This Monday (September 19th), at 7:30 p.m., the Chestertown Council will revisit the issue of food trucks—one which has simmered for over two years—to consider the adoption of a proposed Food Truck Pilot Program.
It appears that while ostensibly allowing food trucks on Park Row, the program will instead ensure that food trucks do not come.
In addition to requiring food truck operators to carry $1 million in insurance, the program would also charge vendors $200 a month. The fee in Berlin, MD by way of comparison is $5 per day. The fee in Cambridge is $125 for six months or $200 for the year. Centreville charges $35 per year. Even cosmopolitan Annapolis allows payment by the day—$20—or $340 for the year.
Why then, come to Chestertown?
But money aside, the most serious flaw in the proposal is this: it would require food truck operators to operate Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. beginning immediately. Failure to do so by any one food truck for any reason appears to allow the town to terminate the program. What if someone is ill? Do you want them preparing food? What if he or she has, like all of us may, a family emergency or some other exigent circumstance? What if some young entrepreneur is enrolled in school two days a week or can only afford childcare part of the week? The requirement also leaves out any mention of snow or winter. Odd.
The requirement demonstrates that despite several years of growing familiarity with food trucks—an entrepreneurial phenomenon that has spread across the whole country from Los Angeles to Maine—the drafters of the proposal fail to understand the food truck business.
Food trucks, are, well, trucks. They move. In Washington, D.C., for instance, my favorite trucks (selling Lebanese, Korean, and Indian food) are each only outside my office one day a week. They appear in different parts of the city precisely because there is no market for their food every day, day-in, day-out. Likewise, a successful food truck business here in a rural area would probably do better to be in Chestertown one day a week, Centreville another, and Easton another.
Wouldn’t such a framework also help placate the fears of brick-and-mortar restaurants? They would face competition fewer days of the week, if indeed, food trucks really compete with brick and mortar restaurants, a contention about which I hold some doubt. Allowing flexibility—food trucks are designed to be flexible after all—would, it seems, be a better compromise with the concerns of brick and mortar restaurants.
I predict the pilot program will collapse under its own weight. It will absolve the town of any blame, “Hey, we tried!” But it is really such a shame.
I won’t even address substantively the criminal background check requirement as if a youthful mistake should preclude someone even from employment in the food industry…
Denise Platt says
I really don’t understand Chestertown, why don’t they just say they don’t want them. I’m sure if I were a food truck vendor that I would not come to Chestertown under the conditions listed above. The food truck industry is a hit or miss business and at $2400 a year, you would be lucky to make that much in Chestertown. Why not allow the food trucks for special events and weekends in the summer? The prices Chestertown wants are prohibitive and greedy. Just saying, C’town get with the times.
faith wilson says
I totally agree with the above. What a shame that Chestertown is so close minded when it comes to this opportunity that could be such a wonderful addition to downtown!!
Chris Kelsch says
We LOVE Chestertown . we support food trucks, and want them to be here.What I cannot understand AT ALL, is the fact that if a local restaurant is concerned why don’t THEY put a food truck in play, with there “logo” and smaller versions of there menu’s….and give out “gift certificates” to the brick/morter version….it could be an excellent “outreach” version of sales for them….it’s just good business….I truly hope Chestertown goes forward, allows the trucks with fair, realistic regulations
Bill Anderson says
“… —the drafters of the proposal fail to understand the food truck business.” The writer fails to make the real point of the problem. Chestertown Town Council and the food business operators in the town are afraid, very afraid, of competition in any form. Those involved in drafting the Town’s food truck proposal are pandering to those who fear the trucks. Typical for Chestertown for as long as historical notes have been written, and The Spy desk writer should not have omitted that fact..
Robert Garson says
Jonathan is absolutely correct! What are our town leaders thinking? We can’t compete for the tourist business with such a narrow-minded approach. The restrictions and outlandish fees as outlined here are ludicrous. They may as well have simply said, “No food trucks.” Heaven forbid we should try something new!
Yvette Hynson says
Chestertown is so backward thinking when it comes to economic issues. This is why so many young families are moving out of the county because they cannot find a job that allows them to make a decent wage. Three schools will probably have to close next year because of decrease student enrollment and backward thinking. Please put into play fair policy with regards to the food trucks, if not the decline of Chestertown and Kent County will continue over the cliff of no return.
Nicholas Longworth says
Okay, two things are wrong here.
First, these food trucks will not be direct competitors to the restaurants downtown. A direct competitor has the same services or the same target demographic. A food truck may have food, however, they do not have climate control, tables, table service, etc. The downtown restaurants also offer an “experience” more than just food such as live music, a place to gather, etc.. Food truck competition would be fast, casual restaurants like McDonalds, Taco Bell, etc. The demographic is a cheap ($8-12) meal for people that want to get it quick and get on with their day. The closest thing to that downtown is Play It Again Sam’s, however, you can easily drop $15-20 in there. We need to be within 20% of the price points to consider that as similar demographics. None of the other restaurants even come close. I am particularly wondering how we have decided that the food trucks would be a substitute instead of a complement. In my mind, and I have no data to back this up just like the opposition, food trucks would attract people downtown that currently don’t go, which in turn would open their eyes to the wealth of services downtown has to offer. They may even stay for a sit-down meal at dinner time.
Second, since when is it the government’s responsibility to protect established businesses instead of protecting/promoting the free market? I’m wondering how $200 and open 5 days a week has been qualified as an acceptable barrier to entry. Food trucks should need to some sort of a fee, however, this is starting to look more like a trust between the town and the restaurants than a fee to support the town services food trucks will utilize. Baltimore City is in a lawsuit for this sort of thing right now: https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2016/08/05/2-baltimore-food-trucks-dishing-up-lawsuit-against-the-city/
Mugue says
Since when can the town tell a business when and how long to be open? There are some brick and mortar shops in town that choose not to be open exactly the same hours each day of the week. If it’s not economical to be open, the business has the right to make that decision. Why is the town making such rules for food truck businesses? The town doesn’t want food trucks to succeed. It is such a shame. It could bring life to downtown, during the time of day when it is dead.
Tom Timberman says
Jon East applies common sense to the question of food trucks in Chestertown; if it were used to identify the real clientele for the trucks, the question of “competition” would be answered. It’s people with little time, but a desire for something tasty, delivered and eaten quickly. Storefront fast food outlets are the options for them, but none are located in the downtown area, thus requiring a car and a drive.
Those blessed with an hour or two to lunch with friends and colleagues, don’t meet at the food trucks, but rather at one of the excellent restaurants in the historic district. In my view, the town government should do everything possible to encourage young entrepreneurs, who might evolve into restaurateurs, hiring more people and serving different ethnic cuisine. It’s called progress
Chris Kendall says
I totally agree with Tom. Lets let the consumers decide what we like for Chestertown. If the food trucks sell enough food to stay in business that must mean consumers want it. If the consumers don’t want to buy from food trucks they will go either go out of business or move someplace else that does want them. Its seems to be a fairly simple concept to understanding what consumers want.
Lolli Sherry says
It’s hard to see how food trucks threaten the restaurants we have in Chestertown. You don’t see people eating alone or quickly in these establishments. Who ever says ‘let’s get together for lunch at the food truck’? They are usually serving people who are in a hurry and want a tasty change from the takeout sandwich or lunch brought from home. If they hurt anyone it will be the fast food outlets. Is it possible the big chains are influencing the town council?
Michael Johnson says
Very well stated and I agree. Probably won’t enjoy street food around here anytime soon. That’s a shame.
Karen willis says
It would be nice for Chestertown to get with the times on this issue. As someone who usually brings my lunch, it would be nice to have some alternatives that are not expensive.
Bob Ortiz says
This is a first for me. In all the years that I’ve been reading the letters to the editor, I’ve NEVER agreed with EVERYTHING that more than a few people wrote about…until now. I agree with everything that everyone has said on this subject. The Food Truck was the one thing that actually got people to walk beyond Cannon Street and I should know, I’ve been waiting patiently for more than 19 years for the town to grow beyond Cannon Street.
I don’t buy any of the arguments for not allowing them. Should I object because the town allows furniture makers to set up shop on Saturday mornings in the park and compete with my “bricks and mortar” shop? They are not my competition. I’ve always been a believer in the “Little Italy” model. Little Italy succeeds not because there are only two or three Italian Restaurants, it succeeds because if you want food, culture, art and all things Italian you know that THAT”S the place to go because there are 40 or 50 Italian places.
I believe that downtown Chestertown is more than a place, I believe that it’s an experience…that’s what brings people here..The Colonial Tea Party, Riverfest, Downrigging, the Jazz Festival, the National Music Festival, Santa Claus arriving on the firetruck, The Sneaker Creeper, etc., etc.
Food trucks are as much about food as they are about experiences. When I show up at one wearing my apron visitors to town will frequently ask me what I’m doing, I get to tell them about the town, what not to miss, where they can get information. There’s a communal feeling that one experiences as you wait for your food that you don’t get in a restaurant. Even on rainy days as you wait under your umbrella you feel a kinship with the “usual suspects.” This experience gives me and anyone else there an opportunity to “sell” the Chestertown experience. Isn’t that what economic development is about? Isn’t that what being a part of an arts and entertainment district should be about?
Oh, one last thing. The $1,000,000 insurance policy is not an obstacle or unreasonable. I carry that amount here in my studio. It’s what a responsible business owner and that include artists and craftspersons would have if doing business with the public.
Jason Cannan says
There should be one restriction with food trucks. You must be a Kent County resident for atleast 2 years to own and/or operate a food truck or mobile restaurant. Keep the money local and don’t allow outside food trucks from Philly, Dover, etc. to come into OUR county and take the money out of our county. As for the brick and mortar restaurants that feel “threatened”, don’t worry about other people. If you put out a good product, people will support your restaurant even if they have to walk by 10 food trucks.
Joe Diamond says
IS this possible?
Is there anything like a similar control on local restaurants? Who would benefit from this plan? Who proposed it? AND I am not asking for some committee name…WHO…which persons composed these regulations?
Need to see why….an explanation….words that explain this obvious restraint on local enterprise.
OR
Let us go forth and expunge mobile homes, old cars, kids on bikes, pets that leave deposits on lawns and roads, churches, newspapers, radio stations. If the County Counsel can get away with this one they can do anything. Why come to Chestertown?
Joe