Napa Puts A Stop To Food Truck Fridays

The City of Napa has cracked down on Food Truck Friday, that extemporaneous gathering of food trucks near Oxbow Market that's been happening the first Friday of every month since September. Dim Sum Charlies food truck owner Andrew Siegal started the event out small with three trucks and it steadily built steam to become nine trucks strong, a community meeting place with large Twitter and Facebook followings to prove it.

The City says he needs to purchase a use permit, which could take three months and cost up to $10,000. Since The Napa Valley Register says Food Truck Fridays were operating at a loss of $500 per event, we assume the $10,000 permit cost is prohibitive. The event was also operating under several code violations: they need ramps to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, non-Napa-based trucks need to get Napa permits, and the ABC says their unpermited BYOB situation needs to stop. So, lots of issues.

Siegel fears the crack-down will cause his event to lose steam as he regroups, but supporters of Food Truck Fridays are banding together on Facebook. And although we haven't yet learned if Siegel will pursue a permit, Former Food Truck Friday participant Mark Raymond of Mark’s the Spot is taking action. He's started another Food Truck Friday event, this one in St. Helena every third Friday of the month next to Flora Springs Winery.

· Napa halts Food Truck Fridays, requires use permit [NVR]

[Photo: SFoodie]