Will the city support our culinary diversity?

Mobile food ventures have been part of the international culinary world for as long as civilizations have existed. Busy Bangkok intersections are the poster child for hustle and bustle with innumerable carts slinging delicious bites, eclectic smells, Thai Tea, and fresh local scrumptious yummies du jour. But wait a second, I’m not in Thailand. Can this really be Chattanooga?

The Chattanooga Street Food Festival is an annual gathering of the city's roving culinary institutions. As I walk down the corridor, it starts to feel like our beautiful city is catching up to the hype of one of the world’s greatest ways to eat. Cities like Austin and New York have long followed the trend of food-on-the-go, filling the bellies of hungry business folk and blue-collar Americans alike.

Over the past several years, the Scenic City has struggled to nurture a strong food truck scene due to immensely restrictive regulations from the local government. This festival is one of the few places where they are embraced and celebrated.

It isn’t just the early mornings, treacherous and erratic weather, competition, or the myriad other issues that make life hard for these gastronomic road warriors. In Chattanooga, it’s a battle to even exist as a legitimate business.

In 2012, the Chattanooga City Council passed an ordinance prohibiting food trucks from parking or operating on any city streets (with the exception of some key special events). Trucks were forced to close up shop and move from locations that they had occupied for their entire existence. The only remaining option was to find a private piece of land to vend from.

On May 29, an article from The Chattanoogan surfaced claiming that a new ordinance will be considered by the city council on July 10th, just a few days from now (though the Chattanooga Department of Transportation requested that their presentation to the Council be postponed to the July 24 meeting so that they have "more time to prepare").

After six years of prohibition, could a solution finally be on the table for our city? Or will we continue on a dull path of retrogression, a food scene restricted to brick-and-mortars?

Executive Chef Rebecca Barron of Chattanooga’s famed St. John’s Restaurant is a strong advocate for more inclusive regulations: “I think we are really missing out on potential cultural opportunities for our city. I would love to see more variety in our food scene and I hope the city is willing to review its current ban.” Despite intensively prohibitive regulations, the food trucks of Chattanooga have found ways to survive and to follow their dreams to savory greatness.

One truck, in particular, stands out in the fight to operate a successful drifter. Spill the Beans is a gourmet coffee truck and one of the longest running in the city. Since 2013, the establishment has offered up coffee, espressos, smoothies, chai teas, and more. Their partnership with the Chattanooga Coffee Company ensures locality and deliciousness. Proprietor Lisa Dunny decided to move from a stationary stand to a mobile cart in 2015.

After years of successful enterprise on Lookout Street, the city suddenly pulled the plug and required Spill the Beans to vacate the spot.

“It became rough when the city enforced their code stating food trucks weren’t allowed on the street. I used to park on Lookout Street every Wednesday for over two years in the same spot and no one ever bothered me.”

Lisa started a petition to show the communities stance on food trucks. Within a week she had 3,800 signatures. It now sits at over 4,700 signatures and is steadily climbing. “Apparently the citizens of Chattanooga wanted food trucks too!” exclaims Dunny.