STOCKTON, Calif. — Food trucks in the city of Stockton will be barred from setting up shop within 250 feet of brick-and-mortar restaurants under a newly amended ordinance approved by city council Tuesday night.
The change to the city's longstanding food truck ordinance, meant to help local restaurants, was one of multiple made and approved by a unanimous city council vote Tuesday.
"We've had a mobile food truck ordinance that has been in place for well over a decade," said city spokeswoman Connie Cochran. "The purpose of the changes last evening was to address some concerns that have arisen with the growth in that particular line of business and the popularity of food trucks."
In council filings, city staff members describe some of the concerns as food truck popularity has risen, especially since the outbreak of the COVID pandemic.
"These alternative food options can sometimes pose a competitive threat to traditional restaurants because they are not subject to the same financial and regulatory burdens," city staffers wrote in a council filing. "Further, the size and setup for these businesses contribute to parking concerns. As such, many cities have enacted regulations."
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The regulation banning food trucks within a 250-foot radius of building-enclosed restaurants does not apply when the food truck has written authorization from the nearby restaurant owners, during a State Certified farmers' market, at an event permitted or authorized by the city, at an event at a school or assembly facility if the food truck is in partnership with the event's organizers, or when the food truck is on leased space.
Other changes approved by city council members include allowing food trucks to operate on private property without moving but with authorization from the property owner, prohibiting food trucks on vacant lots, and requiring that food trucks be parked only on asphalt, concrete, or other hard weather surfaces.
Under the amended ordinance, alcohol is not allowed to be sold by food trucks.
One area the changes did not touch was the legality of food truck parks in Stockton. Cochran says the city is still working on an ordinance permitting and regulating food truck venues like the Stocklandia food truck park which closed down in 2021 amid pressure from the city.
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