For more than 35 years, the city of Los Angeles has had a flourishing food truck industry. The “nouveau” food truck trend is new, but the industry itself is not. Los Angeles County has more than 3,500 licensed food trucks, a little more than 100 of which are considered nouveau or gourmet. But those relative few trucks are the subject of a big backlash from City Hall.
City Councilman Tom LaBonge introduced two motions June 11. In his op-ed in the Business Journal (“Giving Food Trucks a Seat at the Table,” July 19), LaBonge wrote that the first motion sought to “study and report back about the ways that other cities have effectively managed food trucks, particularly in commercial areas.” But LaBonge failed to include the portion we find most objectionable. Namely, the part that asks the agencies tasked with investigating food trucks to “study and make recommendations to restrict catering trucks from parking in parking meters in commercially zoned areas.”
LaBonge’s motion puts the cart before the horse by asking for restrictions before the results of his “inquiry” have indicated that any restrictions are necessary.
The second motion asks for an investigation into the “creation of specially designated parking zones for catering trucks.” On the surface, this looks like a motion that will help alleviate some of the parking issues associated with the food truck industry. However, if the city decides that trucks can only park in these zones, and the number of zones is limited, then the city will effectively regulate many trucks out of business.
The real issue?
LaBonge claims that parking is one of his primary concerns. In his opinion piece, he wrote that “meters are intended to stimulate parking turnover in high-volume business areas,” and the arrival of food trucks is limiting parking and hurting businesses. However, the recent conduct of some employees in and around the Museum Square Building, which houses four restaurants, suggests that parking may not be the real issue. Competition for their customers is the real issue.
Three weeks ago, several employees started using their cars to block all the parking on the 5700 block of Wilshire Boulevard, taking tickets for staying parked all day. Incidentally, this is the same conduct for which LaBonge has criticized the food trucks. Food truck attendance has gone down considerably, and trucks have been forced to park two blocks down from their customers. This has frustrated the workers of the area so much that some have threatened to boycott the Wilshire restaurants if it continues.
A familiar refrain used by opponents of the food truck industry is that food trucks do not compete on a level playing field because “a truck has no overhead.” This is simply untrue. Truck rentals can be more than $4,000 a month with commissary fees. Operators are required to have a business license for every municipality in which they do business. Most trucks have at least three. They pay for gasoline, insurance, employees and taxes. Many trucks also rent commercial kitchens for preparing food. Even if their overhead is slightly lower, they aren’t able to charge as much for their product because they don’t provide the same services.
The first LaBonge motion contends that “these businesses sometimes operate without city permits.” This comment ignores the vast regulatory framework that these trucks must comply with. All of the nouveau food trucks are permitted or licensed in multiple jurisdictions, and must abide by all County Public Health Codes as well as the California Vehicle Code and Los Angeles Municipal Code (80.73) when operating in Los Angeles. They are subject to inspections by the Health Department on the street, in their commissary (the place they are legally required to park) and at the Health Department when called in. The county Housing and Community Development Agency must approve all trucks before they are considered streetworthy to ensure the size of a truck is not a danger to the community at large.
Food trucks are an attractive lunch option because of speed and affordability. But their popularity is really due to the culture they have created. Food trucks have partnered with many small businesses to generate interest in an area or a cause. They have raised money for Haiti, public schools and leukemia research.
They provide employment for the hundreds of small business owners who run them, and their employees. They provide public spaces wherever they stop by drawing crowds of hungry patrons. People talk to each other in line and compare meals. In a city that has very little organic public interaction, it’s nice to see something that brings people together.
Since the motions were introduced June 11, food truck operators have received an outpouring of support from customers. The customers have e-mailed and called council members LaBonge and Paul Koretz, asking that the councilmen not limit the customers’ food options. Hopefully, the city will listen to the tens of thousands of Angelenos who count themselves food truck fans, and the resourceful small business owners whose livelihood depends on the mobile food-vending industry.
Matthew Geller is chief executive of the SoCal Mobile Food Vendors Association.
