Food Truck Frenzy

Food trucks are mobile kitchens that can cater any kind of meal.  With a simple message via social network sites, food trucks can steal the spotlight from surrounding stationary restaurants.  Within minutes consumers can have instant access to food trucks location changes and menu updates.  The growing phenomenon of instant gratification through social network updates is helping contribute to the rise in food truck demand and popularity.

Food Truck Frenzy

 

Food trucks can also offer more than just fast food.  Some chefs will cater personal parties such as holiday gatherings or weddings.  With food trucks anything goes and the opportunities seem endless.  Michael Santacroce, a long time veteran of the restaurant industry, says, “There’s a sense of free spirit involved that’s really exciting, you get to go wherever you want and make whatever kind of food you want.”¹
But how is this affecting the rest of the food service industry?  Some local governments have begun enforcing restrictions on mobile food structures.  These mobile kitchens are changing the traditional restaurant business model that put so much emphasis on location. Now a restaurateur, whose brick and mortar is 30 minutes away, can set up a temporary kitchen almost anywhere, which might be unwanted competition on some corners. Piggy’s BBQ restaurant owner Brian Rowe in Tallahassee, FL has both a storefront and a truck.  He says, “Restaurant owners downtown think all that business should be theirs especially now during Legislative Session.  That just isn’t the case anymore.  It is all about capitalism.  I don’t see Food Trucks as having an unfair advantage because they are just smaller versions of restaurants.  They still have the same overall cost categories just everything is at a smaller scale.  As long as they are licensed and inspected, the public shouldn’t have any concerns.”

 

Now local governments are stepping in.  St. Cloud, in Osceola County, adopted a moratorium on opening new temporary or mobile structures, which is in effect until 12/31/11. Currently there is minimal regulation related to the use of food trucks and the moratorium is giving staff time to draft an ordinance.²  The Tallahassee City Commission also recently adopted permitting procedures for mobile food vendors in certain locations and plans to review the policy again in March 2012 to determine if additional amendments are needed.³

 

The following are examples from the OrdinanceWatch™ archive. Sign up for pending local government action email advisories at www.OrdinanceWatch.com.

• St. Cloud, FL Adopts Ordinance Regarding a Moratorium on the Sale of Food, Services or Merchandise from Temporary or Mobile Structures
• Tallahassee, FL Adopts Amendments affecting Mobile Food Vendors
• St. Petersburg, FL to consider request to amend the Roadside Vending Ordinance to address Food Truck Regulations

<sup>1. Linn, John. “Meals on Wheels: The Food Truck Phenomenon Sweeps South Florida.” Broward/Palm Beach News, Events, Restaurants, Music. 25 Nov. 2010. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. <http://browardpalmbeach.com>.

2. “St. Cloud City Council.” City of St. Cloud, Florida – Official Website. 8 Feb. 2011. Web. 9 Feb. 2011. <http://www.stcloud.org/>.

3. “Tallahassee City Commission.” Talgov.com – The Official Website of the City of Tallahassee. 26 Mar. 2011. Web. 28 Mar. 2011. <http://www.talgov.com/>.</sup>

Ramping Up Those Tourism Dollars

Ramping Up Those Tourism Dollars

The development of Florida’s coastline is a topic that generates a great deal of interest from all sides of the issue. Many will argue that Florida’s economic foundation is the tourism industry and it is important to make sure there are sufficient infrastructure and amenities in place to continue to draw those tourism dollars to the sunshine state.

Others will argue that constant growth destroys the very thing that tourists come to admire, Florida’s natural beauty.

Recently, Taylor County seems to have come up with a solution that both preserves the the natural wonder of its coastline but also ensures that it capitalizes on that resource.

Its Solution? Boat Ramps.

Through a grant from the National Sea Grant College Program and a partnership with the University of Florida, the County Commission discovered some very interesting information about the economic impact of its boat ramps. These results are something that every coastal county should consider when trying to diversify and increase tourism revenue.

The County was considering an ordinance that would, among other things, establish guidelines for boat ramp operations and fees for use. That ordinance was eventually adopted in July, 2011. Many residents were concerned about the state of ramp access in the community and were also concerned about what the expansion and improvement of boat ramps along the coast would mean in terms of increased traffic and congestion. The Sea Grant report summed up why improvements and expansion would work.

The following are significant findings from the report:

• The average total in-county trip expenditure of visiting boaters who were day trippers is estimated at $138.89 per trip. The average total in-county trip expenditure of visiting boaters who stayed overnight is estimated at $377.52 per trip. When multiplied by the number of estimated boating trips for visitor groups, this translates to $1.73 million for day-trip visitors and $4.39 million for overnight visitors, annually.2
• Total impacts for all users, including regional multiplier effects, were 158 full-time and part-time jobs, $4.11 million in labor income (earnings), $6.44 million in value added, and $10.07 million in output or revenues, with these values expressed in 2011 dollars.3
• Total economic impacts were highest for overnight visitors, with employment impacts of 103 jobs, labor income impacts of $2.66 million, value added impacts of $4.16 million, and output impacts of $6.62 million. Total economic impacts for daytrip visitors were 39 jobs, $1.09 million in labor income, $1.70 million in value added, and $2.58 million in output. Direct economic impacts for county residents were 16 jobs, $366,254 in labor income, $575,710 in value added, and $865,527 in output.4

With about 30% of the visiting boaters staying for two to three days, there is an opportunity to provide increased lodging and other amenities to induce the travelers to stay longer. With planning that takes into consideration that the draw to this region is the natural beauty and nautical resources, a balance could surely be achieved that would continue to grow the tourism economy.

Applying this approach to the hundreds of miles of undeveloped coastline around the state of Florida would help struggling local economies by generating tourism dollars and employing Floridians.

^{1. Taylor County, FL Adopts Boat Ramp Ordinance}

2. Planning for Waterway Access in Taylor County, Florida: Residence and Users Speak, 2011. pg. 19

3. Planning for Waterway Access in Taylor County, Florida: Residence and Users Speak, 2011. pg. 19

4. Planning for Waterway Access in Taylor County, Florida: Residence and Users Speak, 2011. pg. 20

What is an Internet Café Anyway?

What is an Internet Cafe Anyway?

Regulation of Internet Cafés in Florida is a topic that is getting more and more attention.  There is a lot of debate about whether these businesses are unregulated gambling houses.   Many local governments are considering ordinances and moratoria to combat gambling growth.  But is this the best way to address the confusion?  Can the business community play a productive role in helping to define how this industry should be structured and regulated?   From Internet Cafés and Adult Arcades to Slot Machines and Sweepstakes Centers, adult game establishments in Florida are prevalent.  If you had a say, what would statewide legislation look like for oversight of these entities?

North Palm Beach is currently considering adoption of an ordinance regarding a moratorium on Adult Arcades.  The Village Council feels that “businesses have taken advantage of a gray area in the law which raises doubt as to whether the activity can be criminally prosecuted as illegal gambling.”¹  The final public hearing for North Palm Beach is scheduled for 8/25/11.  In Central Florida, the Leesburg City Commission just adopted a resolution to enact a moratorium on the development of Internet Sweepstakes Cafes for 180 days (the moratorium is due to expire November 2011).  This moratorium will give the Commission time to address the need for protection of their citizens.²  Manatee County was also considering adoption of an ordinance with similar gambling regulations, focusing more on Bingo establishments.³

Along with local governments, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam would like some clarification. In a recent blog post he said, “There is an ambiguity in the law itself, which is leading to uneven enforcement. And that’s unhealthy regardless of who the impacted parties are”.4  Have you been to any internet cafes in Florida?  Do you notice an abundance of them in your area?  Do you think discussion of this subject is a waste of time and energy?  Please share your thoughts and comments.

Listed below are Internet Café issue examples tracked by OrdinanceWatch™. Visit our website at www.OrdinanceWatch.com where you can sign up for advance notice of pending local government action and have access to our searchable archive.

• North Palm Beach, FL to Consider Ordinance regarding a proposed Moratorium on Adult Arcades

• Leon County, FL Adopts Ordinance Regarding Internet Cafe Regulations

• Manatee County, FL to Hold Discussion of possible Gambling Regulations

• Leesburg, FL Adopts Moratorium on Internet Sweepstakes Cafe Development

• Casselberry, FL Adopts Internet Cafe Moratorium

<sup>1. “North Palm Beach Village Council.” Village of North Palm Beach, FL . Web. 17 Aug. 2011. <http://www.village-npb.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC>.
2. “City Commission Meetings : City of Leesburg, Florida.” City of Leesburg, Florida : The Lakefront City : Welcome! 5 May 2011. Web. 27 May 2011. <http://www.leesburgflorida.gov/government/commission_meetings.aspx>.
3. “Agenda Documents.” Home. 25 Apr. 2011. Web. 27 May 2011. <http://www.mymanatee.org/home/government/board-of-commissioners/agendas.html>.
4. “Ag Commissioner Adam Putnam Wants Legislature to Clarify Legality of Internet Cafes.” Web log post. St. Petersburg Times – Buzz Blog. 18 May 2011. Web. 25 May 2011.</sup>

Dog Friendly Dining, a Do or a Don’t?

Dog Friendly Dining, a Do or a Don't?

Does it make you feel uncomfortable when you are eating at a restaurant and someone with a dog sits next to you? What if it’s not a service dog, just a family pet? Do you support regulations to allow furry friends at restaurants? Many local governments have recently adopted ordinances to allow dogs and other pets in more public areas.

Florida State law prohibits dogs in restaurants unless a City or County adopts an ordinance to allow such powers.¹ Local governments are required to establish a permit to exempt dog friendly restaurants from Chapter 509 of the Florida Statutes, which regulates inspection of public food service establishments for the purpose of safeguarding the public health, safety, and welfare.² Palm Beach Gardens and Jacksonville Beach recently adopted ordinances focusing on “dog friendly dining” and the process for obtaining a permit. Miami-Dade County, FL adopted an ordinance to amend the county code for regulation of dogs in public areas, adding that “a dog may be unrestrained and shall not be deemed to be at large if it is supervised by a competent person”.³

What are your thoughts on sharing your dining space with dogs or other pets? Would you like to see an ordinance adopted to allow this in your town? Or do you have pet allergies, or a fear of dogs, or concerns with dog hair, dog waste and smell? Please comment and share your thoughts. OrdinanceWatch™ tracks pending local government initiatives providing email alerts for issues of interest to you. Access to our searchable archive is also available. Sign up for a 30 day trial at www.ordinancewatch.com.

• Miami-Dade County, FL Adopts Ordinance Regarding Regulations for Dogs in Public Areas
• Palm Beach Gardens, FL Adopts Ordinance Affecting Dog-Friendly Dining
• Jacksonville Beach, FL Adopts Ordinance Affecting Dogs in Public Food Service Establishments and the Annual Permit Fee
• Winter Park, FL Tables consideration of creating an Ordinance to allow Dogs in Restaurants

^{1) Jacksonville Beach, FL – Official Website. 30 July 2010. Web. 30 July 2010. <http://www.jacksonvillebeach.org/>.
2) City of Palm Beach Gardens – Home. 18 Aug. 2010. Web. 18 Aug. 2010. <http://www.pbgfl.com/>.
3) 20 Jan. 2010. Web. 20 Jan. 2010. <http://miamidade.gov/>.}