When a food vendor comes into Bristow to open shop, they are required to produce their current food handlers’ permit as issued by the State of Oklahoma Department of Health, a copy of their tax ID issued by the State of Oklahoma, and their drivers’ license. They pay for a solicitor’s permit, either on a daily or monthly basis. The question has been raised: how do we know they are paying taxes? We get monthly reports from the State on the amount each business pays in. Do we know for a fact that every business – whether brick-and-mortar, on-line, home-based or mobile – is reporting honestly? Not without an audit of that business, conducted by the state.
Of the food trucks that have been setting up in town, the majority are owned and operated by residents of Bristow. They are finding success in offering varied menus and setting up in different locations.
We recently unveiled a food truck plaza at the City park. While not necessarily the most convenient spot in town for everyone, it provides a place for kids to play, for people to spread out their picnic blanket or try their hand at a yard game. The expense to the City was absolutely minimal. The biggest cost was to remodel the restrooms, which I am very proud of. We have a Public Works Department who takes equal pride in maintaining them. They also set up the bouncy house/s, which were purchased by the city a few years ago.
Since the early 2000’s, the food truck industry has taken the U.S. by storm. The food truck industry has an average annualized business growth rate of 9.9 percent in the past 5 years. The employment growth rate was 8.6 percent from 2016 to 2021. Another interesting statistic is that 43 percent of monthly food truck spending is attributed to people between the ages of 25 and 44, and another 20 percent is attributed to people under the age of 25. (zippia.com) Welcoming food trucks into a community helps to promote small business, can help build a community environment and can introduce variety in dining experiences.