Submitted by Gerry Clare
Roving Reporter
December 22, 2014 4:32 p.m.
Rain, thunder and lightning could not prevent Mario Pompeo from opening his food truck at Peter’s Point today.
Sure enough, former customers of his downtown Centre Street restaurant, Pompeo’s, began arriving for lunch. Merry and David Coalson were the first to order…a Philly Cheese Steak and Italian Sub.
Others arrived, including this reporter, and enjoyed pizza, pasta and salads. They ate at the nearby picnic tables by the beach and when the rain fell, in their cars.
Pompeo’s food truck is open for lunches and dinners to start and for catering and delivery as well. Call Mario at 556-3295 to order.
Editor’s Note: According to Adrienne Burke, community development director for the City of Fernandina Beach, the City does not allow “mobile vending” or food trucks within the city limits. An exception would be if food trucks are part of a special event.
Good luck to Mario! I hope the horses and he can get along! lol
Great! We love food trucks! I hope more will follow! It would be nice to see some allowed in Fernandina at Main beach as well!
I’m glad Tim poynter was elected. Seeing as how he owns two restaurants downtown, I’m sure he will make things easier for competing restaurants and vendors.
A side note… I think it’s kind of rediculous that poynter helped enact the seat tax ($250 per seat a year I think?) yet he owns a restaurant that says “take out only” on the front window of the restaurant, but provides picnic tables on the premises. What a tool.
Way to go food trucks!
According to John Mandrick, City of Fernandina Beach utilities director, impact fees for seating were enacted in 1990, years before Tim Poynter took office. Poynter paid impact fees due on the required indoor seating at Timoti’s. Regarding your picnic table comment, Poynter was not required to pay for outdoor seating just like T Ray’s and Tasty’s.
Lies!
Chefblitzer — I really am so tired of this Poynter-bashing for absolutely no reason. What on Earth does the opening of a food truck have to do with Tim Poynter’s election to the City Commission?
Save your vitriol for the real issues and actions that will be part of the City Commission deliberations and you’ll live longer and perhaps have a positive impact on new legislation.
Does anybody have a contact person in the local city government to start action to get “food trucks” permission to be INside the city limits? This would be a fabulous addition for food choices for summer beach goers. Most local eateries have “shirt and shoes” requirements—a food truck would be so very convenient for folks in bathing suits.
I really missed his restaurant. He’s back!
Annie,
You would need to contact one of the commissioners or appear at one of the commission meetings and speak to them as a whole. There is currently an ordinance prohibiting mobile food vendors (trucks, carts, etc.). When previously brought up the restaurant owners objected as they felt it gave the mobile food vendors an unfair advantage in that they were able to choose select spots and didn’t have the overhead that a building-based dining establishment has. You can research the controversy in Jacksonville about food trucks that took a couple of years to finally resolve. It becomes a sticky issue in that you have to set up parameters for their operation as to number allowed, locations permitted, health inspections (a county function), etc. Not a simple matter. At Main Beach you can get hot dogs and other food at the Putt-Putt and of course there is Sandy Bottoms right there as well.
Best luck to Mario. I suspect that as the weather improves they will not let him locate his food truck in the prime oceanfront parking spaces; but hopefully not back where the horse trailers have to park!