Food trucks find footing in downtown South Bend

Since the city enacted an ordinance in September 2015 to guide food trucks, only one has made downtown an everyday destination: the Grateful Green, which isn’t operating this year. Cool Runnings Jamaican Restaurant has been coming from Michigan City on Tuesdays for about a year.

Some have taken issue with the upfront fees. Others, the lack of available parking or four-hour time limit. These are sticking points on which the Common Council is willing to work.

“Really we’re open to responding to the business owners,” said Gavin Ferlic, a council member and sponsor of the food truck ordinance. “I don’t own a food truck. I don’t know exactly what their issues are, so if there’s any way we could improve based on the owners’ feedback we’re more than happy to consider it.”

Yet there’s some evidence food trucks are gathering momentum.