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Chattanooga City Council looking at food truck rules

From left, Jake Stevens and Rowan Slinger work in the grilled cheese emergency! food truck at the Chattanooga Market on Sunday. The city council is considering new rules for food trucks on city property.
From left, Jake Stevens and Rowan Slinger work in the grilled cheese emergency! food truck at the Chattanooga Market on Sunday. The city council is considering new rules for food trucks on city property. From left, Jake Stevens and Rowan Slinger work in the grilled cheese emergency! food truck at the Chattanooga Market on Sunday. The city council is considering new rules for food trucks on city property.

By Judy Walton 2 min read

Chattanooga City Council members coming up with regulations for food trucks tinkered with the recipe a bit Tuesday.

Council members have been talking for months about accommodating the popular rolling kitchens while not harming brick-and-mortar restaurants. They got a first draft of an ordinance early in May and got an update at their agenda session from Blythe Bailey, director of the city transportation department.

Bailey and the city’s legal department are looking at where food trucks could operate on city streets or public property, such as parks. Owners would have to get permits both to operate the trucks and to park on city streets to serve hungry customers.

Bailey showed council members a map of a proposed food truck zone in the heart of downtown.

Trucks with permits would be allowed to operate in an area bounded by M.L. King Boulevard and East 11th Street to the north and south and Market Street and Georgia Avenue to the west and east.