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Food trucks making inroads

Food trucks making inroads

LOS ANGELES —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

Rohde is the franchise owner of a Baja Fresh unit in the Miracle Mile neighborhood, next to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. It’s a vibrant spot that has become a popular gathering place for the growing number of food trucks—including the Calbi Fusion Tacos and Burritos truck concept owned by Baja Fresh chief executive David Kim—and their presence strains Rohde’s patience. —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

Though Rohde has not complained about the trucks, others—including his landlord—have, and city officials have cracked down, reducing parking limits in the area from two hours to one. The neighborhood has become a battleground of sorts illustrating the frictions many communities will likely face as the truck movement evolves from novelty to mainstream and mobile operators strive to carve out their place in the already competitive dining landscape. —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

The food truck movement isn’t limited to Los Angeles. Mobile-catering operations are multiplying in cities like New York; Washington, D.C.; Portland, Ore.; Nashville, Tenn.; and Dallas and Austin, Texas, as operators, including a growing number of chains, clamor to cash in on the phenomenon. But in Los Angeles, good weather year-round—and reports that local-media favorite the Kogi BBQ truck grossed $2 million in sales in its first year—have swelled the ranks to include many diverse operators with devoted Twitter followings. —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

Brick-and-mortar operators like Rohde see the trucks as not only stealing customer traffic but as having unfair competitive advantages in the way of lower fixed costs and less government regulation. At the same time, the truck operators are finding that they need to shed some of their cowboy entrepreneurialism and band together to fight off mounting adversity from foodservice brethren and scrutiny from lawmakers and other authorities. —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

“Everyone should have the opportunity to earn a living,” Rohde said of the trucks, “but without making it sound like sour grapes, in my mind they’re competing unfairly. They’ve definitely taken some of our business.” —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

Rohde’s perception of unfairness is one John Bowler, owner of Barbie’s Q, a food truck in Los Angeles offering St. Louis-style ribs and pulled-pork sandwiches, hopes to change. —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

Bowler is president of the fledgling Southern California Mobile Food Vendors Association, or SCMFVA, a group formed in January that is already 45 strong. The goal is to unite the growing number of food truck operators across the region to give them a voice politically and ease their way peacefully into the marketplace, especially through the use of so-called “mobile food courts” that are gaining traction in the area. Based on social-media searches alone, Bowler estimates there are at least 63 truck concepts in the greater Los Angeles area. —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

“The whole truck concept has changed from novelty to industry,” Bowler said. “There has been a paradigm shift.” —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

A longtime restaurateur who is currently looking for a brick-and-mortar location, Bowler said he understands Rohde’s pain, but he also wonders if Rohde fully appreciates that truck operators also have fixed costs, including rent, insurance, maintenance and payroll. —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

“My costs are even higher per square foot,” he said. —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

Lawmakers also are paying closer attention to the food trucks. For instance, Los Angeles city councilmember Tom LaBonge wonders if they are being routinely inspected by health department officials as well as whether grease is being dumped illegally. —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

LaBonge was behind last year’s Miracle Mile crackdown. During August 2009, truck operators said enforcement in the Miracle Mile area was particularly aggressive, with police not only citing parking violations but also asking for business licenses and other documentation. —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

Matthew Geller, vice president of the SCMFVA, saw the crackdown as an attempt to stifle free-market trade. —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

“City officials using a police force to stop competition—that makes me a little nervous,” he said. —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

Since then, the Miracle Mile crackdown has eased somewhat, but Rohde said he still sees truck operators accepting the $40 parking tickets as the cost of doing business. —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

LaBonge said it might be time for city lawmakers to take a look at the growing food truck movement with the goal of finding “balance.” —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

“The restaurant industry should have a voice in this,” he said. “It could be a growing phenomenon.” —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

Still, recognizing how popular the trucks are among consumers, LaBonge said he wants to hear from city planners about options such as creating zoned areas where trucks could set up shop in a way that doesn’t threaten existing businesses or residents. —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

The SCMFVA is already on it. —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

The association has begun organizing “mobile food courts” in lots across the city where member truck operators can gather with the blessing of the property owner. —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

The idea got off to a rough start, however. The first mobile food court created in a Santa Monica used-car lot in January attracted an estimated 1,400 people the first day, only to be shut down the next day by code enforcement officials. —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

“We were testing the waters, and perhaps we were a bit too ambitious,” said Geller, who blamed a misunderstanding of commercial-zoning regulations there. The property owner is now working with the Santa Monica City Council to reopen the lot. —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

Meanwhile, mobile-food-court lots have opened in downtown Los Angeles, and are soon to open in several other areas of the city. Available only to association members, space in the lots costs $50 per day. —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

Geller said he is working with police and other city officials to make sure all rules and regulations are strictly followed. Police officials have been supportive, he added, in part because the established lots eliminate problems with trucks taking up street parking, or clogging sidewalks with crowds of customers standing in lines. —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

Bowler said the mobile food courts are the way of the future. He envisions a city where truck operators can split their time between the lots, catered events and street surfing. —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

There is evidence that if trucks gather, customers will come. —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

In February, the first-ever L.A. Street Food Fest was held downtown with 30 trucks in attendance. Thousands of people showed up, waiting in line for up to two hours to taste everything from duck tacos to grilled cheese. —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

For operators like Bowler, such events are a sign of opportunities ahead. —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

“It’s all so new,” he said. “We’re all waiting to see how it shakes out.”— [email protected] —In a city that has embraced the gourmet-food-truck movement like no other, Dennis Rohde is not a fan.

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