Cape's 'mobile food unit' presence on the rise

With the recent influx of food trucks in Southeast Missouri, officials say there are still guidelines and regulations vendors must adhere to whether they are planning to set up shop at a park or at the local farmers market.

Environmental public health specialist Samantha Powers of Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center said even though food trucks are mobile, when it comes down to the "basics" as to what food trucks must have for a preopening and in order to remain open, they do follow the exact same food code as traditional restaurants.

When someone is looking to open a "mobile food unit," it requires the same type of annual permit as a brick-and-mortar building, according to Powers. The permit allows them to set up anywhere they want inside Cape County.

She said the food trucks also receive inspections, depending on the type of products the vendor is selling.

"If they have a lot of potentially hazardous items, and they're doing a lot of raw product, that moves them to a 'high priority,'" Powers said, "and they're inspected twice a year."

For example, a food truck mainly selling snow cones is considered "low priority," so it's inspected once a year, she said.

She said the food trucks acquiring the license to operate within Cape Girardeau County could travel to another county. However, they must notify that county's health department and follow those rules.

"They're going to be the same rules," Powers said. "We do operate under and adopt the Missouri food code, so the rules should be the same. The only thing that would be different from county to county is if they do permitting or not."

There has "absolutely" been a rise in the number of individuals applying for a business license, she said, for the sole purpose of operating a food truck within Cape Girardeau County.

"I would say before that, we had a lot of big ideas that never really came to fruition," Powers said. "But now, we get calls probably once a week from someone who wants to know what the regulations are and how to start."

Regarding food vendors setting up a tent at the local farmers market, she said they fall under a "temporary permit."

"They still have the basic regulations that they have to meet; they can meet them a little differently," Powers said. "But they can only set up in conjunction with an event, whether it be a farmers market, festival or something like that."

She said the fee is $30 each time the vendor sets up, and they must also be inspected each time they do set up.

Cape Girardeau municipal customer service manager Trisha Holloway said there are currently 16 active food trucks within Cape Girardeau.

"Those might be some that have come in once or some that have been located in different spots such, as at the local farmers markets," Holloway said.

And as with the city of Cape Girardeau's health codes, Holloway said the vendors must also comply with the ordinances each town has, if the truck were to be outside of Cape Girardeau County.

"If they're selling food for a profit, then they would need a food truck license," she said. "They get a license for the whole year, and they renew the license every year."

As for the fees and costs and similar to adhering to health codes, Holloway said there are no differences between acquiring a food truck business license and acquiring one for a brick-and-mortar restaurant.

She said since the food truck location obviously moves from place to place, wherever the truck is located, the vendor must make sure that if he or she is setting up on a privately owned parking lot, they have permission to do so.

The food truck vendor must also make sure to not impede traffic if they have to pull over for a customer, she said.

Holloway said she has seen an increased presence of food trucks over the last five years, and credits some of it to reality television.

"I know a lot of it, with the cooking shows on TV and with the whole Food Truck Wars and the big cities that have the food trucks, I think more and more people want to get a food truck started," she said.

Holloway also said she would like to see more food trucks -- with more of a variety -- parked in various spots around Cape Girardeau.

jhartwig@semissourian.com

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