Jackson Jambalaya

hmmm...brick and mortar requirement in section 4, #11. Seems that someone has been disingenuous lately.

Regarding permit applications, how can one have a permit "first come, first served" yet still be subject to a lottery if competing permits are present?

Actually, after reading it from a technical legal perspective, that is not a "brick and mortar" restriction favoring only restaurants in the City of Jackson. The "or" qualifies it.

If you own, operate, or contract with a restaurant, catering kitchen, or any other kitchen ANYWHERE that is approved for permit by the Department of Health, and that is your listed "central kitchen," then under that language you are eligible to operate a food truck in Jackson. If I had (or contracted with) a Department of Health approved kitchen in a catering business in Rankin or Madison county, I could do the food truck thing. It seems the only restriction is that the truck can't be the only kitchen, you have to have a licensed central kitchen SOMEWHERE.

Let's hope the language stays this loose and "the fix" is not in at the permit office.

I'd love to see a map of where these trucks can and cannot operate. I bet it'd look like a Jackson Pollock painting.

THIS IS TOTAL BULLSHIT. What if a guy wants to offer a simple mobile hot dog stand. Or if a person wants to start a restaurant but doesn't have the capital? Food trucks birthed restaurants all over the country, but noooo, we just HAVE to do it differently here.

We are so phucked up here in Jacktown.

Anon @1:17 - I see where you may be able to interpret Section 4-11 as you did. You may also interpret it as being a mobile extension of an existing restaurant or whatever central kitchen. The point is, this ordinance, as it stands, prevents someone independent of an existing restaurant/kitchen from operating. As Anon @1:38 so eloquently put it.

Don't sugarcoat it, 1:38!

Agreed, Darryl. They aren't letting someone with a kitchen on a truck get in the game. You gotta have a "central kitchen." On the one hand I can see them not wanting someone showing up, killing all the neighborhood dogs and cats, feeding them to us wrapped in a pita off the truck, and disappearing; but on the other hand it is a heck of a restraint on trade like 1:38 so eloquently (and correctly) pointed out.

Here's another possible way to get around it, though. Other than contracting with a kitchen somewhere to be your "central kitchen" isn't there a Health Dept. regulation that allows for mobile kitchens (on a trailer, in a truck, etc.)? I mean, actual mobile KITCHENS. And if that mobile kitchen is licensed for food service and you list it as your "central kitchen" giving the address for when it's parked at home, why can't it still be your "central kitchen" when it's parked downtown at serving lunch? Might not fly, but I'm trying here....I'm gonna go peak at the Health Department's regs....

This current ordinance will allow people to "partner" with existing kitchens/restaurants, pay them a "royalty" (graft) and sell as they wish.

So bass ackwards. So typical Mississippi.

KF will you post ordinances from other cities if they are available to you?

THIS IS NOT COMPLICATED. WE ARE MAKING IT THAT WAY.

Alright, just got back from my visit to the regs. There's nothing in the Mississippi or Federal USDA food service kitchen licensure regulations that say a licensed kitchen has to be on a concrete slab somewhere. It can be on a slab, on blocks, or on wheels from as far as I can tell by the regs. They even have some concessions for "mobile kitchens."

So, that seems to me to mean a central kitchen licensed by the Department of Health can be a mobile truck, as long as it's an honest to God licensed kitchen on wheels.

But as for a hotdog stand, I think that's still got to have a licensed kitchen somewhere to boil 'em up -- which sucks, 'cause I love me some Lucky Dogs!

I started looking into small hot dog trucks not carts last year. I found that all the books and info online talked about your commissary. Could be your local butcher that for a fee would store and refrigrate your food.
Stated checking around and found most, not all states require a central kitchen.

Like in California your truck has to be taken each night to a central commissary,park your truck and plug in your electric then go home. The central kitchen then completly clears your truck, yep you can't do it.

The next AM you go to the central kitchen stocks and pull you food order for the day. You have given them orders in advance it it out of the ordinary or special. They bill you and out you go to your clean truck and start your business day. That night you start the process all over again.

Added cost huge! Margins shrink! My idea for this area was as much lunch catering for business, events as it was street vending but with all this stuff, forget IT.

My hope is that these movers and shakers accept competition to make them better. It would appear that they are not fond of competition.

BS fueled by greed.

never had much of an opinion on j good, but after rereading his hyper-explanation with details that somehow got edited out the first time around, my opinion is: pseudo dudley do-right liar, laughing all the way to the bank.

I was in the deli business for over 25 years and totally agree with the ordinance. Brick and motar stores have restriction in their operation: zoning, licenses, hours of operation, who they may serve, be Safe Serve certified, inspected, and maintain security at their location. Brick and motar hire employees that help the economy by having a lower unemployment rate. Brick and motar can help build up a neighborhood and community. Brick and motars contribute bucks to local charity organization, schools, alumni groups, churches. Brick and motars pay real estate taxes.

what I am trying to say is make the playing field level---the food trucks need to pay more and have more restrictions because they contribute less to well being of the community and neighborhood. Also, the food trucks would have a greater potential for food borne pathogens.

I dare say that Mr. Goode is not afraid of the food trucks destroying his business. I think what he and other brick and motar locations want is to be treated equally and fair.

I'm not too familiar with this. Would this have any bearing to special events like the State Fair vendors or St.Paddy's day vendors?

The fix was in from the beginning. That was evident from the pic of the whiner meeting with the empty suit at Broad Street just hours before the Committee meeting.

"I was in the deli business for over 25 years and totally agree with the ordinance."

Have you been to other cities and experienced THEIR foodtrucks? Do you travel ANYWHERE? Do the other cities also have brick and mortar restaurants?

Why is JACKSON so out of the loop and trying to re-invent the wheel?

Anytime anyone tries anything in this hick ass stae, they are met with provincial opposoition.

Food trucks should have NO relevance to restaurants, and vice versa.

2.23
well said sir.

As a person who is currently working on a food truck project, I have no problem with the central kitchen part of the ordinance. There is very little room for storage, refrigeration or pretty much anything else on a truck. You need a place to clean your wares, store your produce and proteins and just put everything up at the end of the day. You can't do this safely out of your home. This is the same type of requirement that is put on caterers. You must have a kitchen that can be inspected. Period. How can you store your meat on a truck? keep it running all night? Plug it in somewhere? That is simply not reliable enough to be safe. A central kitchen is key to having a successful operation.

doesn't mean you hv to hv a restaurant connection.

Good for you 4:10. Now what about ME. I have a model A101 portable hot dog stand (see link)

http://www.worldsbesthotdogcarts.com/

I am out, while Jacksonville, Florida has 25 of these or like models.

I want to propose THIS for downtown Jackson.

As Tom Ramsey's partner in Gringo Tacos and Tortas, I concur with his comments. The current version of the ordinance is entirely workable. No "fix" was in that I'm aware of. Heck, even Ignatius Reilly had to get his hot dog cart from headquarters before tooling around NOLA. Look for Gringo soon!

Answer 4:37's question.

I note that they mention the 2% food tax but they did not mention the other 7% that has to be added to that, and they did not say that the State Bureau of Revenue requires a transient vendor's license and that they must display the license and also COLLECT and PAY the Mississippi Bureau of Revenue the 9%. It seemed to "talk around that". The Bureau of Revenue COLLECTS the sales taxes at the State Fair EVERY DAY!
And if beer is involved they have to have not only the transient sales tax license but a temporary beer permit.

Hey 10:12 - there is no question in 4:37's post. (Hint - the lack of that thingy the literate types call a "question mark" anywhere in his statement is a tip-off that he made a statement, rather than asked a question).

Thank you for playing though - next contestant please!

Hmmm...debate between those starting a food truck service and someone who has eaten from a food truck in other states and who claims, without a comparison example, that this ordinance is dramatically different from ordinances in other cities.
Who to believe?
If there are better ordinances to model out there, and I expect there may well be, give some to the city council, would you?

Have you ever known the Council to Look before they Leap?

To the anonymous person who made the statement (sic. question) about the hot dog cart:

I looked at the photo of the hot dog cart addressed above. You will still need somewhere to store your hot dog stand when not in use. You will still need a place to store your inventory and clean the hot-hold steam plans. You will need a place to clean your grill and your utensils. This cannot be done in your home. The Mississippi Department of Health has very strict rules about the cleaning and storage of food service materials and equipment. Thus, you would need a commissary or central kitchen that can be inspected by the health department and licensed.

I find it hard to believe that you spent the thousands of dollars on this piece of fine equipment without first checking the city ordinances or health department requirements, but I hope you get it up and running soon. There are few things better than a good street dog. Best of luck amigo! See you on the streets.

Tom Ramsey

Im sorry, but the majority of the restaurants in this area suck or are way too expensive. So why would we want to purchase their food from a truck? The purpose of a food truck is to offer a diverse selection of food. Is that what these restaurants are so worried about? These restaurants deal in high volume and have to keep their cost down. For example: ordering their food from china; using lower quality food. A food truck deals in lower volume and can offer higher/local quality food to the public. This ordinance clearly caters to the already wealthy restaurants owners. I guess they have their money in the politicians pockets. A prime example of why our state wont progress from the bottom! Give the lower-middle class a chance to live their dream too!

9:27 I bet that burger would get cold if they cooked it in China before shipping it to Lamar Street.

...yeah maybe not the burger but the trout will!!!