The 2016 Food Trucks and Football event. (Photo: Daniel Nee)
The Brick Township council this week introduced an ordinance that would allow certain food trucks – known formally as “mobile food vendors” – to remain in one location for a longer period time than previously authorized.
Brick Township has two designations for food trucks, ice cream trucks and similar vehicles in town. Class I food trucks are permitted to remain in one place for two hours, while Class II food trucks are permitted to remain in place for 12 hours. The ordinance introduced this week would permit Class I vendors to extend the permitted amount of “stationary time” to six hours.
The township has updated its ordinances regarding food trucks previously – most recently in 2023 – to allow an increase in the maximum number of Class II licensed operators from seven to 10. Class I operators are not limited to a certain number of permitted businesses at a time, however they were required to remain significantly more “mobile” given the limited time periods.
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Officials have said the restrictions on food trucks and mobile food vendors has come as food trucks themselves have changed over the years. Some Brick residents may recall the “hot dog truck wars” of the 1990s, when disputes over food truck licensing was a major issue, as trucks began to proliferate on the side of seemingly every major road through town. The trucks were often unsightly and sometimes parked in public rights-of-way and on state property. In the decades since, however, food trucks have become much more popular as they also have become decidedly more upscale and trendy, often offering unique food seen as a benefit rather than an eyesore.
Food trucks may not operate in any location where they do not have permission from the property owner to do so.
The ordinance does not apply to food trucks permitted at special events such as Summerfest, nor those exempt from local ordinances through a statewide veterans’ licensing program.
The ordinance will be subject to a public hearing and second vote at the Oct. 8 meeting of the township council.
