Driving Food Trucks Off The Street

Today's NYT Sunday Review offers up a piece on how some cities are reacting to food trucks. More Government Regulations. Banning them from streets. Prohibiting them from parking in metered spots.

From the article this is my favorite quote: “It’s ignorant of people in the community to think that buying from food trucks instead of from local restaurants doesn’t hurt the community,” said Melissa Murphy , who runs two Sweet Melissa Patisseries in Brooklyn.

Yeah, your immediate community in particular. Honey, those ARE local restaurants, that happen to be on wheels.

This is cool I think, especially the Hotel Truck. "Taco Bell and Jack in the Box have them. Tasti D-Lite plans to roll out almost a dozen by next year. Even the Hilton hotel chain is in on the game, promoting its DoubleTree brand by sending a truck filled with free cookies around the country this summer."

To read it all go here: http://ow.ly/5GC08

Richard

Interesting article. I understand why there needs to be some regulations regarding them and some of the ones mentioned in the article sound reasonable, other ones not so reasonable. I'm not sure how it could be done but I really don't believe that chain restaurants such as those mentioned in the article should be able to also run trucks! My thoughts are that trucks are for an entrepreneur to get started in business, not for a large business to expand. That's what we have seen so far here in Louisville and I hope that trend continues.

I really don't believe that chain restaurants such as those mentioned in the article should be able to also run trucks!

What is good for the goose, is good for the gander.

Free enterprise = good.

Independents are likely more creative and nimble in responding to changing customer wants.

It's all good.

I'm not sure how it could be done but I really don't believe that chain restaurants such as those mentioned in the article should be able to also run trucks!

I don't really think that would be possible...unless there was a rule along the lines of, "Icky chain restaurants need not apply."

I'm not sure how it could be done but I really don't believe that chain restaurants such as those mentioned in the article should be able to also run trucks!

I don't really think that would be possible...unless there was a rule along the lines of, "Icky chain restaurants need not apply."

As I said I don't think it could be done but I really think food trucks should be for restaurants just starting up and each should be unique, not a part of a chain. The only possible way you could provide some regulation towards this would be to prohibit any brick and mortar restaurant from also having a truck. Of course I'm not sure how legal that would be.

Who cares who runs the trucks? It's a free market. Let people vote with their wallet whether they want chain food or the better, independent stuff.

STILL trying to get our truck on the street. Why shouldn't big chains have food trucks? Makers mark has their own restaurant..........

STILL trying to get our truck on the street. Why shouldn't big chains have food trucks? Makers mark has their own restaurant..........

Actually Maker's Mark doesn't have their own restaurant. They just license the name to a company that uses it to market their restaurant. Maker's Mark has no input into the operation of the restaurant.

As far as the food trucks go I feel that's a market that is best filled by niche entrepreneural restaurants for many reasons. I think it's probably a popular viewpoint but is actually no reasonable (or legal) way to do that.