Local business urges Blowing Rock to allow weekly food trucks; council to follow up

A Blowing Rock restaurant owner urged the Town Council on July 8 to allow food trucks to operate on private property on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when his restaurant is closed, saying such events increased nearby retail and beverage sales during trial events.

Eric Rinker, who identified himself and provided his address for the record, told the council that past special‑event food trucks coinciding with Trout Fest and other events boosted his shop's sales. "All 3 times that we've had the food truck, our shop has tripled in sales from what it normally does," Rinker said, and he asked whether the town could modify an ordinance or authorize a test run for the remainder of July while school is out.

Council response and next step: Council members acknowledged both potential business benefits and earlier merchants' pushback over food trucks. The mayor asked staff to follow up; staff directed Shane and Kevin to contact Rinker and report back with options, including whether a short pilot could provide data to inform an ordinance change.

Context: At the meeting, staff said an ordinance restricting food trucks had come up previously, and council members noted both support among some restaurateurs and opposition among others. No formal ordinance change was proposed or adopted at the meeting; the council directed staff to engage with stakeholders and return with information.

What happens next: Staff will contact the speaker and discuss possible permit pathways or a pilot; the council will consider staff findings before proposing any ordinance amendment.