In recent years, food trucks have become major destinations for people in Jacksonville and all of Florida. These mobile restaurants provide lively, unique dishes that you may not be able to find anywhere close by. Their meteoric rise has not only reinvigorated many businesses, but given new life to local events. However, that may all change with a new bill introduced by Jacksonville City Councilman Reggie Brown. Should the ordinance pass, food trucks may be legislated out of the city entirely. But these are not the only local eateries that have recently come under attack.
The new House Bill 1329, which was recently introduced by Representative Ray Wesley Rodrigues of Fort Myers, would put severe limitations on local small breweries. The Jacksonville attorneys at Farah & Farah support local business and have seen how much damage these bills would cause if signed into law.
Under Jacksonville’s current laws, food trucks do not have a defined use. The new bill would codify food trucks to comply with rules concerning zoning and land use. This would mean that trucks:
- Must have access to restrooms within 100 feet of operation,
- Be banned within 500 feet of a public park,
- Be banned from many parts of Jacksonville, including private property,
- Close by midnight
- Have no more than two on board refrigeration storage devices, and
- Undergo severe limitations for catering in residential and commercially-zoned neighborhoods.
With these regulations, food trucks would lose almost all aspects that allow them to operate and succeed in Jacksonville.
Concerning House Bill 1329, the potential law would impose multiple strict regulations on small breweries, including limitations to:
- Being able to sell to the public and create tasting rooms,
- Existing without a distributor,
- Providing guest taps on location, and
- Being able to pour collaboration beers.
Because so many small breweries collaborate with one another and promote different enterprises, the new bill would have a great impact on business models and the burgeoning industry. While long-standing breweries may be able to circumvent some of the regulations, any new brewery attempting to start up in Florida would be severely limited and likely experience great difficulties and damage to business.
The legal team at Farah & Farah stands behind food trucks and local breweries in Jacksonville. Make sure to get in touch with your local government representatives to let them know you stand against these legislations and are with local business.
