Looks like Jersey City is poised to make it nearly impossible for food truck owners to make a living there.
In the proposed ordinance, which is being voted on tonight, vendors would have to stay at least 300 feet away from any brick-and-mortar eatery.
The law would also prohibit mobile vendors from staying in one spot for more than two hours, which is the real killer in our opinion. It can take close to an hour just to set up to serve, and up to another hour to break down. That leaves maybe 10-15 minutes for serving customers. Who can survive on that?
But there’s even more…
There’s also a clause that prohibits food vendors from operating on private property, which seems like an overreach of governmental rights to us. The council had previously considered allowing private property owners to give permission to allow food vendors, a clause requested by Jason Scott, owner of The Taco Truck. This was obviously not heeded.
The measure was introduced 8-0 at the March 13 council meeting, and is set for adoption on the body’s regular meeting tonight at 6 pm at City Hall, which is at 280 Grove St.
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Restaurants should not feel threatened by food trucks, which have far less equipment, work space and storage space than brick and mortar establishments. Food trucks necessarily have smaller menus too.
If restaurants can’t compete with food trucks, maybe the restaurants need to raise their game, not use the political process to protect their position. That’s what capitalism is all about.
