9.1. SR 11-20-2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

11/13/2017 Are Food Trucks Good or Bad for the Twin Cities? | streets.mn https://streets.mn/2012/07/09/are-food-trucks-good-or-bad-for-the-twin-cities/9/14 You're of course right about their effects on the streets. It's great to see people venture outside at lunch. Marquette has gone from vacant to lively at lunch time. With active express bus stops in the morning and evening, crowds at lunch could even be a catalyst for new retail along Marquette. Even streets without food trucks have increased pedestrian traffic. If someone starts at the skyway level of their office building and walks to a skyway level lunch, it's unlikely they'll walk outside, even on a nice day. But if you're going to find a new food truck, you'll likely start on the street level. I agree with your economic point also. Food trucks have lower barriers to entry than brick-and-mortar restaurants. (Although, you could easily spend $100K getting one rolling). Loosening restrictions has given motivated and creative entrepreneurs a chance to compete with chain conglomerates that threaten us all with bland monotony. I'm not even sure the main criticism is true. Do food trucks undermine brick and mortar businesses? Sam's point that food trucks could act as a farm system for property tax paying restaurants is right on. Additionally, having a food truck near your restaurant could make your block look like lively and nudge people to venture up your street and discover your restaurant. People want to be where other people are. I agree that food trucks could instigate a critical mass of pedestrian activity that draws as many people for brick-and-mortar businesses as the food trucks themselves. I was at the city council meeting where they voted to start the food truck licensing on a trial basis. Some public speakers were restaurant owners who feared competition. (Notably the Loon Cafe owner who seems to squeal about everything that happens downtown). But some downtown restaurant owners spoke in favor of the change because they wanted an avenue to expand their business. Since the downsides are speculative and the upsides are transformative, I say the more food trucks the better! Bill Lindeke July 10, 2012 at 7:18 am # The sooner the skyways are auctioned off for scrap, the happier I will be. Faith July 9, 2012 at 2:43 pm # Food trucks do take away some business from the skyway lunch places (at least in my case). The food trucks offer better tasting food, usually for a $1 or 2 more, and often with longer waiting times. I don't venture near the food trucks until after 12:45 since the lines are often 20+ people deep at noon. It's great to see Marquette active and full of people. minneapolisite July 9, 2012 at 5:16 pm # As mentioned previously, food trucks fill a niche that doesn't necessarily compete with brick and mortar restaurants. Where I'd most like to see food trucks is on W Broadway: a street that needs