The Washington City Paper interviewed many food truck operators, the spokesperson for the Mayor (Pedro Ribeiro), and the Restaurant Association in this article posted yesterday and asked how they all felt about the new version of the proposed food truck regulations.  The summary is that many of our favorite food trucks are contemplating shutting down, while the Mayor’s office thinks it’s all hyperbole.

The one disturbing takeaway from the article is how Pedro Ribeiro, a spokesman for Mayor Vince Gray, says he is looking for more (read: alternative) opportunities for food trucks.  The spirit of the food truck revolution is that food trucks will find the customers in need, not that the government will tell the food trucks where they are allowed to serve. “They’re fixated on the downtown core,” Ribeiro says, but fails to recognize that that is where we, the fans, demand food trucks the most.

Of course, the Restaurant Association is trying to divert the conversation to one about public space usage, which is mostly irrelevant since everyday everyone has an equal opportunity to utilize public space.

The public comment period ends on April 8, and I am working on a list of points that we all can focus on when we write in to DCRA.  I will post an update when it’s ready! 🙂