HAINES CITY — Laura Moore and her husband, Josh, are Haines City natives who own Smokin’ Oak BBQ & Catering. These small-business owners are worried whether they’ll be able to continue dishing up barbecue in their hometown.
Haines City officials are taking a hard look at whether to tighten the city’s restrictions on mobile food vendors, like the Moores’ food truck. The commission will meet 6 p.m. Thursday at City Hall for a workshop to determine what, if any, new regulations will be put in place ― with a possible vote following at the 7 p.m. commission meeting.
Thursday night could determine the fate of food truck operations in the city.
“It’s really concerning, why this push all of a sudden?” Laura Moore said.
Proposed regulations blindside small businesses
On Jan. 16, Haines City officials first considered changes to the city’s Mobile Food Vendor ordinance. The proposal called for the city to stop issuing a license, or business tax receipt, to any new food trucks wanting to operate in Haines City.