21.8.C.4 Mobile Food Truck

These standards regulate mobile food trucks located on private property. The following standards apply:

a.  Mobile food trucks are permitted in any non-residential zoning district.

b.  If the mobile food truck operator is not the owner of the site where the truck or trailer will be located, written permission from the property owner shall be submitted as part of the temporary use permit application.

c.  All mobile food trucks shall be registered in the State of Louisiana. Any drive of a mobile food truck shall possess a valid Louisiana Driver’s License. 

d.  All mobile food vendors shall comply with all other applicable conditions and requirements imposed under the law, and shall comply with all applicable City and State health laws and regulations. All sales tax returns and other reports required by the City Code shall be provided to the appropriate City departments as required.

e.  No mobile food vendor shall sell goods, wares, or other items of merchandise other than victuals. 

f.  Sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited.

g.  The hours of operation for a mobile food truck shall be between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., unless a later closing hour is approved as part of the temporary use permit.

h.  During business hours, the permit holder shall provide a trash receptacle on-site for customer use and shall keep the area clear of litter and debris at all times. The trash receptacle shall be large enough to contain all refuse generated. Mobile food vendors are responsible for all cleaning all refuse and debris on-site and within a fifty (50) feet radius.

i.  No mobile food vendor shall operate any horn, sound amplification system, or other sound-producing device or music system that can be heard outside the mobile food truck when such food truck is being operated on-site.

j.  Outdoor seating may be provided on-site, but no seating may be permanently installed and shall be removed when food is not served and when the mobile food truck is not on-site.

k.  A permanent water or wastewater connection is prohibited. Electrical service may be provided only by temporary service or other connection provided by an electric utility, or an on-board generator. Discharge into the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) is prohibited.

l.  Drive-through service is prohibited.

m.  A mobile food truck is limited to signs attached to the exterior of the truck or trailer that shall be mounted flat against the truck or trailer with a maximum projection of six (6) inches, and one (1) A-frame sign. Signs may only identify the name of the product, product process, and/or name of the vendor.

n.  A mobile food truck located within an accessory off-street parking lot that operates during the same hours as the principal use may only occupy up to a maximum of ten percent (10%) of the parking spaces of such lot, including the vehicle, seating areas, and trash receptacles.

o.  In non-residential zoning districts, if the principal use is closed, or the parking spaces in the lot are non-accessory and not providing required parking spaces for another use, mobile food trucks may operate five (5) days per week, requiring four (4) spaces per truck, in compliance with the standards of Section 21.8, Temporary Uses, 21.8.C.4 and their temporary use permit. If occupying a vacant lot, one thousand (1,000) square feet per truck is required.