Comments on: Restaurants want to tap brakes on food trucks in Encinitas

By: Sallybird

Sallybird — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 22:27:33 +0000

I don’t get it. Everyone grips about too much regulation and government intervention. This is free enterprise and capitalism at it’s finest. What’s going on here?

By: mark scoular

mark scoular — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 17:58:39 +0000

Thanks for the questions.

1. The owner of Black Sheep wants to be a responsible participant in Encinitas. Unless she insuring the collection of sales tax in our community, the roving trucks do not pay their share of our infrastructure. As a % rent collector she is participating in the revenue and has a obligation.

2. And where is the trash disposed of. From what I have seen they look for the closest dumpster paid for by the person with the dumpster behind their place of business.

3. Restaurants are required to have ADA compliant restroom facilities. The Black Sheep owner should provide their facility for use by food truck patrons so the patrons are not “taxing” the facilities of those that actually provide facilities.

4. If you read my post, I said they should be required to comply with the same standards of health and safety as the city. Most of these operators operate on a freestyle basis and all it takes is one operator to kill some patrons and then everyone will blame the city and all others.

5. The county to my knowledge has not addressed food trucks that prepare food on-site vs. constructions site coaches that serve commissary prepared food. BIG difference in terms of processes and cleanliness required to prevent poisoning.

6. Actually there are very few examples of what you suggest. The average NET income for a food truck operator is around $30K according to the National Restaurant Association. Most pop-up operators like this lease their trucks, have no equity in the brand and go from project to project. When someone with a quality chef background (vs a grill cook)that actually shows up for work averages $60K+ and they have a better chance of raising capital based on a restaurant following, there is not a logical reason to follow this business development path.

As a postscript, I am involved in restaurants in several major cities around the country and the turnover of these operators is high, the problems created with parking, no taxes paid etc. far outweigh the “cool-factor” associated with the trucks.

By: Tiffany Fox

Tiffany Fox — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 01:16:23 +0000

My family has patronized Food Truck Friday twice since the Black Sheep started hosting it, and we think it’s a great addition to the community. We feel that the food trucks complement, rather than compete with, local businesses. The last time we dined on food-truck fare, we capped off our night by walking over to Bubby’s Gelato in the Lumberyard for a few cones, and also did some window shopping (which later resulted in a purchase) at Magical Child. There’s something about dining outdoors at card tables in a parking lot that makes you want to explore the surrounding neighborhood– and that benefits local businesses. Would we want to eat at a food truck every time we go out for dinner? Of course not. Sometimes you want proper table service and a meal that doesn’t come in a cardboard boat, and we remain frequent patrons of all the wonderful brick-and-mortar restaurants along the 101 and beyond. The food trucks are merely another great food choice in a town full of great food choices. Let’s get out there and enjoy all of them!

By: Reynold

Reynold — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 00:19:19 +0000

Come to North Park, South Park, Normal Heights, etc. to see how it works, North County, because it does. If you were smart, you’d be trying to focus on collaboration rather than elimination. Consider Miho’s latest pop-up shop at El Take it Easy in North Park. You know why these restaurants aren’t scared of the competition? Because they are riding the crest of innovation and continually making themselves relevant. If you’re secure with your product, you wouldn’t have to worry. Sometimes someone wants a $5 burger from Canada Steak Burger instead of a $10 burger from a truck – business waxes and wanes. Don’t these people ever look at the prices? Its not like this stuff is cheap! If you see an effect on your business, its probably because you’re not doing something right.

By: alan

alan — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 23:41:12 +0000

mark, a couple of questions.
1. Since when was sales tax a component of rent?
2. Most if not all trucks provide trash facilities to avoid impact on local area.
3. Why should restrooms be provided? Health & Safety? I’ve been to enough establishments in Encinitas that don’t have restrooms to make me wonder why this would have to be a requirement
4. If the trucks operate within the Sn Diego city limits, the city can certify them under the same standards as restaurants. If they don’t SD City doesn’t have jurisdiction.
5. The county requires permit for ALL food vendors .. . . . doesn’t that mean they have standards?
6. What exactly do you have against people who want to open a restaurant but need to build a customer base by running a truck to help them get there? A lot of truck owners open restaurants….

By: Sam

Sam — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 23:40:17 +0000

“The food trucks are taking away business from our local downtown restaurants that … donate regularly to DEMA events.”

So as to DEMA’s complaint is that non-members are trying to sell product in their territory… isn’t that how the mob operated?

By: KO

KO — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 23:26:02 +0000

Can you ask the b&m restaurants to read this article–which explains how they are wrong? http://mobile-cuisine.com/trends/how-does-the-end-of-borders-books-relate-to-food-trucks-i%E2%80%99m-glad-you-asked/

By: mark scoular

mark scoular — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 16:45:54 +0000

Easy solution. A)Make the landowner responsible for collecting sales tax since they are collecting rent as a percentage of sales. B)The landowner should be responsible for policing the neighborhood for trash C) Restrooms must be supplied by the landowner and D)Require the foodtrucks to comply with health and sanitation standards as set by the City of San Diego since the County has no standards. Then, watch what happens when the property owner have to start bearing the same costs as other business owners. Encinitas deserves better.