Peoria City staff is getting input from business owners about whether food-trucks should operate in the downtown. The City Council narrowly defeated a measure two years ago that would have allowed the mobile trucks.
Here’s the deal. Two years ago, some owners of bricks and mortar restaurants in Peoria said allowing mobile food trucks would hurt business.
Supporters said mobile food vehicles in the City would boost competition and allow businesses to sell food to people in isolated areas during breakfast and lunch hours.
Randon Gettys is with Startup Peoria. He spoke in favor of allowing food trucks during this week’s city council meeting:
“Our effort is not intended to undermine existing restaurants. Instead we are asking city council to take an active role in promoting entrepreneurship, innovation, positive change in Peoria.”
Gettys is also a collaborator with The Whiskey City group that takes on various projects in the community. He says people can weigh-in on either side of the food truck issue on their website. A link to the group’s food cart page is available here.
Peoria City Councilman Ryan Spain floated the idea of again looking at food trucks during Tuesday's meeting.
Other issues that could tip the food-truck scales either way for Peoria include a surge in new business in East Peoria’s Levee District, and Caterpillar wrapping up a study of whether to build a new world headquarters in the downtown.
There’s no immediate timeline on the food truck issue.
City staff will gather input from business owners before taking any formal measures back to council.