In pondering the role that food carts and food trucks can play in Vancouver, Business editor Gordon Oliver of The Columbian summed it up nicely in a recent article: “To those who love a taste of city life, there’s something about the presence of food carts that makes a city feel real.”
Food carts have become one of the hallmarks of any thriving urban area, lending vitality as they grow in popularity among young entrepreneurial workers. Many of the cities at the forefront of the industry — Portland; Seattle; Austin, Texas — are among the hippest, most creative cities in the nation. That’s not to suggest that Vancouver could become a mecca for the food cart culture; the city doesn’t have the necessary population density or the requisite foot traffic in its downtown core. But it is to suggest that food carts and food trucks could lend a little energy to the city, and that local leaders should rework rules in order to support such businesses.
As Oliver wrote, both the city of Vancouver and Clark County are considering a review of policies that impact mobile food operations. The county Board of Commissioners last week approved new standards for small coffee and food stands, which previously had to meet the same standards as a brick-and-mortar restaurant. The city is planning a review of its regulatory process, addressing issues such as: whether to regulate the proximity of food trucks to existing restaurants; whether to allow enclaves of food trucks; and whether to make it easier to establish food carts.
While maintaining all existing health and food safety standards, officials should work to ease these rules and encourage the establishment of food carts and trucks. Give entrepreneurs an opportunity, and then let the market decide whether the businesses will be a success.
