While the food truck owners are entrepreneurial, so too are the approximately 91% of our members who are locally owned, provide a large portion of the 48,000 foodservice jobs in the city, and contribute significantly to the city coffers in sales and business taxes. 

Of particular interest is the designation of vending locations and their potential proximity to restaurant storefronts and/or sidewalk cafes. RAMW’s concern is that food trucks unreasonably interfere with and disturb the patrons and operations of retail restaurant businesses. To directly place a food truck in front of an establishment or have it blocking a sidewalk café is extremely detrimental to the viability, visibility, and accessibility of these businesses.

Pierre Abushacra, President & Founder, Firehook Bakery states,” we would like to have food trucks operate under fair and transparent laws and regulations. Currently the trucks create a negative impact on our business as they create a very chaotic environment on the sidewalk—playing amplified music, posting A-frame signage and creating lines-- in front of stores during peak times of the day.”

“We fully believe in competition as long as there is a level playing field.  I hope the city is able to find a way in which to regulate the food trucks to please all the parties involved,” added Gavin Coleman, General Manager of The Dubliner.

“Mobile Food Truck Vending laws and regulations, including tax assessments, are ripe for updating from the ice cream truck model to the social media driven, culinary experience model.  Issues related to mobile vending such as food, fire, and traffic safety, as well as tax parity and effects on orderly pedestrian traffic, have to be properly considered,” commented Lynne Breaux, RAMW President.

Other urban areas are also dealing with the proliferation of mobile food vending with San Francisco most recently passing reasonable and comprehensive legislation.