(NEW ORLEANS, LA) – In a significant victory for the mobile food vending industry of New Orleans, the following amendments have been adopted by the City Council and approved by Mayor Mitchell Landrieu last July 31, 2013. This is the culmination of a yearlong campaign and hard work by the New Orleans Food Truck Coalition (NOFTC) and their friends.
One of the most significant changes has been the opening of a potion of the Central Business District, says Rachel Billow co-owner of La Cocinita and Legislative Director of the NOFTC. “So many trucks have been setting up for lunch near the teaching hospitals (in the Biomedical District), where there are very few quick lunch options nearby.” A franchise system for parking spots will eventually be implemented in other business areas and residential neighborhoods.
When asked about the lottery system for permits to operate during Mardi Gras, Billows would like to see the spots offered to local trucks first. “Currently the majority of the vendors are out-of-towners who bring their truc
ks in town only for Carnival season. It’d be nice if more of the vendors were locals who then invest the money back into the city. If the Mardi Gras parade route was lined with local food vendors, it would become more of a culinary event like Jazz Fest, where people come for both the music and the food.”
The year will also be significant for entrepreneurs who want to get a taste of the mobile food vending industry, since the number of food truck permits to be released have been increased to 100 and there have already been a lot of inquiries from aspiring operators. So let’s expect NOLA to attract even more tourists for their one of a kind festivals and exciting food scene. Get additional info from Gambit news here.
Below is a summary of the updates. You can also read about these regulatory changes from The Times – Picayune here or get the full text version from Andrew Legrand Law, LLC’s website.
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Old Law |
Updated Law |
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Only 100 permits issued for all mobile food vendors (this includes ice cream trucks, produce vendors, seafood vendors, and foot, pushcart or animal-drawn food vendors, etc.) |
100 permits will be issued specifically for mobile food trucks where holders can operate on the streets in most areas of the city zoned for commercial, industrial or mixed use |
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Mobile food vending franchises will be available for specific areas such as Central Business District, Faubourg Marigny, residential neighborhoods citywide and along specified business corridors such as Canal Boulevard, Maple Street, Oak Street, St. Bernard Avenue, Paris Avenue, Elysian Fields Avenue and Franklin Avenue |
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Mobile food vendors are still prohibited in the French Quarter or the riverside half of the Central Business District, bound by Rampart to the West, Esplanade to the North, the River to the East, and Howard to the South because the streets there are too narrow and congested to accommodate them. |
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Mobile food vendors are allowed to park in a spot for only 45 minutes |
They are now allowed to operate for up to 4 hours in a spot, unless otherwise permitted |
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Food trucks are only allowed to sell food beyond a 600 foot radius of any brick and mortar restaurant |
Now there are NO proximity restrictions against food trucks parking near restaurants |
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Food trucks must provide a trash can outside of the truck during operating hours and must clean up all debris, including cigarette butts within a 50-foot radius daily. |
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Mobile food vendors are not allowed sell alcohol, as well as other goods, wares or merchandise items |
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Any PA or music system outside of the truck is also prohibited |
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Trucks cannot be more than 26 feet long or 8 feet wide and third-party advertisements are not allowed to be posted on the truck |
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Street or sidewalk furniture and other obstructions are prohibited and neither should their operations and customers block the entrances of buildings |
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Operators must have $500,000 in liability insurance, must comply with all city and state health laws, must be approved by the state Department of Health and Hospitals, must pay sales tax, and all mobile vendors must be registered under the State of Louisiana |
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During Jazz Fest, mobile food vendors cannot park in the area of the Fair Grounds, bound by Florida Avenue to the north, North Broad to the east, Esplanade to the south, and Bayou St. John to the west |
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During Mardi Gras, there is a separate permitting process, with designated spots along the parade route that are determined based on a lottery |
Tags: legal
