Now, when a tavern wants to offer patrons more than frozen pizza and pickled beets, the owner can get city approval to have a cart set up shop and sell pulled pork sandwiches in the parking lot.

The cost of a one-time approval for a business is $100 if the vending location is not close to homes, like Capital Newspapers' own building on Fish Hatchery Road. Approval costs $600 if the carts would be close to where people live. In that case, there's a conditional use approval process, which involves a public forum so neighbors can have their say.

“The city’s had a longstanding caution relative to protecting brick and mortar places from establishments that can set up temporarily with a whole lot less capital,” Tucker said. “They could come in and undercut and cause business problems related to brick and mortar places. That’s why they didn’t allow food carts on private property.”

The new laws still include a “25-foot distance separation requirement” between food carts and brick and mortar restaurants and taverns, unless the business owner gives the OK.

Tucker said a half dozen places have requested approval. The goal, Blake-Horst said, is to improve access and opportunity for food cart vendors, as well as for people in office parks.