Sec. 13-63. - Operation requirements and restrictions.
(a) Mobile food establishments are subject to the following requirements and restrictions unless specifically addressed otherwise:
(1) It shall be unlawful to operate a mobile food establishment on streets where a traffic hazard is created.
(2) Mobile food establishments may operate in parks subject to the requirements set in section 22-2.
(3) Mobile food establishments may stop in a public street, or right-of-way, provided:
a. This area is not in or within fifty (50) feet of an intersection;
b. This area is not an area prohibited to the standing or parking of vehicles;
c. All items are vended from the curbside of the vehicle or the rear of the vehicle;
d. The mobile food establishment is in compliance with the requirement for hazard lamps as set forth in subsection 13-63(a)(11); and
e. The mobile food establishment is vending in a safe manner.
(4) Mobile food establishments may be stopped on private property, properly zoned and with the written notarized permission of the property owner. Mobile food establishments must be parked on a paved surface and in clean surroundings.
(5) Food vendors shall comply with this Code as well as with state and federal law and nothing in this article shall exempt a food vendor from zoning ordinances.
(6) Mobile food establishments operating within Market Square or El Mercado shall comply with the appropriate provisions of chapter 32, article II.
(7) No person shall operate a mobile food establishment within three hundred (300) feet of the property line of any public, private elementary, middle or high school grounds one (1) hour before, during, and one (1) hour after school hours.
(8) It shall be unlawful to operate a mobile food establishment in the downtown business district with the exception of vendors who have obtained a special permit from the downtown operations department, or its successor city department, in addition to having all required valid mobile food establishment permit(s). The city manager or her designee shall have authority to establish policies and procedures governing the issuances and regulation of the special permit for mobile food establishments in the downtown business district to include distance requirements from schools and food establishments and access to restroom facilities.
The director of the downtown operations department, or its successor city department, shall establish a fee for a special permit and associate permit for mobile food establishments located in the downtown business district. The permit fee for vending in the downtown business district and associate fee shall be in addition to any other applicable fees set out in this chapter.
(9) The hours of operation of any mobile food establishment operating in a residential area shall be from 7:00 a.m. Central Standard Time until 9:00 p.m. in June, July and August and until 8:00 p.m. the remainder of the year.
(10) The mobile food establishment shall turn off all music and recorded messages while stationary, except when stopped at a controlled intersection.
(11) Mobile food establishments that are operating in a residential area shall comply with Transportation Code § 547.703. When stationary, the mobile food establishment must turn on its hazard lamps as defined in Transportation Code § 547.331, except when stopped at a controlled intersection.
(12) No mobile food establishment shall be parked in violation of section 35-311 of the unified development code.
(b) Subsections (a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(4) and (a)(7) shall not apply to mobile food establishments while operating at a special event.
(Ord. No. 2026-09-03-0523, § 2, 9-3-26)
