Kevin Jeffries Hosts Food Truck Festival To Showcase Cuisine And Job Creation For County

It was a feast on Tuesday in downtown Riverside, and Lake Elsinore’s supervisor was the party’s host.

Riverside County First District Supervisor Kevin Jeffries worked with his colleagues to host the mini gastronomic festival outside county headquarters. He invited several food truck operators to the event in an effort to garner support for a county ordinance that would allow the trucks to operate outside of special events.

Without a special event permit, the trucks are prohibited, and that is an old-fashioned mindset that needs to change, Jeffries has insisted. He believes easing restrictions on an industry that has become a trend across America will help the county create more jobs and it will bring more gastronomic possibilities to residents.

As a result of his push over the last several months, the county's Department of Environmental Health is drafting an ordinance revising the food truck laws.

"I was very pleased to receive unanimous support from the board to move forward in revising our county's ban on food trucks operating without a special event permit,” Jeffries said. “We have a long way to go, and there are some concerns from other board members that will need to be addressed one way or another, but I think we will come away with a more reasonable set of county rules that will allow these small businesses to operate more regularly in Riverside County, and allow our communities to enjoy the interesting cuisine that residents in LA, San Diego, Orange County, and most of the rest of the state already enjoy.”

Jeffries said health concerns are not being ignored.

"We will ensure that the ordinance requires compliance with some of the strictest public health and environmental standards in the state, and allow local governments time to craft their own rules relating to how, where, and when these trucks are allowed to conduct business in their communities," he said.

"[Tuesday] was a tremendous success, with thousands of people excited to sample food from a variety of trucks, including Baconmania, the Grilled Cheese Truck, Crepes Bonaparte, and the Cousin's Maine Lobster Truck, all of whom have been featured on national television programs,” Jeffries continued. “I think the huge crowd shows the kind of pent up demand that exists in Riverside County for these gourmet food trucks, and the kind of opportunity that exists for potential small business owners who wish to own, operate, service, and build food trucks to operate in the Inland Empire. We've already heard multiple requests to make these food truck festivals a more regular event at the Riverside County Administrative Center from employees, staff from other local businesses and government agencies, and the community at large."