Food trucks can make dining a unique experience.
More could soon be making their way to Abbeville.
During Tuesday’s regular meeting, the Abbeville City Council voted to lift its moratorium on food trucks, which had been put in place not long after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mayor Roslyn White said the timing is appropriate.
“The moratorium was put in place because of COVID and the government’s restrictions on restaurants,” White said. “I think that’s now subsided. I think the timing is right, but it is a vote of this council.”
White explained that the issue had been discussed with City Attorney Bart Broussard and Sarah Alpough, the city’s director of revenue, regulatory codes & permits.
“It was decided it was probably best to lift the moratorium now,” White said, “with our existing ordinance.”
An ordinance regarding food trucks had been in place before the moratorium. That ordinance allows up to five food trucks to operate within the city limits per year. However, those food trucks cannot operate within 150 feet of the front door of an existing food establishment.
“It also states that they have to be on private property,” White said, “with permission from the property owner. They have to provide that proof and proof that they are licensed under the state board of health.”
Along with lifting the moratorium, the council voted to require potential food truck operators to obtain a permit that must be approved by the council.
The discussion also included potentially increasing the distance trucks can operate from the front door of a restaurant from 150 feet to 300 feet. That issue could be taken up at a future ordinance committee meeting.
While food trucks continue to remain popular, an increasingly popular way to bring them customers is on food truck lots. Gerard Baudoin, a business owner who attended Tuesday’s meeting, said he has plans to create such a lot in Abbeville. There are already food truck lots in Erath, Kaplan and Maurice.
“The food truck industry is booming,” Baudoin said. “Abbeville may be the only city without a food truck lot. They will go if you provide a nice environment for a food truck to park. That is the trend.”
White said other people have been interested in opening food truck lots.
“We will need to look at what parameters are going to be put in place for a food truck lot,” White said.
Councilman Francis Touchet Jr. had shared his concerns about food trucks since the implementation of the moratorium. He said he is not against the operation and certainly does not want to ban them.
“The problem I had in the past is these trucks have parked in front of our businesses that we already have in existence,” Touchet said. “I don’t want to hurt a business in Abbeville.”
Baudoin said having food truck lots would help alleviate those concerns. He said food truck operators prefer to be on lots.
“That’s what these food truck owners are looking for,” Baudoin said. “We don’t want to be by ourselves.”
Touchet reiterated that his stance had been about one thing.
“For the record,” Touchet said, “I am not against food trucks. I want to protect the businesses that we have.”