Food truck owners begin filing for permits in Alameda

Despite numerous businesses on Alameda Point, there are precious few restaurants but that's about to change.

Alameda began taking applications Monday from mobile restaurateurs.

San Francisco's Financial District hosts many exotic lunch wagons because there's more than enough people to patronize them as well as regular eateries.

For existing mobile restaurants, Alameda presents new opportunities.

"I think that's great, the more the merrier for all the trucks," said Josh Yazzie, a food truck employee. "It's a growing business."

Though Alameda has many places to eat, many isolated or remote areas such as the College of Alameda, Alameda Point and other business parks have few or no options.

"We want to encourage economic development in some of our areas that are underserved by retail," said Jennifer Ott, with the City of Alameda.

For Alameda, the trucks are an immediate solution, but the city said restaurant rows will have nothing to fear.

"The way we really responded to some of those issues is to really narrow where these truck should be focused," Ott said.

Allison Lehman, said she's a big advocate for food trucks.

"I know a lot of restaurants think it's unfair, but I think all's fair in love and war," she said, "It's a great solution."

Ott said the food trucks will have to pay business taxes, license fees and get all the permits that any other brick and mortar restaurant would have to get.

For brick and mortar restaurants, this doesn't have to be a bunch of invaders coming from out of town; rather, it could be an opportunity to cheaply and quickly expand their existing businesses.

Scolari's on Park Street is an extremely popular, but tiny establishment. The restaurant told KTVU they're preparing a mobile vehicle of their own.

Regulars said they think it's great.

"When you've got a great restaurant and people who can put out great food, but you can't sit down, it's a natural extension," Lehman said.

The city believes the first trucks will be out in the community in about a month and other communities hungry for both new cuisines and taxes will be watching.