By Adam Swift
Several city councillors are looking for a potential change in the ordinance regulating food trucks in Revere.
At last week’s council meeting, Ward 4 Councilor Paul Argenzio and Ward 1 Councilor Joanne McKenna introduced a measure asking to amend the food truck ordinance. The change would prohibit food trucks from operating on Broadway in front of City Hall and the American Legion, but would allow them to operate in other areas of the city which were previously approved.
The motion was moved to a public hearing on March 25.
After hearing from the owners of one of the food carts that operates in front of City Hall, Argenzio said he would be willing to work with them and other business owners to come up with a solution to address issues he and local business owners have raised.
“On the first day I took office, I heard from three restaurants on Broadway that the food trucks in front of the Legion and City Hall on Broadway were affecting their lunch-time business and their supper business, and a couple of them were thinking they might close for lunch now,” said Argenzio. “I don’t think the spirit of the ordinance was to adversely affect brick and mortar restaurants. There is still a provision in the ordinance that pertains to special events, so they could apply for permits for the fall festivals or Sunday night concerts.”
Both Argenzio and McKenna also said they have received complaints from residents in the area about the noise coming from the generators used to power the food trucks.
Councillor-at-Large Robert Haas, III said he was hesitant to take business away from anyone in the current economic times, and asked if there could be a designated area where the food trucks could operate.
Argenzio noted that the other locations in the ordinance that allow for the operation of food trucks on Shirley Avenue, Beachmont Square, and along the beach would not be affected.
At last week’s meeting, the owner of the Esquite Mexican food truck that operates on Broadway said the change in the ordinance would adversely affect his business. He notes that he operates a smaller food cart that does not serve the same food as the surrounding businesses, and that the revenue is needed to help support the other two brick and mortar restaurants he operates in the city.
Ward 2 Councillor Ira Novoselsky noted that their business on Broadway used a smaller vehicle that did not impact the neighborhood as much and asked if the council could work with them and the local restaurant owners to address all their issues.
“In the discussion with the restaurant owners it is tough to pick one over the other,” said Argenzio. “Nobody had a problem really with the cart that these gentlemen own because it didn’t impact their business because of what they sold.”
However, Argenzio said there was a larger food truck that operated in the area that local restaurants did view as direct competition.
“I’m willing to work something out, I certainly don’t want to impact anyone’s business or livelihoods, but the spirit of the (ordinance) was not to adversely affect brick and mortar restaurants, and we do have to deal with the impact on the neighborhoods with the generators running,” said Argenzio.
