Brandon Buckley, owner of the food trucks Rise and Grind and A-Town Pies and Fries, advocates for changes to make vending spots on East Union Street more accessible and user-friendly for vendors and customers.
According to Title 11, Chapter 11.04 of the Athens Code of Ordinance, food trucks must pay their license fee, have a retail sales license from the city and obtain a vendor ID card.
The food truck's license fee, which is $200 per month, covers 20 feet. If the truck’s size exceeds 20 feet, the owner applies for a “variance” through an appeal board composed of two members of the City Council, the service-safety director, and a merchant and vendor. For every 20 feet the truck exceeds, the owner must pay another $200.
“What we would like is to still have the 20 feet,” Buckley said. “If you go over 20 feet, maybe you have to pay $10 or $20 extra per foot, that way you don't really have to worry about this extra space.”
Buckley also wants the spots to be more trailer accessible. Some food trucks cannot be driven but are towed and unhitched where they serve. To do this, he suggests the city change the time trucks can start parking in the spots during the week so other vehicles can start parking in the East Union vendor spots at 4 p.m. instead of noon.
“The biggest issue that we have is after (noon) during the week, cars can park at any of those spots, so you might get locked in or if (the vehicles) come earlier and you can't get parked,” Buckley said.
Buckley had the idea eight years ago when he was forced to leave his A-Town Pies and Fries Truck overnight after being blocked in.
“I got refrigeration,” Buckley said. “I have different things like that where I need to get home and get it plugged in, so if I can’t get plugged in, then I'm ruining products.”
Buckley said that is the main reason A-Town Pies and Fries and many other trucks do not park on East Union Street.
“I’ve talked to several different owners, and they said they would like (the street) to be more useful for us vendors,” Buckley said. “If we want to have this whole zone and if it's user-friendly, then we can have more trucks up here and use it more often.”
Buckley noted that the food truck industry is one of the fastest-growing food industries.
According to the Grandview Research Report’s “Food Trucks Market Size & Share Report, 2021-2028,” the global food trucks market size was valued at $3.93 billion in 2020.
“I do a lot of traveling, and I really find food trucks,” Buckley said. “Sometimes that's the best food you'll have.”
Sofie Wuertemberger, a junior studying environmental science and sustainability, said she constantly finds herself enjoying a cup of coffee from Rise and Grind and food from the Chick-fil-A truck.
“When I first saw them parking (on East Union Street), I was kind of like ‘It's kind of an eyesore, they're taking up parking spots and do they really need more restaurants here?’” Wuertemberger said. “Now that I've had a couple of them, I see the appeal of them.”
Birdy Korson, a sophomore studying English, said the trucks also give students a convenient way to get food between classes.
“I feel like it's really convenient to be able to have the option of stopping by a food truck and grabbing some food instead of having to go to a whole dining hall, or go into a restaurant and take your time to sit down for your food,” Korson said.
Wuertemberger said she thinks having more trucks at East Union Street is a good idea but is worried about its effects on parking and maneuverability.
“I know that my friend has to drive to class because she's in a boot right now,” Wuertemberger said. “She has to park on (East Union Street) for her Schoonver class, and that was maybe a hindrance.”
Buckley plans to talk to the City Council about his idea once Ohio University students leave for winter break. He wants the Council to know he wants to work together with them instead of against them.
“It's not a big issue for a lot of people but … this is my livelihood, how I make my money, how I pay my bills,” Buckley said. “Anything to make it easier and more accessible, that's what I would like to do.”
