Keep on Truckin’

The food truck debate is revving its engine once again, as officials are prepared to revisit the county’s food truck ordinance at an Aug. 18 meeting. 

At the behest of food truck operators, Sarasota County has been working to amend an ordinance that now mandates food trucks maintain an operating distance of 800 feet from an brick-and-mortar establishment and 750 feet from any temporary vendors.

Any changes to the ordinance would not apply directly to Siesta Key. Food trucks would still need to pursue special permission from county commissioners to operate on the island, but Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce chairman Mark Smith still has some reservations about amending the ordinance. 

He feels the presence of food trucks put restaurants at a competitive disadvantage, because mobile vendors do not shoulder the same expense burden as brick-and-mortar businesses. 

"They don't need to lose business to a company that doesn't pay property taxes," Smith said. 

However, Michelle Jett, owner of the Baja Boys food truck, believes food trucks actually bolster local businesses by exposing more people to a retail area. She says she attracts people who are busy and ready to leave, but those people may come back to the area when circumstances make her truck a less appealing option. 

“If it’s raining, they're not going to eat with me,” Jett said. “Even I'm not going to go to a food truck in the rain. I think there is a time and a place for anything and everything.”