Restaurant Owner Shares Concerns About Food Trucks

A Glenwood restaurant owner shared concerns he has about food trucks with city officials during a teleconference call last week, prior to the city council’s regular meeting at City Hall.

McDonald’s restaurant owner Aaron Smith said food trucks are being allowed to operate in Glenwood with little or no oversight or accountability from the city. Smith, a Glenwood resident, said he’s talked to other restaurant owners in the community and they share his view that food trucks coming into the city should face the same regulations and standards as established brick and mortar restaurants.

“I think according to our current ordinances, the benefits of the food trucks coming into our city is zero,” Smith said. “I think they provide a high risk, especially in this COVID time.”

Smith noted that two mobile vendors, one selling fish and another selling barbecue, have sold food in Glenwood on private property amid the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.

“For our restaurant, we’ve had to take extra precautions,” he said. “The fish truck that came in had been to several other communities before coming to Glenwood. I think it’s a health concern for our community. Are food trucks required to provide food safety lists like restaurants?”

Smith said food trucks from out of town make money when they come to Glenwood, but give nothing back in return. He and other restaurant owners in the community would like the city to establish “a level playing field” for local restaurants that are paying local taxes, providing jobs and supporting the local community.

“They (food trucks) don’t pay a fee to come in. They don’t utilize local employees and pay local people,” he said. “When we follow the dollar, the money goes to their business and they leave. They don’t support local schools, they don’t support the chamber of commerce, the booster club, etc.”

Smith said he believes the community doesn’t understand the negative impact food trucks have on local restaurants when they come into a community the size of Glenwood.

Glenwood Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Rachel Reis also took part in the conference call with the council and said the chamber agrees food trucks shouldn’t be allowed to come to town without giving something back.

“We do encourage an increase in the fees because we agree that if people come into our town, there should be a way that they’re actually supporting our community,” she said.

Reis said the chamber plans to post the state of Iowa’s food truck handbook on its website. The handbook provides guidelines for operating a safe and appropriate food truck.

The city council has discussed establishing food truck guidelines and fees, but no action has been taken. Currently, food trucks coming to Glenwood are only allowed to sell food from private property. They pay no fees to the city and aren’t required to have a local operating permit.

Glenwood City Administrator Angie Winquist said the city is working on making changes.

“The council is considering a permit fee where if they come to town, they’ll have to come to City Hall first and get a permit,” she said.

Winquist said she expects food trucks to be added to the city’s current ordinance for vendors and peddlers.

“We’re also reaching out to the state for direction for ensuring public safety,” she said. “We want to make sure the food trucks that are coming in are properly licensed. We’ll be asking them to provide their license, proof of insurance and food inspections.”

Winquist said she’s uncertain at this time if a food truck license issued in Nebraska or another state is recognized in Iowa.