The Grover Beach City Council will consider updating City codes to allow ongoing operation by food trucks and other mobile vendors following a discussion at its June 14, 2021 meeting, opening the door for the potential expansion of food truck activity in the City. The Council’s exploration of mobile vending is in line with the City’s ongoing efforts to support small businesses and expand economic activity in commercial areas. The Council also recognized the community’s embrace of popular mobile food vendors in the City through GBeatZ, an ongoing food truck space which currently operates under a temporary use permit along West Grand Avenue.
“The Council continues to work with our residents and business community to find ways of encouraging economic activity, drawing visitors to Grover Beach, and helping our commercial areas thrive,” said Grover Beach Mayor Jeff Lee. “We look forward to providing opportunities for expanding food truck and mobile vendor activity in a thoughtful manner while also supporting our restaurants and other storefront businesses.”
Food trucks have gained popularity with consumers due to the convenience and novelty of being located in different places at different times (often at festivals or special food truck events), the creativity and liveliness associated with food trucks, and the unique types of cuisine offered. Food trucks can also be beneficial for local economic development as they can provide low-cost and low-barrier business opportunities for food entrepreneurs, bring diverse dining options to areas that may have few or no brick-and-mortar restaurants, and generate foot traffic and customers who may also support other nearby local businesses.
Under the City’s existing codes, mobile vendors are prohibited from operating on the City’s public rights-of-way with the exception of ice cream vendors. The City’s codes do not address the operation of mobile vendors on private property, which has required the Community Development Department to issue temporary use permits for special events on private property. GBeatZ, a privately operated recurring event featuring a variety of food trucks, was authorized last year based on Council direction to assist local businesses and property owners during COVID-19 restrictions. Currently open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesdays through Sundays at 675 West Grand Avenue, GBeatZ has drawn customers to the area and stimulated economic activity.
“Residents, local businesses and visitors alike have supported these mobile vendors that have operated in our city over the last year,” said City Manager Matthew Bronson. “This activity has proven to be complementary to our existing storefront businesses, and it’s something that we’re interested in expanding to help bring more dining choices and economic activity to our community.”
In light of the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and the community’s ongoing interest in supporting food truck activity, the Council will consider updating the current codes to accommodate and address mobile vending on both public and private property in the long term. City staff will present proposed updates to City codes this fall.