The Paso Robles City Council approved new regulations for food trucks on Dec. 16 following an increase in complaints from residents and business owners earlier this year.
Between April and August 2025, the city received 49 complaints related to food trucks and street vendors, according to city staff. Complaints included generator noise, blocked sidewalks, downtown congestion, and concerns from brick-and-mortar restaurant owners about competition.
“As a brick-and-mortar business, we have made a significant financial investment in our location, equipment, and long-term presence in this community,” Adan Torres, owner of Paletería y Nevería Las Michoacanas, wrote for public comment. “We find it unfair that a mobile vendor can park and conduct business so close to our storefront, competing directly with us while not bearing the same long-term operational costs and obligations that we are required to meet.”
Torres also raised concerns about inconsistent enforcement across the city, saying restrictions appear to be applied in some areas but not others. He emphasized that his goal was not to eliminate competition, but to ensure fairness for all businesses.
In response to the growing number of complaints, the City Council formed an ad hoc Food Truck Committee in August to review the city’s regulations and recommend changes. The committee, made up of Councilmembers Steve Gregory and Chris Bausch, held two public meetings in September and November, and gathered feedback from residents, food truck operators, and business owners.
Paso Assistant Planner Piper Smith said the first meeting was largely a listening session.
“We were able to get a lot of good feedback from food truck operators and the general public,” Smith told the council, adding that there were recurring concerns about generators, enforcement, furniture, and permitting rules.
One of the changes approved by the council is a new 9-foot setback requirement for food trucks serving toward public sidewalks or streets. Food trucks serving inward on private property will not be subject to the setback.
“We heard repeatedly about blocked sidewalks and path-of-travel issues,” Smith said.
The setback, she explained, is intended to create space for customers while keeping sidewalks clear.
The council also approved limits on tables, chairs, and shade structures. Food trucks may now use limited seating and one shade structure, as long as they do not block circulation or encroach into the public right of way.
To address noise complaints, the new rules allow food trucks to continue using existing generators if they are enclosed with acoustic panels. Smith said staff found it difficult to locate generators that meet both state emissions standards and the city’s noise limits.
“The quantity and availability of generators that meet both is pretty slim,” she said.
Another change establishes a 100-foot buffer around City Park, prohibiting temporary permits for independently operated food trucks on private property within that distance, except during special events.
Two additional recommendations were approved but require zoning code changes before taking effect. One would require all food trucks vending to the public to obtain a Temporary Use Permit (TUP), regardless of how long they operate. Another would require businesses hosting more than seven food truck events per year to get a permit.
Food truck owner Bill Saylor, who owns Yabba Dabba Dogs, urged the council to reconsider parts of the proposal. “We are food trucks, and the nature of our business is to be mobile,” Saylor said. “We need to be able to move from one location to another location if one location is not profitable. I’d like to see the recommendation be if a food truck anticipates being in one location for more than 30 days up to a one year, they must obtain a TUP. That makes a little bit more sense.”
Smith explained that the new regulations are about having clear rules and knowing who’s permitted where.
Councilmember Bausch said the ad hoc committee’s goal was to balance the needs of food truck operators, brick-and-mortar businesses, and the broader community.
“I appreciate the time that the community including brick-and-mortar restaurants, our local food truck vendors, the Paso Robles Downtown Main Street Association, and others took to share their concerns, frustrations, and most importantly, their suggestions with the ad hoc committee and city staff,” Bausch told New Times in an email. “Councilmember Gregory and I want to thank Katie Banister and Piper Smith for doing an excellent job synthesizing the intentions of the community and the city’s existing regulations to develop recommendations that I hope will ultimately provide a framework of fair, consistent, and enforceable rules.”
The zoning amendments will next be reviewed by the Planning Commission before returning to the City Council for final action. ∆
This article appears in Dec 18-25, 2025.