As reported by Restaurant Hospitality in the article “Cities to Show Food Trucks More Love,” the National League of Cities recently published a report entitled “Food on Wheels: Mobile Vending Goes Mainstream.” The 32-page report is “designed to show municipal officials how they can incorporate food trucks into their city’s business community”.
Sustaining a food truck economy is tricky business for municipalities both large and small. Permitting, proximity to “brick and mortar” restaurants, health regulations and public safety are all factors that the study focuses on. There are many things that contribute to a city’s ability to maintain, or even establish, a food truck presence. Larger, more tightly packed cities may have more options as to where food trucks would be able to have a successful and profitable presence. On the other hand, smaller cities may have less permitting barriers, parking laws, and public safety concerns than a large, densely packed environment.
The 2012 Food Policy and Program Survey for Local Governments, conducted by ICMA and the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems, reported that only 45% of responding municipalities have ordinances governing where mobile food vendors can operate. There is much that can be done to streamline permitting processes for mobile food vendors and therefore make them more accessible and easier to govern within communities. As mobile vending seems to be an up-and-coming “trend” that is, in reality, historically successful and here to stay, it is important for municipalities to examine the opportunities and outlets their individual environments present for these businesses as they go mainstream. The National League of Cities report seems like a great place to start.
Resources:
- National League of Cities Report, “Food on Wheels: Mobile Vending Goes Mainstream”
- 2012 Food Policy and Program Survey for Local Governments – MSU CRFS and ICMA
- Restaurant Hospitality Article: Cities to Show Food Trucks More Love
- Local Government Support for Food Systems – Themes and Opportunities from National Data
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