SPOKANE, Wash. — Food truck owners in Spokane say regulations and fees make it tough to stay in business. A new city council ordinance could change that.
The ordinance will have its first reading at next week’s city council meeting. Business owners say it could help new food trucks open around Spokane.
Opening a food truck in Spokane can be harder than opening a restaurant. Business owners say the extra fees and regulations prevent new food trucks from opening.
The new ordinance aims to remove some fees and regulations that hurt small businesses.
Food trucks must reapply for health department licenses each year. This is one of the most complicated rules.
“It could take us up to a couple of days. It depends on if we change our menu at all. You have to type up each individual menu item with exactly how you make every single step of it, and that’s how you send it in,” said Jocelyn Dupree, co-owner of 509 Dine.
Dupree co-owns 509 Dine, a food truck operating in Spokane since 2019. She says this ordinance would make running a food truck simpler for small business owners.
The Greater Spokane Food Trucks Association hopes this ordinance will end unnecessary fees. Food trucks pay $60 every year to renew licenses.
“It will be nice to not have an extra deterrent. It could help. We’ve been operating all these years, it’s a headache. Why would anyone deal with this for no reason and pay extra money?” said Tony Epefanio, president of the Greater Spokane Food Trucks Association.
The ordinance would also change rules about where food trucks can operate. They would have more opportunities to open on side streets and parking lots.
The first reading is set for next week’s city council meeting.
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