoning districts under certain conditions, capping the vote with a budget ordinance revision to account for proposed vending fees.

The rules were approved with little council comment and no citizens spoke for or against the item at a council business meeting that went past 11:30 p.m.

Local restaurant owners had argued that food trucks would present unfair competition to traditional brick-and-mortar restaurants that have all of the expenses associated with a standing business.

They relaxed their position after the town agreed to accept some rules, drafted by the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership, that may protect traditional restaurants.

Under the rules adopted by the town, food trucks must be at least 100 feet from the entrance of an existing restaurant during the restaurants hours of operation unless the food truck vendor has permission from the owner to operate closer.

“We made recommendations to Town Council based on downtown stakeholder input and we appreciate the care taken to the issue in all of Chapel Hill, but especially downtown,” Bobby Funk, program director for the Partnership, said Tuesday. “We support the ordinance and look forward to seeing how food trucks will contribute to the vibrancy of downtown Chapel Hill.”

Aaron Nelson, president and CEO of the Chapel Hill-Carborro Chamber of Commerce, said he is pleased that the majority of concerns expressed by restaurant owners were addressed and that citizens got a chance to work closely with the Planning Department early in the process.

“We look forward to welcoming food trucks to Chapel Hill, but will continue to monitor their impact on existing local businesses,” Nelson said in a statement Tuesday.

The town began to look at relaxing town rules restricting food trucks more than a year ago after council received a petition from businessman Lex Alexander, owner of 3 CUPS, a retailer that sells wine, coffee and tea, asking the town to reconsider how food trucks are regulated.

Alexander said at the time that laws restricting food trucks are contrary to the town’s progressive and entrepreneurial nature.

According to the new rules, food trucks cannot block driveways, access to loading and service areas or access to fire lanes and most be positioned at leas 15 feet from fire hydrants, any Fire Department connection, driveway entrances, alleys, handicapped parking spaces, tree trunks and vegetation.

The council set a user fee of $600 a year, effective March 1, to offset the cost of regulating food trucks.

Chapel Hill: Food Truckin’, What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been

MobileFoodNews.com — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 02:12:34 +0000

By Joe Schwartz | IndyWeek.com

Mike Hackerd and Becky Cascio, owners of the Pie Pushers food truck, worked at Watts Grocery.

Chapel Hill inched closer to allowing food trucks within town limits Monday night at a Town Council public hearing.

Council members received a proposed ordinance, already approved unanimously by the town Planning Board, which would:

-allow food trucks to be located downtown in private lots, at least 100 feet away from a restaurant entrance, as long as the trucks and the lot owner each have a permit;
-allow one food truck per 30 parking spaces in other commercial districts, with permits;
-require food truck vendors to comply with local, county and state tax regulations and to display health permits at all times;
-require food truck vendors to dispose of all trash and grease, and forbid them to offer seating;
-restrict food truck signs to those permanently attached to the vehicles and a portable menu sign smaller than 6 square feet.

“Based on these regulations, would we be able to have a food truck at the Town Hall parking lot for council meetings?” asked Councilman Matt Czajkowski asked, the only question in the 20-minute hearing.

“I believe you can do that now,” principal planner Kendal Brown answered. “It’s public property, (you could) with a special permit.”

Brown added that town staff was initially weary of allowing food trailers, but that they have learned that they come in different sizes, and smaller ones might be acceptable.

Though public turnout was sparse, two mobile food owners spoke in favor of the plan.

Becky Cascio, owner of Pie Pushers, a Durham-based food trailer, said she would be excited to come to Chapel Hill, adding that the staff’s willingness to consider trailers is “a positive addition.”

“We are happy to play along with whatever rules exist, but we do hope it falls in our favor that we are able to come into town and share our food,” Cascio said.

Steve Williams, who in March hopes to open Tumbleweeds Café, which would serve fare from a 21-foot, 1977 Airstream, also was encouraged that town staff is considering allowing trailers.

“We don’t have a need to come to Chapel Hill,” Williams said. “We’d like to have an option to come. … We are pleased that the planning department is thinking of recommending trailers. I look forward to seeing something in print from them.”

But, Kristen Smith, membership engagement coordinator for the Chapel Hill/ Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, fought the ordinance.

Speaking on behalf of her 1,100 chamber members, Smith said a survey of local business owners showed responses ranging from “negative to neutral” on the food truck ordinance.

“What the problem that we are trying to fix?” she asked. “If there’s a local food business problem it’s that in today’s economy many are struggling and the chamber does not think this is a solution that addresses this problem.”

Smith also said that if the town does decide to allow food trucks, the chamber wants them banned from downtown.

“Why would we bring in unfair competition for these restaurants and restaurateurs who have invested in our downtown and who we want to see succeed?”

Planning Board Chairwoman Del Snow said that she felt the original proposed ordinance was too restrictive. The board amended the text to increase the number of vendors allowed per lot, only require one zoning permit per vendor to allow vending on more than one site and, similarly, only one permit per lot to allow for more than just one vendor.

“We felt this was something that could be encouraging and add to vitality and just make eating more fun,” Snow said. ‘The original restrictions seemed to work against any sort of friendliness toward truck vendors.”

Though the Planning Board wanted to include a provision to require vendors to prove each year that they were paying Orange County sales tax, Brown said her research shows that the town is powerless to do so. She said if granted legislative authority, Chapel Hill could enact a food and beverage tax increase to guarantee that revenue stays local, but it would be applied to restaurants, as well.

Monday’s meeting was the latest in a series of steps Chapel Hill has taken toward welcoming food trucks to town dating back to last September, when 3Cups Managing Partner Lex Alexander petitioned the town council.

In that time, town staff has made two presentations to the council, held two public forums and met with vendors, the Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Partnership. The Planning Board weighed the proposal last month.

The town will next consider, perhaps make a decision even, the food trucks debate at its Nov. 21 council meeting. Town staff will offer its take on trailers and estimate how much it would cost to enforce the rules.

Durham and Carrboro have long been food truck friendly. Last month Raleigh approved rules to allow the mobile eateries, ending a yearlong debate.

http://www.indyweek.com/triangulator/archives/2011/10/18/chapel-hill-food-truckin-what-a-long-strange-trip-its-been

Chapel Hill: Council to Weigh Food Truck Rules

MobileFoodNews.com — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 01:09:53 +0000

By KATELYN FERRAL | NewsObserver.com

CHAPEL HILL – Food trucks will be up for debate when the Town Council holds a public hearing during its 7 p.m. Monday meeting in Town Hall.

The town has proposed letting food trucks operate in some lots in commercial districts, with property owners’ permission, and a permit.

The vendor and parking lot owner would also have to apply for annual permits to make sure they are following health and safety regulations.

Under the proposed ordinance, food trucks would have to be stationed at least 100 feet from the entrance of an existing restaurant and not disrupt parking during a restaurant’s business hours.

Trucks would not be allowed to offer seating, and would have to park at least 30 parking spaces away from another truck in a lot.

Some council members and Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt want to make sure tax revenue from the trucks gets back to the county and town.

Town staff have said the town could ask the General Assembly for permission to enact a law that would require tax revenue from food trucks in Chapel Hill to come back to the town.

Chapel Hill began looking into the regulations last year after Lex Alexander, owner of the 3Cups wine, tea and coffee shop on Elliott Road, asked the Town Council to allow food trucks in the town.

http://www.chapelhillnews.com/2011/10/16/67397/council-to-weigh-food-truck-rules.html