YORK, PA – Only one food truck can operate in York. Months after legislation allowing food trucks in the city cleared council and was signed by the mayor, the solicitor’s office has approved the only application it received.

That lone license holder, Abundant Life Outreach Inc., launched its transient vending service at the 250th York Fair, where the New Covenant Community Church’s ministry group served fried food from a GMC with a fully functional kitchen inside it.

The experience and exposure were good for the outreach group, said New Covenant Community Church Pastor Anthony Sease. And it was fun to see between 30 and 40 church members come together for a common goal, he said.

Set up behind the grandstand, the ministry kept its menu basic — fried chicken wings, fish nuggets and French fries. Sease said he wants to expand the truck’s menu next year. Until then, city residents can expect to see the Abundant Life Outreach food truck near certain city businesses during lunch, in city neighborhoods for dinner and at York City Bike Night, the Pennsylvania Farm Show, Foodstruck York and the Olde York Street Fair.

“The goal is not to go downtown and compete with restaurants,” Sease said.

Overly stringent?

Two prospective food truck applicants — both downtown merchants — hope to someday operate a food truck in York. But newly imposed regulations have Philip Given, co-owner of York City Pretzel, and Jordan Pfautz, co-owner of Baron Von Schwein, unmotivated to get their permits.

Food trucks can only serve patrons in the city’s Central Business District between 2 p.m. and 2 a.m., removing lunchtime in the city’s busiest blocks from possible hours of operation. And operators can’t park their trucks within 100 feet of a business whose owner doesn’t want them that close.

City council cleared those amendments by a 4-1 vote in August, four months after York Mayor Kim Bracey signed a bill without such restrictions.

Find the entire article at ydr.com [here]