Raleigh food trucks may get more freedom

Imagine finding Mac-UR-Roni on Martin Street, ordering a kabob near the state Capitol or a dumpling by Dorothea Dix.

City rules limit food trucks to operating on private property in certain parts of town. But the mobile businesses may soon get a chance to serve customers on public streets.

Raleigh’s Law and Public Safety Committee on Tuesday instructed city staff to meet with stakeholders – local restaurant owners, food truck owners, the Downtown Raleigh Alliance and Shop Local Raleigh – and draft a trial program that would allow food trucks to park and serve food on some public streets.

City staff is expected to present several options for launching a pilot program at the committee’s Nov. 10 meeting, so the City Council can consider the committee’s recommendation at its meeting on Nov. 17.

The committee’s decision to explore more freedoms for food trucks comes after more than 1,600 people petitioned the city last month to loosen regulations.

“We can’t just stagnate. We have to accommodate trends,” said Councilwoman Mary-Ann Baldwin, who chairs the committee.

Food trucks are a growing business in urban areas across the country, and Raleigh’s fleet has grown tremendously since the city began allowing them to operate in 2011. The city has helped to boost the popularity of food trucks by holding food truck rodeos several times a year.

The rule prohibiting food trucks from parking and serving on public streets is meant to protect local restaurants. But the city should test to see whether food trucks can park on public streets without affecting restaurant profits, committee members said.

“It’s both a service and an amenity for a growing downtown and is something that we should consider incorporating appropriately,” Councilman Wayne Maiorano said.

Cities such as Atlanta, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., already allow food trucks to park on public streets in certain areas, said Art Sheppard, CEO of the recently-formed RDU Mobile Food Association.

“This is one of the first things we want to tackle,” Sheppard said.

The committee doesn’t have specific ideas for the program. It doesn’t know how many trucks will participate, where the city might allow street-side food truck service or how any other rule might govern the program. Sheppard suggested the city allow the trucks in dense downtown areas that lack restaurants, such as the Jones Street corridor.

“There are lots of government buildings and few places to eat,” he said. The eastern side of Moore Square would be suitable too, he said.

Generation Opportunity, an organization that lobbies on behalf of young adult interest, was integral in gathering support for the petition. Alex Johnson, director of the organization’s local chapter, praised the committee’s move.

“Right-of-way vending will not only provide consumers with a variety of food options, but it will also create jobs and help young entrepreneurs grow their businesses,” he said.

This story was originally published October 13, 2015 at 7:15 PM with the headline "Raleigh food trucks may get more freedom."