29 July, 2015

Have Your Say On Council’s Mobile Food Vendor Policy & Guidelines

Consultation on refined guidelines for operating mobile food businesses in the City aimed at better supporting fixed businesses and entrepreneurs begins on Friday and runs until 28 August 2015.

The Mobile Food Vending program began in 2011 as a pilot program through Splash Adelaide, since then mobile food vendors have become a popular feature of the City of Adelaide.

Lord Mayor Martin Haese said the consultation includes proposed changes to the guidelines aimed at addressing some of the concerns raised by fixed businesses and finding a balance for traders in the city’s ever changing culture and economy.

“It is important that we get this right and we must support our fixed businesses whilst encouraging entrepreneurship and trialling different business models to get the balance right,” said Martin.

“Consultation begins on Friday and I encourage everyone interested to have their say through the community consultation process which can be accessed via the City of Adelaide website.”

One of the proposed changes is around allocating ten of the 40 mobile food vending permits to existing bricks and mortar businesses, creating a more inclusive process and giving fixed businesses the opportunity to build upon their existing business offerings.

Feedback from businesses that already utilise the mobile food vending program confirms that the program provides an alternative way to test consumer preferences before launching a new product.

Fee incentives will encourage food vendors into spaces in the Park Lands and around the city where there are fewer similar businesses and greater opportunity for activating the space.

The guidelines include a fee schedule based on a holistic, industry standard model where the scale of fees is set in accordance with the location of the MFV and the business operations opportunities in each area.

The revised guidelines support the review of the Park Lands Management Strategy including future plans for infrastructure to better support mobile food vending in the Park Lands and Squares.

To have your opinions heard join the conversation and have your say on the changes to the Mobile Food Vending guidelines go to yoursay.cityofadelaide.com.au/your-say-adelaide.

The City of Adelaide’s Mobile Food Vending Program aims to enhance the city by encouraging more activity in the city and North Adelaide, more often.