martybegan
Diamond Member
- Apr 5, 2010
- 83,353
- 34,479
Louisville Food Trucks Sue to End City’s Corrupt Bargain with Restaurant Lobby - Institute for Justice
While I can understand the concerns of the traditional restaurants and sandwich shops have about the competition, the law to me seems grossly tilted towards stifling all trucks from competing. The city can regulate food trucks, but this is as close to a de facto ban as one can get.
The similar food thing also seems shady to me, particularly when a restaurant or store just adds items similar to the food truck items to make them move away.
Should Louisville fine and tow its food truck scene out of the city just to protect brick-and-mortar restaurants from healthy competition? That is the question raised in a new federal lawsuit filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky by two local food truck owners—Troy King of Pollo and Robert Martin of Red’s Comfort Foods—and the Institute for Justice (IJ).
The lawsuit aims to overturn the Derby City’s ban on food trucks selling their delicious products within 150 feet of any restaurant that sells similar food—even on private property. Because of the 150-foot proximity ban, food trucks cannot work in large swaths of Louisville without first obtaining written permission from their restaurant competitors. But even if a restaurant grants permission, it can revoke that permission at any time without notice. Worse still, restaurants can and have forced nearby food trucks to shut down by strategically adding similar food items to their menus.
While I can understand the concerns of the traditional restaurants and sandwich shops have about the competition, the law to me seems grossly tilted towards stifling all trucks from competing. The city can regulate food trucks, but this is as close to a de facto ban as one can get.
The similar food thing also seems shady to me, particularly when a restaurant or store just adds items similar to the food truck items to make them move away.