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Sean Lagmay, left, and Victor Madrigal enjoy their lunch at the Mariscos taco truck on Friday morning. The city of Lodi is considering a limit on mobile food vendor vehicles. (Jennifer M. Howell/News-Sentinel)
City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks
While eating shrimp tostadas outside of the Mariscos taco truck on Kettleman Lane, Victor Madrigal said he usually gets lunch at the truck four times a week.
He believes there should eventually be a limit on how many taco trucks are in Lodi, but he says there is still room for variety.
"I've been here 10 minutes, and there is a large number of people here," Madrigal said.
His co-worker, Sean Lagmay, said he likes the trucks because they are cheaper, faster and more convenient than traditional fast food. He believes the free market will regulate the number of trucks.
"There shouldn't be a limit," Lagmay said. "If they fail, that's their fault."
Lodi city staff are looking at the possibility of capping the number of trucks in the city, after the Lodi City Council had concerns about more trucks popping up around town.
In 2008, there were 16 taco trucks permitted by the city, and in 2009, there were 22. Before 2008, the city didn't require a mobile food vendor permit for the vendors.
The city started requiring permits after several council members expressed concern about whether mobile food vendors had the correct health permits and business licenses, said Joseph Wood, neighborhood services manager.
The permit allows the city to be able to respond if there is an issue, such as a nuisance vendor, Wood said. The city can add conditions to the permit or suspend it.
Candace Soloman gets her veggie burrito from Tacos Ocho on Friday at Lodi Avenue and Main Street. (Jennifer M. Howell/News-Sentinel)
The community development department has heard very few complaints about the taco trucks, including the ones near residential areas, Wood said. With the new permitting process, the department performs spot checks to see if there are any problems with the trucks.
One of the problems Wood spotted was a taco truck had a non-approved water connection because it didn't have a hose that met state health requirements. The taco truck owner removed the hose, Wood said.
Another had an electric connection crossing a roadway or pedestrian area. While taco trucks can have electric connections, they cannot cross property where people are driving or walking, so the truck had to remove it.
When her husband first owned a taco truck in 1990, Maria Lopez said he was one of probably three trucks in the area. She and her husband have owned Tacos Ochoa at Lodi Avenue and Main Street since 2001, and they also own another truck situated at Central Avenue and Vine Street.
Throughout the years, Maria Lopez said she has often had to work with the city to make sure she had the correct permits.
When the council passed the mobile food vendor ordinance in 2008, she said it opened the door for more trucks because they streamlined the process.
"They've been strict with me, and I've been there 100 percent," Lopez said. "So I hope the city does the same to the other trucks."
Lopez does not mind if the city puts a limit on the number of trucks, as long it doesn't affect her two businesses. She also hopes a cap wouldn't impact the 16 taco trucks that had already been in business before the council approved the permitting ordinance.
But she also is not bothered by more trucks in the area because she has an established business, Lopez said. Any decrease in business this past year she attributes to the economy, not because there are more trucks.
"I think that anyone has the right to go eat where they want," she said. "If a customer likes our food, they want to keep coming back."
Similarly, Ruben Larrazolo, the executive chef and owner of Alebrijes Mexican Bistro, said the taco trucks do not affect his business because his restaurant has more elaborate cuisine. Because he has a full kitchen, he said they can prepare a wide variety of food with many ingredients, since they have the space for sanitary conditions.
"They do simple stuff like tacos and burritos, but we are really into what Mexican food is all about," he said.
He does worry about other Mexican restaurants on Cherokee Lane who are trying to compete with the string of taco trucks.
Another concern is that the trucks have less overhead because his restaurant requires paying for water, utilities, insurance and taxes. He said owners of taco trucks can avoid many of these expenses.
Even though they are not direct competition, he does think a cap could help because he imagines there are not enough customers for 22 trucks. One truck near his restaurant is never busy, he said.
"I just don't see the need to have that many," he said. "Is everybody making enough business?"
Wood said the increase in the number of vendors could be partially attributed to the economy, but he does not think the trucks are taking much business away from restaurants.
"The people going to taco trucks, they are going there because they wouldn't necessarily be going to a sit down restaurant. It's a different clientele," he said.
In front of Tacos Ochoa, Candice Soloman, who eats at the taco truck every day for lunch, said she enjoys the veggie burritos.
"They are convenient, a lot of people don't have time to cook," she said.
Soloman said the food is healthier than most fast food, and thinks Lodi needs more trucks, especially on the Westside where she works.
"It's a better quality of food for less money," she said.
Contact reporter Maggie Creamer at maggiec@lodinews.com or read her blog at www.lodinews.com/blogs/citybuzz.
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Jason J wrote on Nov 17, 2009 9:28 AM:
Lodian wrote on Nov 16, 2009 11:12 PM:
What are you talking about? And what does it have to do with taco trucks? "
Lodian wrote on Nov 16, 2009 11:10 PM:
Jason J wrote on Nov 16, 2009 6:13 PM:
Jason J wrote on Nov 16, 2009 6:11 PM:
Lodian wrote on Nov 15, 2009 4:40 PM:
Lodian wrote on Nov 15, 2009 4:38 PM:
Lodian wrote on Nov 15, 2009 4:37 PM:
Gator wrote on Nov 15, 2009 10:36 AM:
Trucks and more in LA. High dollar restaurants and just plain good food
establishments are running Food trucks, It wasn’t uncommon to see up
To 50 people waiting in line for food and desserts. Competition will even
the playing field, good ones will survive others will simply move on or
go out of business. I believe one calls that supply and demand.. I drove
For JSG trucking for a season and ate at the roach coach at the cannery
Every time I was loading around lunch time. 50 cent Tacos were really
good and I never got sick.. Lodi has this problem it’s called limit, limit
Limit and that is bloody unfriendly and an other reason downtown is
Dead…. "
Jason J wrote on Nov 15, 2009 10:33 AM:
Lodian wrote on Nov 14, 2009 2:09 PM:
"Recently"
So, are you okay with any amount of Taco Trucks in the city? How many might be too many? "
Jason J wrote on Nov 13, 2009 6:12 AM:
foodwriter99 wrote on Nov 13, 2009 12:47 AM:
As for the blight the trucks contribute to, my point is how sad I think it is that we are a community that no longer fights for our own community standards. We've resigned ourselves to allowing beaten down properties, litter, shopping carts everywhere, loitering, abandoned vehicles, leaky, fly-laded food vendors, on and on. We allow it to keep getting worse and it is a real decline. In and of themselves, the trucks are not the only problem, or even a major problem, they just contribute to it. "
Lodian wrote on Nov 13, 2009 12:30 AM:
Jason J wrote on Nov 12, 2009 1:39 PM:
Lodian wrote on Nov 12, 2009 10:55 AM:
Jason J wrote on Nov 12, 2009 8:52 AM:
bobbyg wrote on Nov 11, 2009 11:04 PM:
voter wrote on Nov 11, 2009 3:59 PM:
bobbyg wrote on Nov 11, 2009 11:50 AM:
bobbyg wrote on Nov 11, 2009 11:44 AM:
Also something Sac County does is license each employee. They have a picture ID card that must be posted in the window of the vehicle they are working in. I wouldnt object to that being done. "
LodiFreeThinker wrote on Nov 11, 2009 8:49 AM:
The city should not be in the business of eliminating lawful business at all. No matter what the business is.
Do you really want the government to pick and choose where we spend our money. Do you want them in charge of what business your allowed to run? This is supposed to be the land of opportunity, remember? "
foodwriter99 wrote on Nov 11, 2009 12:32 AM:
iambic grape stomp wrote on Nov 10, 2009 10:49 AM:
LHS Student wrote on Nov 10, 2009 9:43 AM:
iambic grape stomp wrote on Nov 10, 2009 9:41 AM:
LHS Student wrote on Nov 10, 2009 9:40 AM:
JD wrote on Nov 10, 2009 9:37 AM:
Godfather wrote on Nov 10, 2009 7:26 AM:
foodwriter99 wrote on Nov 9, 2009 8:12 PM:
LodiFreeThinker wrote on Nov 9, 2009 2:02 PM:
There is no such thing as "too many" of any kind of business in a free market. Either the market supports them, or it doesn't.
People vote with their dollars. "
Neo wrote on Nov 8, 2009 9:04 PM:
JD wrote on Nov 8, 2009 8:33 PM:
Why don't the city fathers just admit what they're really after, here? Make it illegal for minorities to congregate in public, and be done with it. "
Neo wrote on Nov 8, 2009 7:49 PM:
gray cloud wrote on Nov 8, 2009 3:49 PM:
Thanks Sam, I dont have to write the obvious, glad you did. So wake up city, smoke signals are very clear on this issue. "
sam wrote on Nov 8, 2009 11:54 AM:
edumacation wrote on Nov 8, 2009 11:16 AM:
So we had the party catered by the Taco Truck---and everyone was happy. I bought some chef hats and aprons and the party was on. The food was tasty AND delicious. There were ample servings and all were surprised at the TOP SHELF excellence. Haute cuisine "autentico de Mejico" on WHEELS. Think about it, if you are short on time for planning.
Don't buy the idea that Taco truck food is NOT quality food or that it is NOT made from a real chef.
Our event worked perfectly ---and it wasn't "para llevar". The price? Too low to quote. They will cater my next award gathering.
I think they could provide cheaper and BETTER food than our LUSD school cafeterias.
Lets close the kitchens and bring in Taco Trucks? "
freespeech wrote on Nov 8, 2009 10:21 AM:
So this tells us that 1)the city has enough money to justify the persecution of these poor vendors AND 2) they must expect to get a return on their investment of time somehow...maybe charge another erroneous fee or tax on these poor people?
Why else would they persecute these hard working folks??? "
carlos wrote on Nov 8, 2009 9:51 AM:
Observer wrote on Nov 8, 2009 8:32 AM:
bobbyg wrote on Nov 8, 2009 12:33 AM:
" wonder why there isn't the same concerns for health and safety at the Thursday Night Farmer's Market and the Downtown Street Fair where there are a multitude of fire and safety hazards. There's a difference in the ethnicity of taco vendors and many of the Farmer's Market/Street Fair food vendors."
As a food vendor at both the Street Fair and the Farmers Market, before we are allowed to sell food we are inspected by the County Health Depts Health Inspector and also the City Fire Dept. Now that said many of the other non food vendors are breaking State Fire Code by not having Fire Proof Awnings that are up to code.
The Food vendors however are safe and are inspected you can ask to see the Health Permit (usually it hanging or posted on the outside of the tent). Some Vendors like the Smoothie Vendor, Boys and Girls Club and a few others take their netting down after the Health Inspector leaves. "
edumacation wrote on Nov 7, 2009 7:56 PM:
Taco trucks, must deliver food that people want, in the correct portions and at the correct price. Those that succeed stay in business one more day. Day by day these entrepreneurs put their work to the test.
Look at many of our city workers. If they goof up, oh well there is always another day....and tick tock watch the clock until retirement. Taco trucks owners don't get health care, paid holidays, sick days, vacation days and leave days. If they work they get paid. If not they go out of business. Taco truck customers vote with their cash.
The food on taco trucks is better than most sit down Mexican restaurants. "
dogs4you wrote on Nov 7, 2009 7:08 PM:
Most people like to make a bathroom run and wash their hands before eating, I do. Even fast food restaurants have the facilities to do so. Ahhhhh taco rigs no facilities. While I don`t know if the taco venders pay any sales tax as the sit down restaurants do, if they don`t they should. At one time I saw a taco truck parked in a vacaent lot next to a Mexican restaurant, what an insult. "
sam wrote on Nov 7, 2009 5:35 PM:
Lodi CC would better serve the community by getting rid of meth "cookers and sellers' and gang bangers. Also how about cracking down on the robbers hitting Lodi neighborhoods? "
gray cloud wrote on Nov 7, 2009 5:05 PM:
gray cloud wrote on Nov 7, 2009 5:03 PM:
Verity wrote on Nov 7, 2009 3:50 PM:
Maybe the city would prefer that they go into a new line of work like...oh let's say...pimping themselves out on the streets, stealing cars, or selling drugs. Better yet, they could just go on welfare and food stamps, or join the ranks of the unemployed - as if there's not enough of us without jobs already.
In the free market economy it's called "supply and demand." Apparently, there's a good demand for cheap tacos and Mexican food in Lodi and I applaud the hard-working small business owners who are helping meet that demand. It's the American Way after all. Get off their backs, city of Lodi! "
OTH wrote on Nov 7, 2009 1:19 PM:
max stanfield wrote on Nov 7, 2009 1:14 PM:
JustTheFacts wrote on Nov 7, 2009 10:40 AM:
RaiderHater wrote on Nov 7, 2009 10:11 AM:
Meth heads? Dealers? So called Gang Bangers? The fact the Lodi Unified has laid workers off, and schools face even more cuts? Huh? What about them?
BAH.... this city is getting worse. "
lodivice wrote on Nov 7, 2009 9:23 AM:
ameriCAN wrote on Nov 7, 2009 9:10 AM:
joesr wrote on Nov 7, 2009 8:29 AM:
Comments on this story are now closed.