Late Night food truck comes to a Crested Butte corner near you

Midnight organic burrito anyone?

Hungry? Is it after 10 and you don’t anticipate a lot of open restaurants in Crested Butte? Well, food trucks will now be allowed to satiate your hunger in downtown Crested Butte.

The Town Council Monday approved an ordinance allowing up to two food trucks to serve late night cuisine between 10 p.m. and 2:30 a.m. from Elk Avenue or anywhere in the B-1 business zone district.
Those running the trucks won’t be able to play loud music or set up tables or have spotlights to signal their whereabouts. In fact, signs must be minimal; no banners, flags or pennants will be permitted; and people will not be allowed to line up in the street. But food will be allowed to be sold.
Currently restaurants can sell food late at night, as can mobile food carts. But only one cart license is currently active although another is expected to be issued soon.
Some Town Council members initially suggested the trucks shouldn’t be allowed to open until 11 p.m. But after listening to the public, they all agreed 10 o’clock was a reasonable start time. Councilperson Roland Mason said he preferred limiting the trucks to the parking spots off Elk Avenue by Third Street or even in the post office parking lot, but the majority of the council wanted to leave the location of the truck to the discretion of the staff.
Mayor Aaron Huckstep didn’t want to limit the licenses to two. He argued for a free market with no limit on the amount of licenses to be issued. “It doesn’t make sense to me,” he said. “If the demand is there for more than two, it should be allowed.”
“This is on public property,” responded Councilperson Jim Schmidt. “I’m comfortable with the number limit. We can adjust it after a year if it warrants.”
“I think the more opportunity the better,” countered Councilperson David Owen.
Last Steep co-owner Kevin Hartigan said he supported the idea of late night vending, even when his restaurant remained open until midnight on the weekends. “We’d be direct competition and I’m in full support,” he told the council at the public hearing over the matter on March 19. “Outside vending adds a good vibe to town. We feel fortunate to have a business on Elk Avenue but those not financially able should be able to keep the dream alive. I like the idea of good, diverse organic food out there.
“I think a fair and reasonable fee needs to be imposed but it needs to be fair and reasonable,” he emphasized. “If folks are willing to work hard and contribute to the community, I’m in full support.”
Shawn Mast has indicated he plans on opening a late-night food cart in downtown Crested Butte. He said there should be some consistency. “Why can a food truck be 160 square foot and my cart is limited to 20 square feet? That’s something for the council to consider.”
Former “brick-and-mortar” business owner Sally Johnson supported the idea, “but I say the council should think big with this. This could provide a lot of opportunities for people without the needed financial backing to be in a brick-and-mortar business. Let’s be fair and reasonable and give entrepreneurs a chance to service a slot that isn’t being serviced right now.”
“You’ve heard from both sides of the issue,” said Mountain Oven Bakery spokesperson Chris Sullivan, who plans to be one of the businesses applying for a late-night vending license. “We want this market to come alive when most markets are closing, so 10 o’clock seems the right time to start. As far as the number, we aren’t asking for any exclusive market. Let the market drive the demand and supply.”
“Like a lot of people here, I eat every day,” resident Ira Conn told the council. “I think this adds to the late-night culture. I think it will add to the fabric of people’s experiences here. I like street food. I think these guys are taking a risk and they should have the ability to pursue it.”
Resident Jamie Sibulkin asked the council to consider extending the minimum days of operation, currently set at 80 annually. “Perhaps consider upping that number,” she suggested. “Make it more like a brick-and-mortar business. The last thing we want is for someone to come in and skim the busy periods like summer. Let’s keep it local.”
The council set the annual fee at $400 and unanimously approved the ordinance allowing late-night food vending trucks.