BURIEN, Wash. — The Burien City Council approved a food truck pilot program Monday night, against the wishes of dozens of local business owners.
The proposed pilot allows food trucks to operate in Burien city limits for one year, to assess whether the trucks benefit the community.
More than 50 restaurant owners signed a petition with Latino advocacy group Empresarios Unidos opposing the pilot program.
David Cruz with Latin Business Association said after Monday's vote, "We are disappointed, but very motivated following tonight's decision by the Burien City Council. Their action reflects a tone-deafness to the reality that brick-and-mortar restaurants are confronting. We have already started to mobilize even stronger and have our voices heard loud and clear, something we were denied prior to this vote."
Those who were opposed to the pilot fear an influx of food trucks without restrictions will further hurt businesses that are already struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. They also worry out-of-town food trucks would take profits outside of the community, limiting employee dollars that are being spent in Burien.
The version of the pilot that the Burien City Council approved Monday night directs the city to reach out to restaurant owners who signed the petition and talk to them about their concerns, bringing back a report to the council on April 5.
Burien's public information officer said the "council will have the option to change the guidelines of the program at that time after hearing more from the restaurant owners who signed the petition."
“My wife and my family, we’ve been working really hard on this place,” said restaurant owner Luis Olivera. His family business Tortas Locas de Burien is in survival mode and has been since the start of the pandemic one year ago.
“I’m not making any money out of this business at the moment – just holding on just paying my bills,” Olivera continued.
Fellow business owners can relate.
“They are going to come into Burien, make the money and take the money home,” said Burien business owner Alfredo Covarrubias. Covarrubias is not in the restaurant industry, he owns a cell phone repair shop and is the founder of a nonprofit called Empresarios Unidos (Business Owners United), an organization formed in the last three years to advocate for Hispanic owned businesses in the city.
Covarrubias said dozens of local restaurant owners agree in opposing this food truck proposal.
“If I bring a food truck next to me, instead of going to my business, they are going to go to the food truck,” Covarrubias said.
COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted the Latino community economically, according to Empresarios Unidos. The group also cited National Restaurant Association data that found 2020 sales were $240 billion below the association’s pre-pandemic forecast and there were nearly 2.5 million fewer food establishment jobs at the end of 2020 than before the pandemic.
The advocacy group asked the city of Burien to put restrictions in place for food trucks that would prevent them from operating within a mile of brick and mortar restaurants, allow them to operate only in a food truck zone or limit operation to two days per week for four hours in business zones.
Under the proposed pilot, food trucks must have a Burien business license and be cleared to participate in the program. They also cannot operate within 50 feet of a restaurant unless they get owner permission.
The food truck pilot has been in the works since February 2020 when Burien city council members asked the Business and Economic Development Partnership to study the idea. A majority of the committee recommends the city council approve the pilot.
