Though operating food trucks in Chapel Hill is not illegal, the regulations placed on them hardly make it worth the trouble for some truck operators.
Town spokeswoman Catherine Lazorko said in an e-mail that Chapel Hill regulates food trucks and their applications closely.
“There are numerous issues that food trucks present — trash, health, and public safety, parking, signage, lighting, taxes, economic impacts on brick-and-mortar restaurants,” Lazorko said.
These merchants must purchase a special license and are subject to intense scrutiny by the local health department. The merchant also must obtain permission of the property owner where the business is located.
The town’s regulations do not apply to UNC’s campus.
Lex Alexander, a managing partner of 3CUPS in Chapel Hill, said he is trying to draw attention to the outdated regulations.
At last week’s Chapel Hill Town Council meeting, Alexander planned to submit a petition in an effort to change the rules.
“As a retail merchant operating in our town at 3CUPS, I would welcome the excitement and vitality this new cutting edge phenomenon would provide the residents who live here,” the petition states.
He said because he was late to the meeting, he was unable to present his petition.
