Surf City debates food trucks

SURF CITY, NC (WWAY) — Food trucks are a hot topic in Surf City. One unclear ordinance has local restaurants upset.

The town has historically banned food trucks in Surf City but, the Salty Turtle Beer Company had the first food truck on their property in late August. Restaurant owners are not happy.

“They have to do all this work and then a food truck can just drive into a parking lot near them make lots of sales and be gone,” said long-time Surf City Resident Dorothy Royal.

She has eaten at every local restaurant in town but, she says food trucks are rolling into town serving up a debate.

“Breweries and food trucks are like a picture perfect duo kind of thing,” said Salty Turtle Beer Company Owner Daniel Callender. “They go hand and hand. ”

When the restaurant opened in December 2017, Callender said there were limited food options in Surf City opened late. When he first asked about food trucks, he said the town told him food trucks were not allowed. In May, he asked the town for the ordinance that banned food trucks but, the language was unclear.

“The town did say food trucks weren’t allowed unless you owned the food truck,” said Callender. “Obviously, we don’t want to buy a food truck. So, we kept pushing for it and read into the ordinance and hired an attorney to battle that ordinance and here we are with food trucks now.”

A business partnership calendar says will continue .

At the last Surf City council meeting, the town addressed possibly drafting a new ordinance but there was huge debate.

WWAY reached out to multiple local restaurant owners to hear their side but did not hear back.