The Horry County Planning Department is wanting to hear from business owners in the county, as well as those who might be interested in operating a food trucks, and also from those who may benefit if the trucks were in the county,before it moves forward with drafting an ordinance to regulate the trucks.

County official are planning to wait until after the new year to host a public meeting that will allow stakeholders, as well as existing business owners, potential business owners and potential customers to see whether they support opening the Grand Strand’s bustling food industry to mobile food trucks, which offers warmed or pre-packaged foods. A date for the public meeting has not yet been set.

The ultimate question here is: Is there a need?

In 2010, the county adopted and ordinance that allows for smaller push carts, like hotdog stands and it does allow for bigger mobile food truck only during special events, according to Janet Carter, director of planning for the county.

Carter told a county committee recently “It is something that has picked up in popularity across the country and there are a lot of positives and, of course, some negatives too,”

Councilman Paul Prince said that one of those negatives could be how close the county would allow the mobile food trucks to existing businesses.

 “I do have a problem if a vendor sets up there and takes business away from these kinds of businesses that are established and paid for,” Prince said. “If it’s out in a rural area, I’d hate to see someone just pull up and get in between and set up a temporary business by a business that’s already there.”

Hope on over to The Sun News to read the entire article.