BETHESDA FOOD TRUCK

POLL RESULTS ARE IN

Residents Overwhelmingly Favor

Mobile Cuisine Purveyors

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive!!!

Bethesda has spoken: residents and workers love food trucks.

An online poll created by Ken Hartman, director of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, was taken by 47 people.

Hartman reports that just over 80% favor food trucks, and would like to have more in downtown Bethesda.

16% said food trucks are "OK but...there may be a problem if too many trucks set up in one place."

Just 3% said "they're awful and the county needs to regulate them more."

The results certainly reflect what I hear regularly from people in Bethesda. Most express that they wish more of the popular trucks that operate in the District would come here, too.

That may require the county to rework and enhance their regulations to make our jurisdiction more attractive to DC food trucks.

Bravo to the Red Hook Lobster Truck for being one of the very few DC trucks to venture out to Bethesda.

In fact, the Lobster Truck is scheduled to be at Wisconsin and Leland for lunch today! So show them some support.

The other great thing that's happening even as we try to figure out how to lure DC trucks here, is that a set of homegrown, Montgomery County trucks are popping up at lunch hours countywide.

Suburban Bros., Go Fish Truck, Thatsalata!, Cravin Cookies, Cupcake Blvd. (working in MoCo and Anne Arundel), and Corned Beef King - to name a few - are not just meeting consumer demands, but are actively cooperating and supporting each other's efforts.

That is helping to grow the whole market for food trucks in Bethesda and the county.

For that reason, I disagree with the complaint about multiple trucks stopping at once. Sometimes 2 or 3 trucks will stop at a spot, and it allows people to spread their money among several operators. Likewise, diners can get a salad from one, a sandwich from a second, and a cupcake for dessert.

Thanks to all those who took the poll and to Ken Hartman for posting it. This type of feedback ensures that if code changes are made, that they will be guided by the knowledge that a majority of residents support food trucks.

Of course, brick-and-mortar restaurants need to be heard from as well. But the more choices available, the better for the consumer.

This poll indicates that consumer wants more, not fewer, dining choices.