Gilroy's Food Trucks: A New Era of Downtown Vibrancy

Food trucks are rolling into Gilroy with a fresh set of rules. The city council has given the green light to a new pilot program. This program is a big step forward from the old rules. The old rules were made for ice cream trucks and were pretty strict. Food trucks had to move every 10 minutes and go through background checks. That was not practical for food trucks. The new program is more flexible. Food trucks can now operate freely in Gilroy. They just need to follow some basic rules. This change is a big win for food truck owners and local businesses. Many people showed up at City Hall to support the new program. They waved signs and cheered for the change. The city had been letting food trucks operate without much trouble for the past year. But recently, the council started enforcing the old rules again. This caused some problems. Some downtown businesses saw a drop in customers. Food truck owners argued that they bring life to downtown. They attract more people and create a lively atmosphere. The city council listened to these concerns. They created a plan to balance the needs of everyone. The new program will allow food trucks to operate in designated areas. They can also be invited to private properties. This way, food trucks can bring in more business without taking away from existing restaurants. For the first 60 days, food trucks can start operating right away. They just need the right permits from the county and state. After that, they will need a Gilroy business license and a mobile vendor license. These licenses cost $100 and $158 respectively. The city wants to make it easy for food trucks to start working. The new program has some limits. Food trucks can't operate along Monterey Street and side streets in the downtown core. But they can operate in designated areas and private properties. The operating hours vary by location. In the downtown core, food trucks can operate until 2 a. m. On private property, they can operate until 12 a. m. In residential zones, they can operate until 10 p. m. This new program is a big deal for Gilroy. It shows that the city is open to new ideas and willing to adapt. Food trucks can bring in more customers and create a lively atmosphere. But it's important to balance this with the needs of existing businesses. The new program is a step in the right direction. It's a chance for Gilroy to become a more vibrant and exciting place to be.