ORLANDO, FL – There’s a food war going on in the streets of Orlando. It’s between the city and certain food truck operators who say new rules are making it harder for food trucks to do business.

Food Truck owner George Markward “The Pastrami Project” started his business last year. He’s frustrated by new rules created by leaders with the City of Orlando that dictate how and where he can run his business.  “Personally, what worries me is that Orlando is the 800 pound gorilla, if Orlando puts these in place, it’s going drive the trucks out of Central Florida,” said Markward

New rules restrict where the trucks can park. They are not allowed in downtown Orlando and food truck operators are now forced to empty nearby trash cans in areas where they do business.

If they’re on private property they must get a notarized letter from the owner of the property.

If they are on private property they can only sell food one day a week.

“That’s really kind of tough for somebody with a truck to keep in business,” said Markward.

Representative Cassandra Lafser with the City of Orlando e-mailed the following statement to News 13:

The Orlando City Code did not allow for mobile food vending previously.  However, the City is embracing the recent popularity of mobile food vending, which has become quite a phenomenon in recent years…not just in Orlando but in other urban areas in the United States.  So, City staff worked with members of the mobile food vending community to establish this new two-year pilot program to allow mobile food vending in way that makes it easy for food trucks and carts to operate within certain areas in the City of Orlando.  The program went into effect when City Council approved it at the May 20th meeting.  As a pilot program, further changes can be made and the program may adjust as it goes.

Find the entire article by Margaret Kavanagh at cfnews13.com <here>