The city of Shavano Park is bolstering rules for food trucks and food truck parks.

City Council voted Jan. 24 to pass the first reading of an ordinance that proposes regulations on mobile food units and mobile food courts. The council will consider a second and final reading of the ordinance at the regular monthly meeting in February.

According to city officials, the goals of the new ordinance are to establish performance standards for dedicated food truck parks while prohibiting pop-up gatherings of food trucks from appearing in vacant parking lots.

Another goal, local leaders said, is to offer minimal regulatory oversight for temporary food truck appearances, such as a party at a place of employment.

No food truck courts are currently present in Shavano Park, although city staff received word from a local developer earlier in 2021 that someone was interested in developing a food truck court inside city limits.

However, city staff learned later in the same year that the prospective food truck park operator was no longer pursuing a Shavano Park location, City Manager Bill Hill said.

“After talking with the developer, there doesn’t appear to be a demand for food trucks in this area,” Hill said.

Many council members said they were fine permitting food trucks to occasionally operate in town. But they disagreed with letting in permanent mobile food courts because they felt little to no sales tax revenue would be generated at such establishments.

A handful of food truck parks are operating around the San Antonio area; most feature a bar that sells various beverages. But a few other mobile food courts have no bar and allow diners to bring their own beverages, Shavano Park officials said.

Smaller area cities such as New Braunfels have dedicated regulations for food truck courts, and others make no mention of mobile food operations.

Council Member Maggi Kautz said with the number of established restaurants surrounding Shavano Park and news of more restaurants on their way, food truck operators would have little incentive to set up shop in Shavano Park.

“This takes resources to do, and we get no benefit,” Council Member Pete Miller said of allowing a permanent food truck park.