All of this has provided much fodder for the public debate on whether food trucks should be allowed to operate, and if so, how they should be regulated. Feeling the impact of competition, many restaurant associations are also weighing in to ensure this new industry is subject to the same health and safety regulations as other food service providers. Municipalities are being forced to revisit these regulations as issues arise over competitiveness, parking, sanitation, property and sales taxes, and proximity to brick and mortar businesses.
For many cities, existing regulations applied to mobile food vendors were originally narrowly defined for ice cream and hot dog vendors. Offering an alternative for both business owners and consumers leading increasingly on-the-go lifestyles, food truck vendors benefit from their ability to more easily reach new customers bases while customers benefit from increased variety.Īs food trucks have grown in popularity, many city officials wrestle with how to update regulations to mitigate any negative externalities.
The recession’s halting effect on the economy, however, changed the landscape of mobile food vendors as construction stalled and many entrepreneurs began to rethink the mobile food industry.įirst garnering national attention in large urban centers like Los Angeles and New York City, food trucks have since spread to cities large and small. Prior to 2008, mobile food vendors could most commonly be found scattered around construction sites and a select number of street corners. This case study presents a review of the current state of the mobile food vending industry, the challenges facing cities in regulating this industry, and examples of how four cities – Austin, Washington D.C., Boston, and Portland - have attempted to balance entrepreneurship with the preservation of public health and safety as they implement regulatory reforms. According to a 2012 forecast by Intuit Inc., the food truck industry is projected to account for approximately $2.7 billion in food revenue by 2017, making it a substantial player in the food service industry. Whatever the cause, it is clear that food truck vendors aren’t planning on going away any time soon.Ĭities across the country are recognizing that existing regulations do not adequately address the challenges of operating food trucks. Some cite the recession’s impact on brick and mortar establishments while others point to the use of social media which enable vendors to reach followers in real-time. A number of hypotheses exist for the dramatic rise of food truck vendors.
Since the late 2000s, however, food truck popularity has exploded capturing the attention of not only consumers and entrepreneurs but also regulators and city officials. Mobile food vending dates back to as early as 1866 with the creation of the “chuckwagon” to feed roaming cattlemen in Texas.
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