Food trucks have recently become the place to go for a quick bite to eat.
And some local restaurant owners have started questioning their policies and regulations.
Jerry Baranowski has owned a pizzeria in downtown Bakersfield for 25 years and he says he's concerned about the trend of food trucks setting up shop.
"We are concerned as far as how many and when and where the food truck going to pop up," said Baranowski.
As a restaurant owner, Baranowski says he doesn't have a problem with these trucks but questions their business styles and whether they are truly mobile.
"If you're going to say a food truck is a mobile operation. Mobile. What does it mean to be mobile? You're moving from place to place...I think the issue has escalated recently because one of the food truck which is parking for 24 hours in the same spot," said Baranowski.
As a co-owner of The Burbside Kitchen Christian Gonzalez says that there are a lot of steps people never see to keep his business running.
"For this you submit an application with the city and you let them know where you're going to be at. You draw a blue print of the property and it's a process and if they want information they can call the city and find out how they do it," said Gonzalez.
Gonzalez isn't sure why or who is complaining about the trucks, but says that those places are lucky to have such prime locations.
"If i had a restaurant, i could do so much more. Because my kitchen is very limited. So maybe they just have to step up their game a little bit," said Gonzalez.
But as a resident, Baranowski also recognizes the impact that these trucks have on the community and what they do for the area.
"If you would be saying if we want to kick them out, absolutely not. Absolutely not. Because they good, they giving attractiveness. They giving what i call exotic flavor," said Baranowski.
As someone who works at one of these trucks daily Marisol Santiago says they just want to make a dollar like everyone else.
"We don't just sit here for free. We pay rent here too. You know for just being on this post. And you know we just want to make everybody happy. We don't want anybody to get mad. We're doing business just like everybody else," said Santiago
As director of the Kern County Environmental Health, Donna Fenton, says that these trucks must have approval to be at any location and things like working restrooms, hot and cold water and paper towels must be available every day.
Whether you like food trucks or sit down restaurants, our local businesses could always use your support.
Restaurant or food truck...we would like to hear your favorite places to eat in Kern County!
