akron ohio logoAKRON, OH – Akron City Councilman Jeff Fusco (D-at large) will chair a committee tasked with researching the topic of food truck vendors in the city of Akron.

The Akron City Council is looking into joining other cities like Canton and Cleveland that have allowed food trucks to sell prepared meals on city streets.

The topic has headlined several recent Akron City Council meetings as representatives from the local food truck industry have spoken to urge Council to consider changing city law to allow the operation of food trucks in Akron. Currently, it is against the law in Akron to sell goods from a vehicle, with the exception of ice cream trucks.

Representatives from Downtown Akron Partnership and the city’s brick-and-mortar restaurants have pushed back, fearing that locally owned restaurants would suffer a decline in business if food trucks were permitted to operate in the city.

Fusco announced at the July 8 Council meeting that the following individuals will serve on the committee: Councilwoman Margo Sommerville (D-Ward 3), owner of Sommerville Funeral Home; Veronica Sims, an Akron Public Schools Board of Education member; Suzie Graham, of Downtown Akron Partnership; Guido D’Orio, of NEOSHRED, and a member of the North Akron Board of Trade; and John Buntin, of Kenmore Komics, and a member of the Kenmore Board of Trade. In addition, Fusco said, representatives from both the food truck and brick-and-mortar restaurant industries will be consulted as experts.

Fusco said the committee is gearing up for a thorough and lengthy exploration of the matter.

“We look forward to moving forward with this,” Fusco said. “It’s going to take a lot of time. We want to make sure we’re very thorough … so we can make informed decisions.”