"In looking at the pilot program for Greensboro's downtown food trucks
I cannot help but wonder if the program
has been designed so that Greensboro food trucks are destined to fail.
For starters is the mystery surrounding the downtown food truck ban.
...if you go back through the videos of city council meetings
you will not find any discussion of the ban
and yet it appears in the written minutes.
...I asked Mayor Robbie Perkins
if his company was leasing any downtown restaurant properties
and, if so, if that might present a conflict of interest for him
on city council's consideration of allowing food trucks downtown.
This was his reply:
"We have a kitchen space at Spring Garden and Edgeworth.
We have several restaurant spaces available in other areas of Greensboro.
No conflict in voting on food trucks."
Greensboro Mayor Robbie Perkins
As it turns out, that's not accurate.
The mayor's company, NAI Piedmont Triad,
is the leasing agent for at least two downtown restaurant properties.
...Then there's the rates: $650.00 a month to be paid to the City of Greensboro
on top of the ordinary expenses of operating a specialty built truck...
...what business is it of the City
what the menu and prices of said food trucks are?
Do Downtown Greensboro's 45 restaurants have to submit menus and prices to the City
before they're allowed to do business?
Are their hours of operation restricted?
...City Council passes laws allowing things to take place
but adds so many restrictions
that it becomes impossible for such a venture to become profitable
for those who aren't already politically connected.
...we get a faux food truck ordinance designed to fail
so that our politicians can make the claim that they allowed the food trucks to come
but the operators weren't interested..."
Billy Jones
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