New Rules For Food Trucks In Long Beach: Report

LONG BEACH, CA — The Long Beach City Council voted to move forward with recommendations given by a city consultant to change how and where food trucks conduct business in the city at Tuesday's meeting.

Food truck vendors expressed their worries about the impact these new rules could have on their businesses, as a lot of them depend on the income from the trucks. Many trucks operate on Shoreline drive, a busy hub for Long Beach visitors, and have received complaints from restaurants in the area.

“There is enough business for anyone,” food truck operator Joshua Gonzalez said at the meeting. “We do sacrifice a lot of hours to run a business and I feel like we should have the same chance as they do.”

The recommendations outline a two-step process that starts with health and safety, requiring a health permit from the Long Beach health department to operate legally in the city. Previously, food trucks only needed a county permit.

The new rules may include aligning the city's municipal code with the state's laws. This would bring clarity to what Long Beach considers a food truck and would have them operate within 200 feet of a bathroom or hand-washing area or have permission from nearby businesses to use their bathrooms.

Read more from The Long Beach Post: City Council moves forward in creating new rules for food trucks