Food vendors to keep their distance

Mobile food vendors in Adelaide's CBD will be required to pay rent fees under guidelines soon to be endorsed by the city council.

The number of vendor permits will be limited to 50 after established traders complained about the effect mobile food stores were having on their businesses.

Food vans will also be required to change their locations on a regular basis.

Mobile food vendors will be required to change their locations on a regular basis under new guidelines.

A plan to prevent mobile sellers from trading within 50 metres of permanent businesses of the same type was dropped after overwhelming public feedback.

Instead, the current 25-metre buffer will remain in effect.

Food trucks have become increasingly popular in recent years, setting up in city squares and along popular streets.

Councillor Houssam Abiad says food trucks can complement restaurants and cafes and hopes the new rules benefit both types of traders.

"People will go have lunch at the burger place and they'll still go to your place to have coffee," he said.

Mobile traders will be asked to provide the council with business plans with a view to opening fixed premises.

Mr Abiad says there will be high demand for permits and preference should be given to the most innovative start-up businesses.

"If your product is successful at a very low cost, which you're trialling through a permit, then what we would like for you to do is to have a long term vision to be able to establish yourself in the city as a business, as a city business, by taking out a lease and setting up yourself," he said.

"Now that you're a popular, a famous food truck, why not set up a shop?"

'Equal footing'

Restaurant and Catering SA chief executive Sally Neville has welcomed the new rules.

"It gives a bit of clear air I suppose to existing bricks and mortar businesses that pay rates and taxes," she said.

But she says she would have preferred the introduction of 50-metre buffer zones.

"We want to see new business models develop and last," she said.

"We just want to make sure that everyone gets an equal playing field in terms of what their compliance burden is, so that they can all provide services to the Adelaide community in harmony."

The council will formally vote on the guidelines next week.

Source: ABC News, 8 April 2013