By Dana DiSante
VA StrEats, an organization dedicated to promoting the local food truck scene, will host gatherings this fall, including one this weekend. While food trucks have been a trend in the industry for several years, it was only two years ago that Fairfax County started viewing these mobile restaurants as serious business.
Before the new legislation, state laws demanded zoning fees of $16,000 for a food truck to operate in a single location. Today, this fee has significantly decreased to just $100. With additional permits and licenses, a single food truck can open up shop for less than $200.
Although lowering the associated costs has encouraged more food-truck vendors to relocate to NoVA, there are still laws requiring no more than three food trucks to occupy a single area at a time for no more than four hours—and that includes setup and breakdown time.
NoVA is still struggling to grab hold of the food truck industry due to the restrictive laws preventing vendors from establishing a market in the area. However, there is one organization that discovered a way to overcome the guidelines and host a food truck festival in NoVA.
The VA StrEats Festival promotes food vendors in a positive environment with hopes of demonstrating to local government the unique benefit of mobile food operations. By bringing a variety of cuisine options to one location, the festival encourages community members to try new and different foods and potentially visit the trucks’ brick-and-mortar locations, ultimately promising boost to the local economy.
Check out the upcoming VA StrEats Festivals:
Sept. 24: Manassas Mall, Manassas
Oct. 1: Centreville Food Truck Rally, Centreville
Oct. 15: Pfitzner Stadium, Woodbridge
