Newton aldermen and the city’s health department have been discussing allowing food trucks in Newton.
Some argue that with food trucks already allowed in Boston, Brookline and (in a limited way but soon perhaps in an expanded way) in Needham, permitting food trucks in Newton is inevitable.
But a story in Sunday’s Boston Globe reported substantial health concerns regarding these truck in Boston…
… 41 percent of these trucks have been cited for food safety violations that put their customers at risk of food poisoning, according to a Globe review of all inspection records since the vast majority of the trucks arrived in the city two years ago.
…The rate of permit suspensions was much higher for the food trucks than for the city’s 4,000-plus sit-down restaurants and fast-food chains, which had 87 suspensions during the same period.
I was just listening to Eagan & Braude discussing this issue, and losing my appetite. But I happily ate at Austin, TX food trucks last year without giving a thought to whether employees were washing their hands, so I wondered how they were regulated. Just found this on this on a blog devoted to Austin food trucks: http://foodtrailersaustin.wordpress.com/food-trailer-health-inspections/
Notably:
So it seems all food trucks are equipped to have running water, but if it comes from a tank, the problem is running out of water. Maybe the answer is transparency, literally — have a big window on the side of the truck so customers can see into the food prep area and see what’s going on. Although it might be hard to get a good view without something to stand on.
I originally docketed this item with Ald. Swiston and Ald. Sangiolo out of a concern that the city would begin issuing permits for food trucks without adequate public discussion and feedback from the stakeholders concerning both public health and safety but also the potential adverse impact on the “brick and mortar” restaurants in Newton. There are already a number of ordinances on the books concerning permitting and inspections (like the requirement that the health department do inspections whenever there are condo conversions) which are observed more in the breach. While reasonable people can disagree whether the issuance of permits for food trucks in Newton is “inevitable,” I think it is hard to disagree with the need for more thoughtful discussion about the possible ramifications to residents, prospective customers and businesses in Newton.
While I wholeheartedly agree that sanitary requirements and traffic and safety issues be addressed in any consideration of licensing food trucks, I disagree that so-called bricks and mortar businesses need protection. Food trucks tend to be niche businesses filling needs not met by existing land-based establishments, and in locations not served by them. Once the public safety concerns are addressed, let the marketplace decide based on the usual criteria of quality, convenience, and price.
I wouldn’t automatically leap to a conclusion that food trucks don’t affect local businesses. Any reliable statistics on this point from elsewhere?
Worth the time to study.
Dan, I agree it is worth taking a little time, at least, to study impacts on existing businesses, particularly in the village centers. Allowing the market to decide which businesses survive sounds all well and good, but may lead to the loss of restaurants in village centers if we allow food trucks there. So there is a judgment that needs to be made based on what kinds of businesses we want to keep in our village centers and how food trucks might affect that mix.
The other thing is that when restaurants come in for parking waivers because they do not have adequate parking onsite, if at all, the Land Use Committee always looks at parking demand and supply in deciding whether to grant a special permit. While the petitioner cannot count public spaces in the calculation for the number of waivers needed, we still take into consideration how much parking is available within walking distance of the restaurant. If a food truck is allowed to use public parking spaces to operate in a village center, that could take up two or three spaces that existing businesses rely upon, and prospective customers of a brick and mortar restaurant may choose to go elsewhere if parking is not conveniently available. And that could just as easily hurt everyone’s businesses, not just the restaurants, to say nothing of residents in the surrounding neighborhood.
This is one of the few issues that deserves a special committee. What’s important is that we protect investors with a City stake-hold and do not give special treatment to those that do not. For one thing we need to ensure the City permitting fee is increased to a level that would put mobile vendors at a similar price point as fixed vendors that pay rent and property tax. That fee will pay for added City costs such as hiring more health inspectors. Why throw out City revenue potential and at the same time, under-cut fixed shops? Secondly, we should not allow any situation similar to the BBQ truck in Needham where the truck is in a fixed location. In doing so, we then have one set of health requirements for fixed vendors with tires underneath and another set for those in a building– bathrooms/washroom requirements as an example.
Form a committee and be sure no business advantage is provided to mobile operations. We also should think about concerns like neighborhood safety if the vendor is selling things attractive to children. Remember the unfortunate situations there have been with Ice Cream trucks
If that last comment wasn’t clear — several years back in Westwood (I think) a child was killed approaching an ice cream truck. Some area towns then discontinued permitting ice cream trucks. It would be crazy to allow a cupcake truck and not an ice cream truck.
Sorry for repeated posts…. We might also want to consider that these situations allow a certain level of discriminatory hiring practices. The workspace clearance is in inches, not feet. Anyone needing special workplace accommodations could not get them (step stools, wheelchairs, and overweight situations…) Think about it — we have a much smaller food service landscape than Boston and there are only so many sandwiches to be served — we could be blocking a segment from these jobs.
Absent from this thread is the possibility of an agglomeration effect.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economies_of_agglomeration
Nathan Phillips — Also important in the economics is leveraging off customer-base. If we have a McDonalds, the road is more attractive to Burger King; with them, it’s more attractive to Wendys… The economics of operations isn”t going to help if the actual food prep and warehousing operation is in Brighton. Very good point though — there are advantages to saturating the existing landscape — you then attract an expanded customer base.
Are we assuming investors want to operate in Newton — or are we dreaming of more choices in a generally sleepy afternoon setting? We need a committee that thinks of everything such that there is not damage to what we have.
There are also parts of Newton that aren’t in village centers that could benefit from food trucks. BC and Newton South come to mind.
As to the ice cream truck situation – it would be easy enough to have the permits be for fixed places, not cruising around.
After reading the Globe article about the lack of hygiene on Boston food trucks I’m less excited about it. I, too, would like to protect the brick & mortar restaurants.
I could do without the sound of an ice cream truck as it brings up memories of how my parents never give us money for the ice cream truck. LOL.
We have been discussing food trucks in the Economic Development Commission for a while, and I’m glad that the discussion is now more broad.
Most importantly, I’d like us to be talking about what problems we think food trucks could solve. What is Newton’s goal for having food trucks, what do we want to achieve. I’m a little concerned that the conversation started with the “how” side of the question, rather than the “why.”
I do have some fundamental concerns about impacts to the brick and mortar restaurants, but I can also see some general benefits for the local food economy by increasing critical mass. @Hoss, @Nathan, there is finally a committee of Aldermen, EDC members, and local restaurant owners. Your issues are great ones and are already on the table. @Kim, I can’t help you with the ice cream thing except to offer to take you to Freeze sometime.
Why would anyone go to Freeze over homemade ice cream from Cabot’s (other than you can walk to it from your house…)? 🙂