Let your voice be heard!  The DC Council votes on the overly restrictive, anti-competitive regulations tomorrow (5/10).

DC Pollo is launching next week in DC!  It will be the sister truck of The Salsa Room Quesadillas & Empanadas, serving up Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken.  The menu is super-simple: 1/4 chicken with 2 sides for $8!

And, while on the topic of TSR Quesadillas & Empanadas, they slightly renamed their truck, removing Baked Empanadas and replacing it with Quesadillas & Empanadas.  An array of quesadillas have been added to the menu.

Andrew Zimmern, as well as a long list of DC restaurateurs, restaurants and ANC commissioners have signed a letter urging the Council to reject the proposed food truck regulations.  The Council Committee on Business, Consumer and Regulatory Affairs will hold a hearing about the proposed food truck regulations this Friday (5/10) where the future of DC’s food trucks will largely be determined.  Here is the full text of the release:

Jamie Leeds, Joe Englert, Andrew Zimmern Stand with DC Food Trucks

More than 50 Chefs, Brick-and-Mortar Businesses and Community Leaders Call forDC Council to Reject Mayor Gray’s Food Truck Proposal 

WASHINGTON, DC – More than 50 Chefs, brick-and-mortar businesses and community leaders – including Chef Jamie Leeds, restaurateur Joe Englert and Chef and television host Andrew Zimmern – today stood up for DC food trucks and called on the DC Council to reject Mayor Vincent Gray’s proposed regulations.

“We join the Food Truck Association of Metropolitan Washington in supporting smart management of individual locations where food trucks are in greatest demand,” says a letter signed by the group. “There are better, more flexible ways to manage these areas. But this proposal seeks to impose a one-size-fits-all approach that so severely restricts where food trucks can operate it threatens the existence of the food truck industry as we know it. “

The full text of the letter and complete list of signers is at www.DMVFTA.org/StandWithUs.

“The contributions the food trucks make to the DC community are unique.  The diversity of cuisine is important to offer to working people on the go,” said Leeds, owner of Hank’s Oyster Bar. “I’ve been a chef for 28 years, and I think it’s a great opportunity for people to get into the food businesses.”

“A vibrant culinary scene on Washington’s sidewalks and food trucks only begets a vibrant restaurant scene,” said Englert, who owns The Argonaut, Granville Moore’s, Sticky Rice, and several other DC restaurants and bars. “I think it’s downright un-American to stymie hard-working professionals willing to work double and triple-time to gain their first foothold in the food industry.  How can you begrudge blood, sweat and tears of a committed ‘little guy’?”

“The struggle for small business to be supported on the local level is crucial to the hegemony of our cities and towns and crucial to creating sustainable economic systems within the food sector,” said Zimmern, host of the “Bizarre Foods” television show and owner of the AZ Canteen food truck in Minneapolis. “Arguing over parking slots and distance limits results from haphazard ordinance planning and fear-based thinking on all sides of the argument.”

The Council Committee on Business, Consumer and Regulatory Affairs will hold a hearing about the propose food truck regulations on Friday. The proposal places severe restrictions on where food trucks can serve customers, including:

• Forcing food trucks into a limited number of lottery-assigned locations at popular food truck destinations;
• Banning food trucks within 500 feet of lottery-assigned spaces;
• Banning food trucks where there is less than 10 feet of unobstructed sidewalk.

“Mayor Gray’s proposed food truck regulations have little, if any, community support,” said Doug Povich, chairman of the Food Truck Association of Metropolitan Washington and Co-owner of Red Hook Lobster Pound-DC. “We hope the DC Council sees that and sends the proposal back for revisions.”

About the Food Truck Association of Metropolitan Washington

The Food Truck Association is a group of more than 60 local food truck owner-operators. We seek to sustain the wellbeing of our industry, foster a sense of community and work in partnership to improve food truck regulations. We are engaged community members who deeply care about our city and believe in working together to make a positive impact. The Food Truck Association’s signature event is the Curbside Cookoff food truck festival series. For more information visit www.DCFoodTrucks.org.

It’s a great sign to see food trucks teaming up with each other in every municipality, especially in this uncertain political climate.  To that end, the Montgomery County food trucks have started up their own website!  This comes on the heels of MoCo trucks forming their own association, though, the affiliation with this website is not clear at this time.

With respect to political climates, Montgomery County seems to be the one county that really supports their food trucks and has seen the least amount of drama with respect to permitting, parking and restrictions.

Today (5/6), DC food trucks are protesting the proposed food truck regulations by showing what will happen with Farragut Square if the restrictive regulations are passed: no food trucks are serving in the square.

Make your voice be heard here!

UPDATE: Some background on the issues.

UPDATE #2: The official press release is copied at the bottom of this post.

Photo credit

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The past few months have seen a few food truck businesses changing up their name and cuisine.  A couple of days ago, Krazy Koshery changed into a new name on Twitter: 70′s Frankfurter.

A couple of other examples that happened in the past:

• Burittos on the Run -> Philadelphia Cheesesteak Express (still operating under the @buritosontherun username)
• Nice Dream -> NY Deli Truck

The owner of Hot People food truck wrote in to let us all know that about 2 months ago, they acquired Shanghai Lounge @ 1734 Wisconsin Ave NW!  You may have noticed that the truck has not been serving lately, but the owner reassures us that it will be back in service soon.

I’m keeping a list of food trucks that opened restaurants here. 

Hot People Food Truck

Chupacabra is the latest food truck set to open a brick & mortar restaurant in the District! After almost 2 years of work, Chupacabra announced on Facebook that they passed DC Health inspection last week.  Prince of Petworth also posted photos of the facade getting a new paint job and logo!  The address is 822 H St NE, though the entrance is located on 9th St.  This news would explain why the truck has been off the road recently.

Chupacabra joins the ever growing list of DC food trucks that have opened brick & mortar restaurants.  Once again, this is solid proof that food trucks are restaurant incubators.  Hopefully, DC politicians will strike down the latest proposed food truck regulations which are too restrictive and would rob DC of future restaurants and tax growth.

The Washington Post notes that the DC Council will hold a hearing on May 10 where the proposed DC food truck regulations will be discussed.  The council may only vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on passing the regulations and cannot make any modifications.  Judging from the last public comment period, about 95% of DC residents are hoping that the Council will reject the regulations as they are currently proposed.

The Food Truck Association published a press release this morning noting that DC Councilmembers Mary Cheh and David Grosso have also expressed concerns over Mayor Gray’s proposed new regulations.  The full release is copied below.

Meanwhile, the Arlington County Board voted to loosen food truck parking limits by another hour, to two hours, providing relief to both food truck operators and their fans.

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After almost a year of development, Jamaican Mi Crazy is ready to start serving their fans!  They are aiming to launch today (4/25) at Farragut Square. More truck info and menu details are on their page.