San Francisco may expand formula retail rules to food trucks

San Francisco’s formula retail ordinance — a.k.a the chain-store killer — continues to deter large and growing retailers interested in opening shops or restaurants in the city. Soon, it could put the brakes on food trucks, too.

As part of Supervisor Scott Wiener’s recently proposed legislation to amend the city’s Public Works, Planning and Transportation codes, mobile food vendors that are owned or operated by a restaurant group with 11 or more locations will be prohibited from serving in neighborhood districts where the formula retail law applies.

In other words, if La Boulange with its 20-something locations and now endless Starbucks kiosks wanted to take its crispy croissants on the streets, it would be severely limited.

As with brick-and-mortar retailers, exceptions will be made for those that manage to obtain a conditional use permit. However, conditional use permits, as many retailers know, are expensive and can take months — even years — to get.

A spokesperson at the supervisor’s office said the proposed legislation is intended to stop major chains such as Burger King — which recently unleashed a fleet of 30 trucks across the U.S. — from skirting the formula retail law.

While I’m sure many San Franciscan’s would be happy to keep roaming Taco Bell, Chick-fil-A and Jack in the Box trucks off their quaint neighborhood streets (all have rolled out mobile arms), it would put a damper on some homespun companies.

The San Francisco Soup Co., for example, has a small fleet of trucks to get to underserved areas and has already taken to the South Bay. The MELT also is quickly rolling out its mini-mobile food empire. Even some popular trucks-turned-restaurants, such as Curry Up Now, which has big expansion plans, might be forced to take trucks on roads outside the city.

The bill is scheduled to be heard Monday at the Land Use Committee. If passed, it will go to the board on June 18.