Wilkes-Barre approves mobile food facility ordinance, sets operating hours at 2 a.m.

Wilkes-Barre City Council on Feb. 27 voted to approve a new ordinance creating a city code for mobile food facilities and to set late-night operating hours at 2 a.m., after food-truck operators and residents weighed in during public comment.

The measure, filed as an addition to chapter 11 of the city code, drew multiple food-truck owners to the lectern to say late-night sales are a significant portion of their revenue and that existing problems have been minimal. Jaycer Castillo, owner of the Carnet Kesso food truck, told the council he and his team have run the business since 2021 and that “personally, we do over 30% of our revenues is after 11PM,” adding his operation had not experienced incidents tied to late service hours. Daisy Barra, another food-truck owner, said her truck operates into the early morning and “we never had an issue at all. We even have the police buying tacos from us.”

Several speakers urged the council to allow the later hour to protect jobs and…