Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Let a Hundred Food Trucks Blossom, a Hundred Schools of Cuisine Contend

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by

James A. Bacon
in

A Bite of Maine, rated a Top 3 food truck of Virginia Beach.

Food trucks are an increasingly vital part of the urban scene across the United States, yet many suffer from excessive local regulation. In Virginia Beach, food trucks are prohibited from operating on public or even private property unless there is a permitted event.

But Virginia Beach City Council is considering an ordinance that would allow food truck operators to set up in certain areas like side streets and corporate business parks, according to WVEC TV. The ordinance still would restrict trucks from operating on Pacific and Atlantic Avenues in the beach-front resort district, but it would represent a significant step forward.

Bro’s Fish Tacos, another Top 3 food truck pick.

Food trucks add vibrancy to the local food scene. They allow culinary entrepreneurs an inexpensive way to test new food concepts. Take the “A Bite of Maine” food truck rated as a Top 3 food truck in Virginia Beach by ThreeBestRated.com. The truck serves delicacies ranging from Lobster Seafood Bisque to Maine Whoopie Pies — not exactly common menu fare in Virginia Beach. Bro’s Fish Tacos menu items include Good Cod Almighty and Baja Black Sheep Tacos. Seoul 757 Tacos dishes out such hybridized fare as Bibimpap Burritos and Spicy Pork Tacos. The most successful food trucks graduate to full restaurant status. And who knows, some could go on to become full-fledged business franchises.

Seoul 757 Tacos, another Top 3 food truck pick.

Another cool feature of food trucks is their mobility. Food truck operators can change venues with great ease, adding vibrancy to all manner of community events and gatherings. While the Virginia Beach ordinance allows food trucks to participate in such events, its limits the ability of owners to earn a living by restricting their ability to sell their wares when there aren’t such events, which is most of the time.

Food trucks are a great American invention. There is a moral case for allowing entrepreneurs the freedom to take risks, innovate, and follow their passions. There is an economic case for promoting food-service competition. And there is a quality-of-life case for encouraging culinary creativity and expanding eatery options for the public. Hopefully, Virginia Beach will vote for creativity, innovation and vibrancy.

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7 responses to “Let a Hundred Food Trucks Blossom, a Hundred Schools of Cuisine Contend”

  1. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    I actually LIKE Food Trucks .. even in my own county – we have a special day for them:

    https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/25e46658-152e-4990-86e8-90ab7657db7b/downloads/1d1u9n2r0_509533.jpg

    But most bricks/mortar restaurants pay dearly in property taxes and rent for their sites and it’s only fair that mobile food folks also pay their share.

  2. TooManyTaxes Avatar
    TooManyTaxes

    I have the impression that many traditional brick and mortar restaurants are not opposed to food trucks because they stimulate the entire eating out market. The office complex where I work has a couple of eat-in and carry-out restaurants and weekly visits (Wednesday) from different food trucks. I’ve not heard any objection from the B&M entities.

  3. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    I’m not at all sure how food trucks are taxed. They are, in effect, small businesses on wheels and I’m sure they pay taxes on the vehicles and on their net profit as income and they now get a 20% deduction under the new tax law. But the rest of their stuff… their “equipment” I’m not sure.

    regular restaurants may or may not find them a threat but I’m pretty sure a fast food place would…. McDonalds, Subway, etc..

    If a food truck intercepts food business that ordinarily would attract workers to their B&M site .. they’re not going to like that.

    Food trucks are benefiting from taxpayer-provided infrastructure. We have a farmers market every Saturday and it’s located in a commuter lot
    next to some B&M fast food places… and the’re not happy and are asking for the rules for the Farmers Market to be looked at again. It’s one thing for a farmer to show up to sell their produce – it’s quite another for someone to sell burgers and shakes out of a truck essentially a few hundred feet away from a B&M fast food that pays local business taxes out the wazoo for their business.

  4. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    I think in Richmond food truck owners have to buy some sort of license (peddlers?). I would think they are also subject to the meals tax levied by the city. In downtown Richmond, the city has also limited the number of trucks somehow–the same ones are at the same place every day. Their presence does not seem to have harmed the B&M eateries; they are usually crowded at lunch time. By the way, I highly recommend the Caribbean food truck at the corner of 11th and Marshall, near VCU. It is owned by a man named Moses, who is one of the fixtures there. His jerked chicken platter is wonderful! (He leaves for Tobago around the middle of December and shows up back in Richmond around mid-March.)

  5. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    Food Trucks really WELL illustrate the interplay between businesses, regulation/taxes and competition.

    A regulation that applies equally to all businesses – keeps the playing field level and allows competition to sharpen price and quality.

    but disparate regulation/taxing disadvantages some businesses against their competition.

    And contrary to conservative orthodoxy, regulation does not kill jobs – it creates them – arguably ones that “hurt” production and increase food cost but reduce sickness and disease costs but it takes manpower to perform the work that regulation requires. Can’t do it without people
    hired to do it!

    One could argue that had customers had a “choice” they might spend their money on something else – that would “create” a job.. like lottery or porn or a day a Kings Dominion – but not someone doing food safety chores at a food establishment.

    Which is, apropos to this discussion about food trucks. Virginia has a fairly comprehensive and rigorous inspection program.

    Virginia Health Regulations mandates everything from special heating/cooling equipment to keep things hot or cold to where and how food is stored – i.e. do not store raw meat above shelves with ready-to-eat stuff.. etc.. – yes you do have to have regulations that require that – they find violations of it all the time.

    But here in BR, we have continuing narratives about “questionable” licensing and regulation and how that increases costs and creates entry barriers to competition and all that idea … and it typically focuses on some borderline things like cutting hair but not so much about food and eating establishments which if there was ever a government regulation issue worthy of discussion – this has to be one.

    I don’t know if most folks just take for granted that someone like VDH is continuously monitoring/inspecting food establishments or if they think it’s not really needed – and that customers should decide based on internet “reviews” !

    We hear Conservatives making prima facie cases against regulation and onerous government rule pretty much all the time… it’s like a mission!

    But I’ve never really heard a Conservative view of the necessity of regulating food establishments including trucks… perhaps Jim B
    can whip up a commentary!

    1. TooManyTaxes Avatar
      TooManyTaxes

      Larry – food trucks are licensed and regulated.

      https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/planning-zoning/zoning/food-trucks

  6. James A. Bacon Avatar
    James A. Bacon

    “But I’ve never really heard a Conservative view of the necessity of regulating food establishments including trucks… perhaps Jim B
    can whip up a commentary!”

    I see no need to whip up a commentary because there is no controversy here. Conservatives support government inspections of food trucks and restaurants for the purpose of protecting the public health. Protecting public safety and health is a legitimate function of government.

    What’s not a legitimate function of government is telling food trucks where and when they can operate — unless it is to regulate a public nuisance.

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