Food wars: Complaints from restaurant owners lead to parking fee for food trucks

There is a turf war going on in Jersey City between restaurants and food trucks that park around the city.

News 12 Staff

Sep 30, 2019, 11:41 PM

Updated 1,899 days ago

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There is a turf war going on in Jersey City between restaurants and food trucks that park around the city.
Food trucks used to be able to park for free around the city. But after various complaints from the owners of restaurants, city officials have now imposed parking fees.
“We've been getting a lot of feedback from the small business owners that they're also being hemorrhaged by the fact that we're not at an equal playing field,” says Jersey City director of Health and Human Services Stacey Flanagan.
The restaurant owners say that they must pay taxes and other expenses that food trucks do not.
Under the new rules, food trucks will have to pay anywhere from $42 to $200 per day to park in various areas of Jersey City – angering many of the food truck owners.
Fausto Hernandez operates a Mexican food truck that he typically parks in Jersey City’s downtown. He will have to pay $200 per day to park in that same area.
“My tacos are $3 each. Can you imagine how many tacos I have to sell before I can even make the parking spot?” he asks.
The Jersey City City Council has also changed where food trucks can park. Monday was the last day that food trucks can park on Grand Street at the waterfront.