Radio Commercial You Know This Is a Taco Truck
In July of 2019, Marissa Balonon-Rosen was at a crossroads in her life. She'd just graduated from law school on her way toward fulfilling her dream of becoming a public defender.
She had her whole life gear up post law schoolhouse. She'd landed her dream task in New Hampshire. She had an apartment all lined up in Manchester. The only thing standing in her fashion was a 16 hour examination, spread across 2 days: the bar test.
Marissa studied and hoped to pass, only she too didn't know what the future would hold. And so she turned to her good friend Miguel, who was also in law school with her, and created a plan B.
"Let'southward beginning a food truck in New Hampshire," said Marissa.
The thought was to start a food truck serving paella. Miguel is originally from Espana and the 2 had bonded over the rice dish.
"I was like, 'yo, you need to come upwards with some great recipe and we'll bring it to New Hampshire,'" said Marissa.
The day of the exam came and Marissa flew to New England to take it. And tragically, oh, so tragically, she passed the bar test.
Marissa followed through with her original plan to get a lawyer. She moved to Manchester and while she'southward adjusting very well, she does miss food truck culture in Austin.
And seeing then few food trucks around New Hampshire, Marissa reached out to Second Greatest to inquire, "Why is it so difficult to open and operate food trucks in New Hampshire?"
Conway
"Hey there! Welcome to Cheese Louise," said James Gaudreault.
James Gaudreault is 1 of the owners of Cheese Louise, a food truck that specializes in grilled cheese sandwiches.
Credit Cheese Louise Facebook
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"Nosotros're trying to come upwards with a proper name. I floated around… like we were gonna expect at Cheese On Wheels, Cheese For a Truck, The Mouse House," explained James.
James is a student at the University of Vermont in Burlington, only he and his business are originally from Conway. That'due south where they've operated for the past two summers.
James co-owns the food truck with two of his high school friends, Bryce Harrison and Ian Lubkin, but they're away at college during what's typically the off-season for Cheese Louise. And in their absence, James has found a patchwork of helping hands from college friends and roommates.
But while things seem to exist going okay for Cheese Louise in Burlington when we visited in January, it has not always been as carefree as the food truck lifestyle might seem.
James says they faced challenges from the very beginning. The biggest? Conway, where Cheese Louse began, has no official nutrient truck permit. Food trucks are and then new to the area that the permitting and zoning laws accept however to catch upwardly.
"The regulations that we are using to govern food trucks, which is a fairly recent miracle in the area, is the aforementioned regulations that take been put in identify long before food trucks ever came on the scene," explained Thomas Holmes, Conway Town Manager.
The just pick available to Cheese Louise was a temporary 14-day allow for special events. Every two weeks, James and his co-owners would apply for a new permit until the end of the season. Businesses are but allocated one special upshot permit per year so in addition to asking if they could park on their holding, Cheese Louise as well had to ask if they could use that business's let.
"And pretty much without neglect, every local business said, 'Absolutely. Nosotros're non using the days. Give it a try. We'd love to assist some young students and young entrepreneurs out,'" said James.
With the help of the community, Cheese Louise fabricated it work. That is until the end of the summertime of 2019.
"Nosotros plant ourselves for about two weeks just scrambling without a spot. So this is late August. At that place's heavy tourism. Information technology's a cute kind of gold last days of summertime where we should exist doing big numbers and we're just kind of losing coin and just bleeding pretty much," explained James.
Cheese Louise had three main problems at this point. I, they had exhausted all the temporary locations that were profitable in town. 2, their awarding for a zoning permit, which would let them to settle in a permanent spot, was rejected. And three, they'd opened a 2d business, Freeze Louise, a minor storefront serving ice cream sandwiches, that violated greenspace laws when they replaced the grass out front with gravel.
Frustrated, the three owners of Cheese Louise expressed their feelings in the only intelligible fashion one could: with a diss track posted on Facebook.
"I call back the specific twenty-four hours. We were coming dorsum from an event in southern New Hampshire, and we were just chatting about the frustration. What are we gonna exercise? How are we gonna detect our next location?" explained James. "Information technology wasn't that strategic or that pointed. But what's the worst that could happen? We'll find some exposure for our cause. We'll have some fun with it."
The video got over 20,000 views, and in response, people called the town to express their support of Cheese Louise.
"That'due south a new way to complain. I've never got a video complaint before," said Conway Town Manager Thomas Holmes. "I admired the video from a technical standpoint and, you know, from the innovation of it. Oh, look what the kids are doing."
In the end, Cheese Louise won some battles and lost others. They received a three twenty-four hour period extension on their temporary allow to operate until the end of the summer. A local turf business saw the video and helped them out with the greenspace trouble. As for securing a permanent location, though, that application remained in limbo.
Thomas Holmes says that he's open to working with food trucks to create a longer, seasonal license but that they need to work through the established systems, a organisation that requires a public vote. There'southward no fast lane to exercise this.
"The wheels of government move slowly, you lot know, especially when you're trying to change them," said Thomas.
Portsmouth
While Conway hasn't yet had the official chat virtually food trucks, other places, similar the city of Portsmouth, have had nutrient trucks on the radar for the past decade.
Portsmouth'southward nutrient truck laws accept been in identify since 2010. Food trucks are simply allowed in two designated spots in the downtown area, each spot priced at a minimum bid of $five,000 for the flavor. Food truck operators must also have access to a commercial kitchen.
But those 2 spots currently sit unclaimed. Some food truck owners we spoke with said the regulations steered them away.
According to New Hampshire Food Protection, there has been a 70% increase in food truck licenses in the final iii.5 years, although the overall number of food trucks still remains relatively depression statewide.
Rachel Forrest, a food writer at the Portsmouth Herald, has witnessed the tedious growth of food trucks on the seacoast and in New Hampshire more broadly.
"I remember beingness going to higher in New Brunswick, New Bailiwick of jersey, and all the food trucks were lined up and that'southward where you'd go after all the bars let out, you'd go become a cheese steak or y'all'd go get some, you know, greasy sandwich, a stromboli or a slice of pizza. And that'southward what a food truck was back then. Now nosotros're in a whole new historic period," described Rachel.
Rachel says that food trucks have become a bigger part of mainstream civilisation.
"People are getting actually good nutrient from nutrient trucks. And some chefs are going from a food truck concept to a brick and mortar eatery, making a go of it that manner," said Rachael.
In 2017, Portsmouth considered revising its regulations to make them friendlier to nutrient trucks. Former Portsmouth City Councilor Rebecca Perkins drafted the Portsmouth Food Truck Pilot Programme, a proposal that would aggrandize the areas where food trucks could operate, but simply during tardily night hours of 10pm to 2am. The plan also called for a lower cost to participate.
Rebecca believes that food trucks are one of many ways New Hampshire can retain and attract young people in the state.
Credit Dan Tuohy / NHPR
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"Food trucks are part of an ecosystem for immature people that I think represent variety and interesting amenities. And one of the primary concerns in New Hampshire is attracting and retaining young professionals," explained Rebecca.
"And and then I retrieve to the extent we can provide pieces of the ecosystem that they're looking for, I think that'due south an important office of the future economic system of our state, time to come of our borough boards, our elections. You know, basically everything in the state."
Just not everyone in Portsmouth shares Rebecca's view.
"My concern is parking regulations, bear on on traffic, sanitary regulations, trash regulations," said Mary Lou McElwain, a member of the Portsmouth Parking and Traffic Prophylactic committee.
She believes that Portsmouth is a vibrant community of businesses as is.
"My own feeling is that we accept so many restaurants both downtown and leading down Islington Street and all the manner down Lafayette that what is the need for nutrient trucks?" explained Mary Lou. "But too because of the number of restaurants, small restaurants that pay big bucks for renting in Portsmouth and nutrient trucks pay a fee to the city of Portsmouth, but they don't pay on a daily basis to use that infinite. So that's basically where I'k coming from."
Mary Lou recognizes that Portsmouth is a loftier rent metropolis but she thinks the downtown businesses demand protection. She isn't the merely one making this statement.
"I got some kickback from some local restaurateurs. Some local restaurants were concerned about losing business organisation," said Conway Town Director Thomas Holmes. "The way it was described to me is that, y'all know, we are here yr circular in the winter months. We lose money. We keep people employed year round. We can contribute dorsum to the community, and we pay property taxes. And so forth come these nutrient truck vendors, they open upward across the street, next door. They steal our lunch business and they're not paying property taxes and they're not hiring people year round. And they're hither at the prime time of the season with all this, you know, all the businesses to be made, all the coin is to be fabricated for the year. And they're non hither during the lean months when, you know, we're all struggling to pay for the heat, the electricity."
Rebecca Perkins, who proposed the pilot programme in Portsmouth, doesn't hold, arguing that food trucks and restaurants serve different needs.
"I experience like they're in very different markets simply from a starting point. You know, one is someone who wants to get out and spend $3 on some, you know, empanadas for dejeuner. And some other one is to sit downward and spend $13.95 on a salad and take table service, y'all know. And so those are different markets," said Rebecca.
Rachel agrees. "Information technology'south that food trucks are also a less expensive fashion to get quality food and various food and interesting food. Non everybody can beget to sit downward at a eatery and have a couple of drinks in a three form repast."
One common statement made in favor of nutrient trucks nationwide is that they give new chefs, especially immigrant chefs, a manner to start their ain businesses without breaking the bank.
"Well, it costs a lot of money to open a eatery. I know information technology's a dream for so many people… It's difficult on your family life. It's difficult on your bank book. It tin can utilise upwardly every single dollar you lot have. Information technology can use up your child's college fund. It can use up your pension, your parents alimony. And then nutrient trucks are a way to start off every bit an entrepreneur," said Rachel.
But congestion and racket in a dumbo downtown is a constant worry in Portsmouth. Lots of constituents testified at this meeting, expressing many of the same concerns as Parking Committee Member Mary Lou McElwain.
Ultimately, the committee voted against the proposal and the program was dropped. And so the regulations have stayed the same: 2 spots at a $5000 minimum bid.
Portsmouth isn't completely without food trucks; they just don't operate on city designated spots. Some are located on private belongings or are open solely for special events.
For Mary Lou, the city's regulations help to preserve Portsmouth and its businesses fifty-fifty if it deters interested nutrient trucks.
"I remember that's the purpose of it. I do. And I don't have a problem with that considering I don't recall that nutrient trucks should be on the street," explained Mary Lou. "Well, I'g talking nearly historical Portsmouth. I'm talking about streets that have historical buildings, their narrow streets, y'all know, versus some areas of Boston, for instance, or Springfield, Massachusetts, or New Bedford, you know, larger cities, but besides larger downtowns."
Across the Piscataqua River in Maine, the food truck scene is quite dissimilar. Kittery opened a Food Truck Pod in 2019, a venue where multiple food trucks can park and serve food. In Wells, there'south another nutrient truck park called Congdon's Later on Dark, and Portland has its own special scene, too.
As for Portsmouth becoming a bustling food truck hub like Rebecca envisioned with her proposal… that'due south nonetheless very much a pipe dream.
State and Local Regulations
Tony Elias owns The Spot To Go nutrient truck, previously known as Made with Love 603, in Manchester. Tony wanted a nutrient truck for the reason a lot of people do: he wanted to be his own boss. He likewise wanted to cook the foods he grew up eating - empanadas and jibaritos, Puerto Rican food.
I of the biggest challenges he faces are the fifteen self-licensing towns, towns with their own unique requirements to operate. In a pocket-size land similar New Hampshire, without major population centers, moving around to unlike towns and cities is essential to being profitable.
We started with our listener question: why is it and so hard to open up a food truck in NH? But we also wondered if the premise of that question was even true. Is it harder to open a nutrient truck in New Hampshire?
Tony says aye.
"I find New Hampshire to exist the hardest identify to do things," he said.
But he does, to a certain extent, sympathize the reasoning behind the regulations.
"I wish they would all just assemble, every single boondocks. And say, all correct, this is what's going to be universal through all of them. But make it standard, because information technology's almost like they contradict each other every boondocks you go to. You lot can't follow every unmarried rule and guideline through all these towns," said Tony.
Tony isn't lone in wishing the state had 1 centralized licensing process. This somewhat radical idea is reality in Rhode Island, where the legislature created a single license for food trucks across the country in 2018.
Sometimes, the difficulty of managing the different rules convinces someone to close up shop.
That's what happened with the Dejeuner Lady Food Truck, which used to be a staple at the Everett Arena in Concord. And so, it went down to four days a week; then just special events. In February, JJ Hall, yep, the Lunch Lady herself, decided to sell the truck.
"And, you lot know, I just kind of lost the passion. I got to a betoken where information technology became too much. Both. Not necessarily mentally, but physically," said JJ. "And the carmine tape. I mean. You know, I got into this so I didn't have to piece of work for everyone else. But and so, yous know, following all the rules and going from town to town and making sure, you know, that you have everything that that town requires where another boondocks wouldn't, you know, it just. I only got to be besides much like, you know what? Time to find something else to do.
As much as Tony might be annoyed at times, he has made his peace with the processes in New Hampshire.
For Tony, the challenges of abiding by regulations pale in comparison to the other challenges of running a kitchen on wheels. A crash-land in the route can ruin the whole day.
"Do you lot know what it is to prep food for hundreds of people, and become into your food truck and your fridges and your deli compartments all open up and all that food that you spent all night prepping all over the floor?" said Tony of that bump. "The bungee string popped off. All of that food everywhere. Everywhere, everywhere. Oh my god."
This is kind of what you're signing up for when you run a nutrient truck: high highs, depression lows, and lots and lots of heartache.
"Yous gotta be patient. Merely the strong survive," said Tony. "Considering at the end of the solar day, I'm blessed. I could be so aggravated that the gas didn't work today. At the end of the day, I'm blessed. You got a food truck, dude. That guy over there doesn't take a food truck. That guy doesn't have it. Yous do."
Many New Hampshire food trucks do the occasional outcome in Massachusetts or Boston, and they merits that the regulations are a lot more relaxed there.
In 2018, the United states Sleeping accommodation of Commerce Foundation compiled a written report, ranking cities across America on only how food truck friendly they are. New Hampshire wasn't included in the written report, but its close neighbor Boston was.
Boston was ranked dead last out of 20 cities when it came to ease of acquiring permits and licenses.
If Boston is on the lesser of the list, where does that put New Hampshire?
Source: https://www.nhpr.org/second-greatest/2020-04-01/you-asked-we-answered-why-is-it-so-hard-for-food-trucks-in-n-h
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