Lake Elsinore, CA – On the eve of the Pechanga Food Truck Festival, Riverside County Supervisor Candidate Kevin Jeffries pledged to end the most restrictive laws on food trucks in Southern California, a ban that prevents job creation, reduces revenues to the county, and deprives families of some of the most creative cuisine on the market today.

“Riverside County has the most restrictive laws on food trucks in Southern California,” said Jeffries.  “Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego Counties allow gourmet food trucks like those at the Pechange Food Festival to visit sports parks, outdoor festivals, industrial parks and commercial centers, providing fresh and interesting food within walking distance of customers.  Even San Bernardino County has now lifted their outright ban on food trucks, but Riverside County is still mired in ‘roach coach’ fear-mongering, and has almost entirely missed the latest food trend to sweep the nation.”

“Food trucks and other mobile food facilities are one of the classic small businesses in Southern California.  Even Carls, Jr. started off as a mere mobile food cart.  But Riverside County’s insistence on an outright ban has almost entirely prevented entrepreneurs with dreams of future success from selling their food here, forcing them to go to Orange, Los Angeles, and San Diego instead.  Ironically, Lake Elsinore is the home of a major builder of food trucks, creating manufacturing jobs in the district, but their clients are not allowed to sell their products here in Riverside County.  Preventing these small businesses from starting here costs the county critical jobs and sales tax revenues, even aside from depriving Riverside County residents the right to experience gourmet food trucks like Kogi BBQ, the Lime Truck, and the Nom Nom Truck, all of which have developed national reputations for creative, fresh food, but are not welcome here.”

“Good food, good hygiene, and good relationships between gourmet food trucks and brick and mortar restaurants are possible and are being demonstrated throughout Southern California.  Riverside County needs to come out of the culinary and bureaucratic Stone Age and bring sanity to the county health and business codes, so we can bring new jobs and new revenues to the county.  Ancient prejudices against food trucks should not be used as an excuse to prevent these small businesses from serving Riverside County.”

“While freeing the food trucks won’t balance our budget or solve our horrific unemployment rate by itself, it is an issue that symbolizes the hostility the county bureaucracy has displayed to small businesses across the board.  Legalizing gourmet food trucks is an easy and public way to send the message that Riverside County is now open and friendly to small business and willing to work with entrepreneurs who want to set up shop or sell their goods in our communities.”

Kevin Jeffries, a candidate for Riverside County’s 1st District Supervisorial District, is a small business owner himself, and his policies on job creation and fiscal restraint has earned him the endorsements of the California Small Business Association, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, and many other small business and community leaders in Western Riverside County.