Sacramento Food Truck Operators Face Restrictive City Ordinance

SACRAMENTO, CA – Across the country food trucks, especially ones offering gourmet and a wide range of ethnic cuisines, have taken to city streets and highways in ever growing numbers. In Sacramento, food truck operators are facing challenges from local legislation that prevent them from doing business effectively. 

The group SactoMoFo, a collective of volunteers who run food truck businesses, or individuals interested in the growing food truck scene, has banded together to organize events and advocate for changes to city ordinances that prevent them from doing business in Sacramento.

Sacramento’s ordinance states that a food truck must move a quarter mile every 30 minutes, which SactoMoFo says isn’t enough time to prepare food for customers and generally do business. The ordinance also prohibits food truck operation in commercial and hospital areas after daylight hours, and doesn’t allow a food truck to return to a location where it operated previously in the day. These restrictions are lifted in heavy commercial or industrial zones but only as long as the businesses the food truck is parked near are open. Other restrictions include no tables, chairs, shades, or other furniture near the food truck.

To work around this, SactoMoFo has organized an event of the same name (short for Sacramento Mobile Food festival) at a local park on April 30. By organizing the event, gaining sponsorship from local businesses, and through awareness and fundraising efforts, the organization hopes to change local policy so it’s friendlier to food truck operators.

The video above is from local news station ABC News10 in Sacramento and provides additional coverage.

By Greg Basich