Should mobile food vendors and vehicles be allowed to do business in downtown Crete?
As might be expected, it’s a loaded issue.
Some say ‘yes’ the trucks are a good idea, while others give a resounding ‘no’.
The village board has been grappling with the issue for over a month.
Representatives from two Main Street shops told the village board in July that the trucks are welcome because they increase business for them, and are there late at night, when few food options are available.
One business owner has a kitchen, but when it is closed on Sunday, likes having the truck around, noting that its variety of food–like pretzels and lobster–are appealing and draw people from out of town into Crete.
The other business owner suggested that old houses on Wood Street could be torn down and the area used as a parking lot for the food trucks.
Still another is against the trucks, even though his customers patronize them and bring food into his store, because he believes they hurt brick-and-mortar restaurants.
An ordinance clarifying when, where and how long the vendors might be allowed downtown was on the agenda for the village board’s June 22 meeting, but Finance, License and Ordinance Trustee Katrina Seifert did not want to call for a vote because two other trustees were absent.
However, board members present did discuss the proposed ordinance at length, including input from the business owners and residents present at that meeting.
Trustee Seifert reiterated that the ordinance was an effort to balance the wants of business owners who say that the trucks bring extra traffic to their establishments, along with those who believe that food trucks will hurt existing and future brick-and-mortar shops.
Among the ordinance requirements are:
A registration process with the sponsoring Crete business providing monthly notifications of dates and times
- A stipulation limiting a truck to only twice a week in downtown.
- A requirement that the truck must be parked on the sponsoring business’s property or public road directly in front of that business (with village approval).
- Everyone at the meeting agreed that the current and future ordinance regulating mobile vendors “needs to be policed better.”
Seifert said she talked with Police Chief Scott Pieritz and he assured her that Crete PD can enforce the ordinance.
Although the issue was on the agenda again for the July 13 meeting, trustees postponed a vote until later this month.
Crete Village President Mark Wiater is optimistic that a happy medium can be reached.
“I certainly can see both sides of the story,” he said.
“It does seem obvious that a food truck can possibly hurt a brick-and-mortar business by stealing customers away from their business.
“The less obvious side is that the ordinance, as currently written, prohibits food trucks unless they are here at the request of, and sponsored by a brick-and -mortar business.
“So, by permitting food trucks, we could be hurting brick and mortars. and by banning them, we, too, could be hurting brick and mortars.
“We have at least 3 or 4 brick-and-mortar bars in town that have no food on at least some days of the week. These owners have said business is noticeably different without food.
“So, I think a happy medium needs to be found. Katrina Seifert has been working the ordinance modification and I think she’ll get it done. I do expect to discuss this at the meeting on July 27.”