LUCAS COUNTY, Ohio — Food trucks are a convenient way for customers to get their favorites on the go. Since every business must be kept in clean working order, food trucks are no exception.
Jennifer Gottschalk from the Lucas County Health Department says there is a simple way for these road chefs to get all the proper permits all at once through the Mobile Food Truck Roundup event.
"We want everyone to have fun, but we want them to have safe fun," said Gottschalk. "So it's important at the health department level that the food truck is operating safely."
Working together with fire and city departments, food truck owners have a one-stop-shop for all their necessary permits and inspections.
Chico Martinez, of Los Pollo Loco, appreciates the convenient process.
"What's so great about it is, you don't have to do the footwork," said Martinez. "Call Maumee, call Wood County. They're all in one place. We got 10, maybe plus more counties that are going to be out there."
Rashawn McDonald Sr., of Glaze 'Em Gourmet Funnel Cakes, said these inspections are typically a time consuming task.
"It makes it so much easier, and it doesn't put so much restraint and restrictions on trucks and having to meet mandates to go to certain municipalities, counties to actually get certified," said McDonald. "They can do it under one area."
The roundup is also used for some as a way to keep up to date on new rules and safety issues.
"One year this might be right, the next year they change it," said Martinez. "So it is just very informative that you go and get education about certain things and codes."
For those novice food truck owners, the seasoned veterans say it's best to come to the roundup with less stress.
"I think being at the roundup, you can knock out 2-3-4-5 birds with one stone," said McDonald. "You can just take care of so much at one time. That saves you on time, saves you on money, gas, it saves you on a lot of different things."
The Mobile Food Truck Roundup will take place in Maumee starting Wednesday, March 13. To register, CLICK HERE.
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