Food Trucks at Elberta Beach?

By Emily Votruba

At the February Parks and Rec Commission meeting last night there was some discussion of food concessions down at the beach. Nobody in the room could remember a time when snacks were sold down at the beach, though Katy denHeeten recalled the swingsets and picnic tables she enjoyed there as a kid in the days before the Critical Dune Act.

Sue Oseland mentioned that Traverse City council was to vote today on whether to allow food trucks downtown. She joked that if the proposal was voted down there might be a lot of food vendors looking for a market.

Lisa Schroeder-Confer recalled that when the idea came up in Frankfort it met broad opposition from food-business owners along Main Street worried about competition.

Elberta seems a slightly different situation, with there being such a stretch of road from the beach to the first savory-food venue to the east, the Cabbage Shed, and considering Trick Dog's short hours. Those present at the meeting were unanimous (though no vote was taken) that leasing a space at the beach to a food truck or staffing a Park and Rec operation as a way to fund Park and Rec projects or raise other money for the village should be further explored.

Today's Record-Eagle reported that city officials voted to wait 60 days to study the issue further. Maybe we can learn something from their process...or get the jump on them. Food trucks are popular in cities all over the country and can be a great asset. Seems like there could be a way to coordinate timing and items sold with local business owners and actually enhance and increase hungry traffic flow and business from the beach to the Betsie.

What do you think?