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LAKELAND, FL – Restaurant owners were skeptical a year ago when Lakeland decided to hold food truck rallies once a month in downtown.

All they could think about what stiff competition.

“I don’t think anybody liked it, as far as all the business owners and restaurant owners. We were kind of worried about it taking business away from us,” said Giovanni Moriello, Owner of Palace Pizza.

His logic seemed on target — thousands of people flocking to trendy food trucks could kill his pizza-loving crowds.

But it didn’t.

“We started seeing that every time there was a food truck rally we would get more busy,” he said.

Black and Brew noticed the same trend, also opposite what the owner originally feared.

“Actually from the very first food truck rally we experienced a big influx in business,” said Owner Chris McArthur.

He estimates they saw a 30-percent boost in business the night of the first rally a year ago, and it’s been keeping steady ever since.

Find the entire article at abcactionnews.com <here>