SARTELL, MN – Food trucks can begin to flavor the streets of Sartell.

Earlier this month, the City Council approved an ordinance that allows the horse-powered kitchens to operate within Sartell. Food trucks already are allowed to operate in St. Cloud and have gained popularity downtown and at the Summertime by George! event.

Sartell council members voted to change the ordinance after vendors asked to operate within the city.

In the past, Sartell allowed food trucks that were not stationary for any amount of time and sold prepackaged food. The new ordinance allows self-contained food trucks or trailers to operate within the city, but the truck or trailer should be movable without a lot of disassembling.

Sartell’s move to allow the mobile kitchens is a good one.

The ordinance could have revenue ramifications on restaurants, but it’s not the government’s duty to protect a restaurant’s profit from going elsewhere. Food trucks in the city have a 50-foot limit on how close they can park to a restaurant. And in a metro area stacked with restaurants, food trucks certainly are not the only competition.

They are subject to the same whim of the marketplace as other businesses. Sure, location is a key factor in a business’ success and food trucks can move throughout cities, but vendors need separate licenses to operate in each city.

And restaurants can always operate their own food trucks.

Find the entire article at sctimes.com <here>