HAINES CITY, Fla. — Haines City leaders are considering a new food truck ordinance, and many food truck owners are worried they may be unable to stay open.
Philadelphia natives Kim and Lenora Crawford were missing Philly’s famous cheesesteaks when they moved to Polk County nearly two years ago. So, the husband and wife recently decided to open a food truck business called Touch of Philly.
“We do all Philadelphia. We do Philadelphia fish hoagies; we do Philadelphia Italian water ice. Out here, they didn’t know anything about Italian water ice,” said Kim Crawford, co-owner of Touch of Philly.
Lenora has Stage-4 kidney failure. The food truck has allowed the family to stay on top of mounting medical bills.
"I'm waiting for a kidney donor, but there are things I need to get, like medicine and things. With the truck being closed down, we had to figure out how we were going to do everything," said Lenora Crawford, co-owner of Touch of Philly.
The Crawfords said the city forced them to shut down their food truck for not having a business tax receipt. When they went to apply for one, they were denied.
A proposed ordinance prohibits city staff from issuing new business tax receipts needed for mobile food vendors to operate legally. If passed, the ordinance would also ban food trucks from operating within 500 feet of any food establishment in Haines City.
Haines City commissioners are now considering revisions to the proposed ordinance after food truck operators and a Virginia nonprofit public interest law firm urged leaders to cease efforts to pass the "near-total ban."
The Institute for Justice said Haines City's food truck ordinance violates Florida state law as well as the U.S. Constitution.
Touch of Philly has reopened after being closed for three weeks. Whether the food truck will be allowed to remain in business is still up in the air.
“This is our livelihood y'all are playing with. This is our livelihood. Just imagine if somebody came to your job and said you can't work or you have to shut down. How would you feel?” Lenora Crawford said.
On Feb. 15, commissioners will hold a workshop to discuss changes to the ordinance.
