Many cities have a thriving food truck culture. Don't count Sacramento among them. The California capitol's food truck regulations are draconian.
In 2008, the Sacramento City Council, under pressure from brick-and-mortar restaurants, enacted an ordinance placing tight restrictions on food trucks.
The ordinance states that food trucks may not operate after either 6 or 8 PM, depending on the month; that trucks not be stationary for longer than 30 minutes, after which they must move 400 feet, and must not be within 400 feet of each other. More than one truck cannot occupy the same piece of private property--even with the consent of the owner of the property. They also may not park where a truck has previously parked during that day and may not park within 100 feet of a lighted intersection.
And you thought Buffalo was anti-truck?
The Sacramento rules will automatically be up for review in 2013. Food truck advocates are pressing for an earlier review and held their second food truck festival of 2011 on December 3rd to build public support. It was held under an elevated freeway in downtown Sacramento.
Sacramento Mobile Food, SactoMofo, is a volunteer organization composed of food enthusiasts who believe that Sacramento needs more variety of food and energy on its streets. The group decided to show the City Council, and the public, that food trucks could serve gourmet-level, fresh-to-order food, not the unhealthy and pre-packaged, microwaved food of "roach coaches."
Food vendors specializing in a variety of areas were at the festival including mini burgers, curry, Korean food, smoothies, waffles, Thai, BBQ, gourmet hot dogs, and coffees. 23 mobile food vendors attended, including a half dozen that made the 100 mile drive from San Francisco.
Lines for several of the trucks exceeded 100 people prior to the 11 AM opening and hourlong waits were common. Menu prices range in price from $3 - $8, typical of food trucks in general.
The Sacramento Bee has the wrap-up:
The roughly 4,000 people who organizers say attended Saturday's event left no doubt that sizable demand exists for food truck cuisine, or that food truck operators are more than happy to fill that demand.
No example proved more revealing than the Saturday morning plight of the San Francisco-based Seoul on Wheels Korean BBQ food truck that was scheduled to be at SactoMoFo. It broke down outside Pinole on the way to Sacramento.
Instead of towing the truck back to its home base 22 miles away, its owners made the decision to tow the truck 70 miles to Sacramento to partake in the event.
The tow cost $856.
Organizers hope the success of SactoMoFo events, which require an event permit from the City to circumvent the 30 minute rule, will trigger serious discussion about making food trucks more common. A monthly event, which several other cities have, is possible. At the same time, pressure on the Sacramento City Council to ease up on the vendor restrictions is increasing.
Review of proposed regulations for food truck vendors in Buffalo is expected to begin soon.
Food trucks add a great layer to any city. Especially Buffalo. I went to Lloyd's Truck over the summer near the harbor. Since I just moved back to Buffalo I did not see the progress of the harbor and I was delighted to see FOOD TRUCKS while there was a BELLY DANCING event going on which was cool. Buffalo like other cities has to realize that there is a demand for these trucks and restaurants have to realize that if I was on a lunch break I PROBABLY wouldn't go to their establishment anyway because I can get a great taco for 3 bucks at Lloyd's. Trucks are spontaneous, wonderful assets to a city. When I lived in Brooklyn I rode my bike 5 miles just to get food from one! So come on Buffalo BRING ON THE FOOD TRUCKS. HEY wcperspective I have an idea for a food truck want to help me?