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
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/>.
Very interesting comments from both Bill & Matt. You raised two discussion points I had not thought of as I was writing this blog. Thank you for sharing your opinions!
I like your blog Bill, thanks! I will keep it in mind when I travel to Dallas. Great input thank you for sharing!
Another example of big government deciding who the winners and looser are. If an established restaurant is worried about losing their customers to a mobile food truck, then their food and atmosphere must not be anything to write home about.
Interesting point Matt, thank you for sharing!
Interesting post. I’ve become a fan of the food trucks here in Dallas and blog about them when I can.
http://billchance.org/category/food-2/dallas-food-trucks/
The bricks and mortar restaurant owners tend to be very powerful politically and are behind a lot of the repressive rules that make it difficult for gourmet food trucks to exist. While I sympathize with the restaurant owners (its a tough way to make a living) I think that the existence of the trucks will, in the long run, benefit them – as more people will get used to eating out.