Now that York County has opened its doors to microbreweries, one supervisor would like to find a way let food trucks follow so brewery visitors will have something to wash down.
The Board of Supervisors approved a microbrewery zoning amendment in mid-December, and now Supervisor George S. Hrichak has asked county staff to look into food trucks, which he says would sit well on microbrewery property. The partnership works for St. George Brewing Co. in Hampton, Hrichak said.
“It works out well at St. George,” he said. “And they complement each other. You have a couple of drinks, something to eat and everyone is happy.”
If a business wants a food truck on its property now, it must apply for a “temporary administrative permit,” which is used for an annual event or charitable event, said Al Maddalena, chief of development and compliance for the county.
The county could amend an ordinance, which would require a public hearing, to give food trucks more opportunity to operate in the county. Interim County Administrator Mark Carter said county staff are researching the issue and the county might not have to amend an ordinance if it can review each business case by case to determine if a food truck could be considered an accessory use of a business.
The Virginia Beer Company, which recently signed a lease for a 1960s-era, 10,000-square-foot garage building at 401 2nd Street in Williamsburg — which lies inside York County — would like to have food trucks on its 50-space parking lot.
“I am happy that the supervisor brought it up,” said Chris Smith, a co-owner of the company. “It’s a nice synergy. We want people who are drinking alcohol to have food available to them for employment reasons and safety reasons.” Smith said food trucks would be helpful for “employment reasons” because allowing food trucks means more small businesses such as his have the opportunity to do business.
Smith said his company didn’t go the brewpub route — serving restaurant food and beverages that are brewed on the premises — because it’s difficult to get both the food and the micro-brews correct. William Spence Jr., director of drinking operations for Hampton-based St. George Brewing Co., agreed that micro-breweries do well because they can focus solely on producing and selling beer.
On a Tuesday or Friday evening, starting at 4:30 p.m., patrons from the nearby NASA Langley Research Center and other beer connoisseurs gather at St. George’s tap room and production facility for a pint of Golden Ale, Winter Scotch Ale, Lemonade or Black Forest, to name a few, then they head outside to a food truck.
“As strong as these beers are you got to have food with it,” said Kevin Rooney, who is from upstate New York and was visiting his brother in Hampton Roads.
On Friday Cassandra Ayala, the creator of Eat The Streets 757, a group of 20 to 25 food trucks, and a co-owner of Sofrito, a food truck company that sells Puerto Rican and Caribbean food, was selling to the crowd.
“If they make the county accessible to food trucks and easy to access then absolutely it’s a win-win,” she said.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Thomas Shepperd said, “If they want to run seven days a week that is fine with me.” The county would need to be sure not to put too many restrictions on brick-and-mortar businesses so they can compete fairly with food trucks, he added.
Hampton restricts where food trucks may operate and for how long on any street or public right-of-way, but the city also licenses a number of food trucks to be on private property such as St. George and the Net Center. Newport News has a downtown street vendor district where food trucks are assigned permanent spots. Poquoson allows food trucks throughout the city as long as the property owner gives permission and safety concerns are addressed.
Somers can be reached at 757-298-5176.
