The City of Miami Beach will allow a limited number of food truck roundups, starting as early as June. The issue of having food trucks on Miami Beach was pushed back many times, as local restaurants felt it would take away business.
On May 9, the Miami Beach City Commission moved forward with a long-discussed (and fiercely debated) pilot food truck program in North Beach. The program was first introduced jointly by city commissioners Michael Gongora and Edward L. Tobin over a year ago as a means of encouraging more resident activity in North Beach, but was finally passed this week. Latin Burger's Jim Heins represented food truck owners at the meeting, stating that roundups would encourage families to experience North Beach.
The pilot program would work on a three-month trial basis in which a
monthly food truck roundup would be held at the municipal parking lot on
72nd Street and Collins Avenue. In addition to the food trucks, there
is talk of a city event, possibly involving live music, at the North
Beach Bandshell. The city has agreed to pull the permits for the
events.
In a monthly email sent to Miami Beach residents, commissioner Gongora
stated that he hopes "this pilot program is successful as a means to
encourage business in this area and also bring more customers to our
existing businesses in North Beach. Gongora also added that the city
sanctioned events would help "draw people there and discourage the
delinquents and panhandlers that we often receive complaints about in
this area of North Beach."
Margueritte Ramos with the Normandie Sud Homeowners
Association, is a big proponent of bringing food trucks to North Beach.
"I was at the meeting and was very pleased that this pilot program
finally passed," she told Short Order. She said the planned food
truck roundups will be designed so that local restaurants will play an
important role in the events, which should lead to increased business
for all. "We're inviting local restaurants to have tables at the events
where they could sample food, hand out menus. We're even discussing
whether or not they could sell wine and beer, since the food trucks
can't."
Ramos is also hoping that the North Beach food truck
events bring increased awareness and business to local restaurants by
enticing residents of neighboring South Beach and Mid Beach to come for
the roundups and discover new places to eat. "This is a great
neighborhood and I'm looking forward to having people come and enjoy
good food, good music, and the beautiful beach."
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