The Municipal Planning Board was poised to pass new amendments to city code concerning the operations of mobile food vendors this morning, but after hearing from a number of concerned local operators, they decided to defer the vote until next month to allow time for more research.
The City of Orlando launched a mobile food truck pilot program in 2013, which has been left primarily untouched ever since. Now, 11 years later, city staff is proposing amendments to the Land Development Code to officially codify Mobile Vending and Services regulations that have been tentatively in place as part of the program, with more concrete restrictions for food truck and food cart operators.
When the program first launched, it determined that mobile food vending should be allowed where Intensive Retailing uses were already permitted, and it made no real distinctions between one-off events and permanent food truck locations. At the time, the program helped the City of Orlando rank as the third friendliest city for food trucks in the nation.
Proposed updates to city code would have included new classifications and requirements for mobile operators, including what is a “temporary” vendor and what is “permanent,” and we’ve included a chart from the City of Orlando that helps to break down the new requirements based on their location and frequency of operations.
Of particular note, under the proposed changes, mobile vending events that include multiple food trucks would require a Master Plan review of the property or a Conditional Use Permit to be approved – something that requires a check for city staff just for a meeting to discuss the event, and another fee for the actual permit.
Food truck operators including representatives from Cholo Dogs, Red Panda Noodle, Kappy’s, and The Tea Social, all spoke up at this morning’s board meeting as well as members of Orlando Parking Lot Party, Milk Mart, and Orange Boy Events.
“We were mostly concerned with the vague language of the code updates. But we were also upset that nobody had consulted with any food truck owners or event operators ahead of this proposal. Some of the board members voting on the updates weren’t even aware that food trucks need to have a brick-and-mortar commissary to prepare their food in before it even makes its way onto a truck. We also are inspected by Health and Safety officials more often than physical restaurants. The City’s requirement for a Business Tax Receipt needs some help too, because operators who live outside of the City of Orlando are currently unable to register on the City’s portal because it doesn’t recognize addresses from outside city limits.”
– JORDAN EICHENBLATT, CHOLO DOGS AND ORLANDO PARKING LOT PARTY
Eichenblatt, co-owner and operator of the popular Mexican hot dog cart, Cholo Dogs, and food truck meetup, Orlando Parking Lot Party, shared that after the board voted to defer the vote until April, the board members met with each of the operators in attendance and that everyone left the room feeling optimistic that any issues with the code update would be resolved.
The next MPB meeting is scheduled for April 16 at 8:30 a.m. in City Council chambers. Once approved, it would need to go before City Council for two consecutive readings before being officially adopted into city code.
