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Century Votes To Allow Food Trucks; Sonnys BBQ May Be First
July 14, 2016
The Town of Century has voted to allow food trucks and other portable food vendors to purchase a business license.
Mayor Freddie McCall said he was approached by Sonny’s BBQ in Pensacola about purchasing a business license to operate a food truck or trailer on Sundays in the parking lot of a flower shop across the street from Century’s Whataburger.
“Sonny’s is an established business in Pensacola. I’d like to see Sonny’s come,” council member Ann Brooks said, adding that if their parking lot location is successful, they might consider a permanent structure.
“I love to eat, honey,” council member Sandra McMurray Jackson said jokingly. “As long as (it’s) clean, I don’t care.”
McCall said he was concerned about a transient business paying just $26.25 for a business license while a permanent business such as Whataburger pays additional taxes, including a property tax assessment. “The portable man will just come in here and sell in their front door,” he said.
The council voted unanimously to allow Sonny’s, or any other food vendor, to purchase a business license for the standard $26.25 in order to operate a portable food truck or trailer in the town limits. The business license, known formally as a business tax receipt, will allow the food business to operate seven days a week, not just Sundays.
Established in 1968, Sonny’s BBQ operates over 120 locations in eight states.
Pictured below: The parking lot of this flower shop is where Century Mayor Freddie McCall says Sonny’s BBQ wants to setup a food truck or trailer on Sundays. NorthEcambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
23 Responses to “Century Votes To Allow Food Trucks; Sonnys BBQ May Be First”
All business is good and its a nice variety! No worries What A Burger you have a completely different model. People who like the outside feel can go food truck.
Yay for free enterprise!
Oh, By the way, there are strict health codes for food trucks too and they are inspected often.
competition is always a good thing. if it was another burger joint or chicken place I would agree with the nay Sayers. perhaps the city can require them to get sales tax license with century’s address so that century could get some revenue from that. maybe it will be successful enough to motivate century residence to create their own food truck business.
Let’s see. Some of you are worried Sonny’s might cut into local business! Are you kidding me? Across America for the last 30 years Walmart has practically eliminated all local business. Bicycle shops, hardware stores, jewelry.stores, drug stores, meat markets, mom and pop stores of all kinds, and you’re worried about Sonny’s? I doubt Sonny’s will liquidate 800,000 manufacturing jobs at good wages by putting a truck in Century!
It can’t be worse than the current restaurants in town where you hardly get what you order. I can’t wait.
Let’s see what Mayor Freddie thinks if the food truck moves to his racetrack Saturday night and takes all his soda and hot dog money back to Pensacola with them.
Wow! I really like Sonny’s. I believe they will do really well!
Let’s see, Sonny’s is going to bring their employees along with their gypsy food truck. If they cut into local business volume enough, someone that works at BK or wat a burger gets sent home. They also will not provide restroom or adequate parking, so guess what, their customers and employees will be using the facilities of local business. They won’t be buying water or natural gas from Century like the local businesses do either. Having food trucks at special events is one thing, but letting them set up on the roadside could work to detract from local business.
@careful what you wish for
Its not based on lip smacking and belly rubs….
But on finger licking and Baby Back ribs.
I think it’s a great ideal….food trucks bring good things to community’s. Not only good food but it brings people together. When you at a drive thur you don’t get out your car you sit. This will get people up moving, talking and getting to know one another and what’s going on in your town. Then it might have you wanting to start your own business and putting more people to work. This has so much more positive things to offer then you can see right now. Just give it a chance.
BOCC Commish Douglas Underhill had great plans for a Food Truck Court near the NAS Mainside. He was going to invest Hundresds of Thousands of Taxpayer dollars in that boondoggle.
Thankfully someone on the BOCC had better sense than Underhill and the project is now stalled and hopeful its not ever going to happen.
Can’t keep the roadways cleaned and mowed but wanting to squander OUR Money on his pet projects,
Disgusting.
FYI for the commenters talking about ‘Health Department’ inspections:
The FL Dept of Health does NOT perform restaurant inspections–those are performed by the FL Dept of Business & Professional Regulation.
Hey, for y’all that don’t like this idea of Food Trucks taking away business from the GREAT Local places you can fix that by just not patronizing the Food Trucks.
No guests, No income and they’ll eventually go away.
I may have voted the same way if something is brought up then immediately put to a vote. It takes a while to process the implications. I hope it all works out fine. If Sonny’s is only here on Sundays it’ll be fun watching some folks get there to beat the church people in line, and the Baptists let out early to beat the Methodists in line. Century..gotta love it! I do. Smile and greet your neighbor.
An established business, being inspected by the health department, buying water and utility servics from the town is better. They would pay into the tax base and pay sales tax. I agree with you Mayor McCall. Suggest contact a Waffle House, the people who stop at these places on highway would be people riding through, not just the residents.
The door has now been opened.
Will one those Frozen Margarita trucks be riding by blaring “Oohooo my Brown Eyed Girl” no liquor license required?
Be cautious basing decisions on lip smacking and belly rubs.
So, they can just park for $26.25 and take money from established business? There is nothing fair bout this and I have to wonder why this is happening across the country. Third world countries have all of these easy eating markets, but are they health safe? Read about food trucks and health dept reports. I did and I’m sorry I won’t get to meet any of the commenters there.
Thank you mayor and council for making a smart and intelligent decision. I have frequented Sonnys BBQ since I was a little girl. It was one of my Daddy’s favorite places to eat. He would be proud they are making a presence in Century. Can’t wait for them to come. Yummy!
Awesome!! Totally agree with Terri’s comments! Love our local restaurants and often frequent them, but have been wishing for a local Bbq Resturant! Wish I had some of Terri’ fudge right now!!
Competition is good for the American businesses. If you want What A Burger you will go to What A Burger. If you want Southern cooking you will go to the Panhandle. If you want boiled peanuts you will find a street vendor and buy them. People spend money when they stop in towns and the ;longer they are in town the more it benefits the town. I am glad to see this positive step the town is taking. Who knows I might want to bring my fudge business to town on the weekends.
What happened to support local business? Shouldn’t the town council be on the front line for local businesses, Century businesses.
This should have been a more thoughtful vote.
I guess the mayor and council have not watched the in fighting in Pensacola and other areas where the “food trucks” want in. How about trash and taxes. There are other food locations that have been paying taxes and have people working for them that have been around for a while— what happens with and to them? Give a little time to adopt the question of where they can set up and the the other guide lines.
Although I do like me some good smoked hog, for some reason I’m thinking this may not go over too well in the long run. A big business like Wataburger may slap our little town real hard for this handshake deal. Something just seems too easy. Heck we do have Family Dollar vs. Dollar General but they both paid for their share of the real estate to compete. This looks more like a squatter pitching a tent to attract some of the overflow from WB without paying the real price to compete.
looks tasty! does whataburger offer a bbq sammich like dat one?
What are the rules for where the vendors can set up. Can I just go set a the public library with my food truck because I’m a tax payer and my money supports the library. Ot can I set up on any county right of way