#79 Food Truck Friendly City: Removing Barriers to Small Business
Pierogi Truck, courtesy of Zum Zum LLC
Food trucks have become an extremely popular option for diners across the world over the past 20 years. In Pittsburgh, we have seen dozens of entrepreneurs start food trucks either as an expansion of an existing brick-and-mortar restaurant or as a stand-alone business. However, our laws around mobile vending are outdated and make doing business very difficult for this group of enthusiastic chefs. I have already introduced legislation in City Council to loosen some of the restrictions and open up the doors for a new generation of entrepreneurs, but we also need an administration that is friendly to these ideals.
1. Leveling the Playing Field
Food truck operators and other mobile vendors face strict rules and regulations that go well beyond what we require of brick-and-mortar restaurants. This is simply unfair. For example, a food truck must be at least 500 feet away from a business that sells a similar product. However, that similar product could be something as simple as a can of soda. Meanwhile two restaurants that sell pizza can open right next door to each other with no interference from the city. Additionally, food trucks can only remain in one place for 30 minutes or less. But for many food trucks, especially those making gourmet food from scratch, this restriction effectively makes them inoperable on any public right of way. It takes more than 30 minutes just for word to get out that the food truck is there let alone to actually cook food for a line of hungry customers.
These outdated restrictions don’t protect customers or other businesses, they simply make life difficult for mobile vendors.
2. Encouraging Entrepreneurship
Food truck operators and other mobile vendors are successful because they are filling a niche in the market. There are customers who want access to fast, affordable food but don’t want to eat at your typical fast food restaurant and don’t want to sit down for a meal at a brick-and-mortar restaurant. By keeping in place our outdated restrictions, we are stifling this entrepreneurial spirit and depriving customers of options they want.
We should loosen the restrictions placed on mobile vendors and put Pittsburgh on the map for high-quality, affordable, mobile food.
Preach on Bill!
But the Pitt Stop on Forbes Ave in Oakland can park their trucks at the meters 24 hours a day for years.
Pgh Taco Truck! Pgh Taco Truck!
Make Pittsburgh Food Truck Friendly already!!
where is the food truck that moves after 30 minutes? is there actually a problem for these food trucks? as for the “brick & mortar” stores: they have to pay rent, taxes, utilities, etc. and stay open day in and day out – rain or shine, etc. Does it seem fair that a truck can drive up when it seems business is good, leave when it isn’t, and operate at a lower cost but be permitted to park itself near the business with its fixed expenses? I don’t call that a level playing field.
I love food trucks. As long as they meet public health standards, I’m all for them.
Dear Ann:
Food trucks employ people, buy supplies and gas, pay taxes out the wazoo and stimulate the economy in many ways.
It has *never* been the government’s role to “level the playing field” in any industry, except maybe to impose tariffs on imports (and how well did that work in the auto industry?)
Every top chef in this city is in favor of food trucks.
And 4 out of 5 successful food truck businesses in the US grow into “brick and mortar” restaurants, employing EVEN MORE people.
“Fair” and “Level Playing Field” are not part of market economics. In no way shape or form is it the government’s role to regulate competition among food vendors. Look at the Strip District on a Saturday. Perhaps you can see first hand how competition brings throngs of people and stimulates the economy.
Your arguments are ALL flawed and hold no water. Or salsa.
Cheers,
James
PGHTacoTruck
One of my fondest memories of the time I lived in Philadelphia were the plethora of food trucks with great food in many locations. Pittsburgh needs to encourage this type of business and furthermore even promote ‘night-market’ like gatherings to extend more nightlife options outside of nightclubs/bars!
I attended a food truck round up in Lawrenceville over the past summer that featured four different trucks including Franktuary (who have a brick and mortar store in two locations in the city). I met a ton of my neighbors and thought the event really brought the neighborhood together in a different and fun way. The current restrictions seem senseless to me and I hope legislation goes through to ease up on small businesses taking advantage of this inventive trend of fun tasty cuisine on wheels. These are not the college food trucks of yesteryear friends :)
I’m all for food trucks! I just moved to Pgh from Miami where the food trucks are prevelant and people love them. They have a website where you can follow all the food trucks in live time to see where they are. They held events regularly. I attended one that had over 100 trucks, in one location and every single one of them had a line. I can understand why a brick owner wouldn’t want a food truck to rollup right in front of their building, but most food truck owners I know wouldn’t do that anyhow. They’re business blooms when the community is behind them. As for the brick owners, if you have an amazing product I’ll drive to come get every time and I’ll always know where you’ll be, so what’s with the insecurities? There’s tons of other restaurants out there to compete with, a food truck is just one more. Don’t forgot that having a food truck near you draws in a crowd. Why not host them in your lot, offer some great specials and happy hour yourself and everyone wins!