City of Tucson Has New Rules For Food Truck Courts

Earlier this week, the City of Tucson approved a new set of rules for food courts — often referred to as “food truck parks” — like The Pit Tucson. A food truck court is a “unified establishment which serves food for consumption on or off the premises from multiple eateries or vendors,” according to the City of Tucson.

The good thing about all of this is that the ordinance revises sections of the city’s development code to allow more “congregate food truck courts.” This means it oughta be slightly easier for new food truck gatherings to be developed around Tucson.

Okay, here are the new rules:

• Activities are allowed outdoors like live or recorded music, but it is not permitted within 600 feet of a residentially zoned property
• Food courts are required to obtain a business license for the entire facility
• On-site management is required to be present during operating hours
• Retail sales, or non-food sales, are allowed “as an accessory” but retail sales cannot outnumber sales from food trucks
• Canopies, awnings, or shaded structures are allowed but need to meet development code requirements and be permanently fixed to the ground

Rules for food trucks operating outdoors (fully or partially):

• All vendors must be located within a designated stall
• The number of vendors will be limited to the number of stalls available at the food court
• There must be permanent “power pedestals” for each stall
• The food court must have a centralized grease trap for all vendors
• Bathrooms (temporary or permanent) are required on-site, as well as parking with “delineated parking spaces with a dust-proof surface”
• Outdoor hours of operation are allowed from 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.
• The use of “outdoor internal combustion generators” is prohibited
• If the food truck court is located within an existing parking lot of another business then parking spaces “may be allocated to the requirements” of the food court

“I think that food trucks are a great way to support micro-businesses and from many food trucks we’ve seen incredible food trucks come out of the ground,” said Mayor Regina Romero.

Perhaps more food truck parks/courts will pop up around town now that there’s a set of rules in place.

Speaking of which, The Pit is planning to relocate to a brand-new spot in central Tucson. Named Truck to Table, the park will encompass approximately 48,000 square feet of land, including a 2,600-square-foot building situated at 3333 E. Grant Road, just east of Country Club Road.