Food truck pilot program extended in Santa Cruz

The Santa Cruz City Council is deciding to extend a pilot program that eases restrictions on food trucks.

The city council vote came unanimously Wednesday. The temporary program that currently regulates food trucks will be extended.

Deputy City Manager Scott Collins says the pilot program has been successful since it was put in place more than 18 months ago, giving food trucks a larger presence in the community.

“[The program] allows them to be in parks, where they weren’t allowed to be before, allowing them to set up on private property when they weren’t allowed to do that before” Collins said. “We see that they’ve taken advantage of that.”

Local food truck vendors say the program has helped grow their businesses here in Santa Cruz.

Lali Kates started her food truck event company due to local demand.

“For the past 10 plus years people have been saying ‘How come there aren’t more food truck events?’ ” said Kates.

Despite the success of the program Scott Collins admits that not everyone in Santa Cruz has been excited about expanding food trucks. He says downtown Santa Cruz businesses have voiced concern.

“You have a lot of restaurants there and they pay fees that food truck vendors don’t pay so at this point we’re not really pushing it for downtown” Collins said. “But parks, there’s no real competition so it’s not any real impact to businesses there.”

Though Lali and fellow food truck owners say they would eventually serve the downtown area, they are happy about the extension of the current regulations.

“We’re happy that the program is continuing and that the conversation continues to make changes as well.”