Months of talks ended in Horry County Tuesday night, as local leaders gave final approval to a food vending ordinance.
Ordinance 23-15, which amends county code pertaining to food vending, opens the opportunity for food trucks in unincorporated areas of Horry County.
Leaders revised several elements of the original ordinance, including where food vendors can set up, prohibited hours of operation and how many businesses are allowed on a site.
The ordinance, however, prohibits mobile food vendors from being within 300 feet of an established food service business. It would also prohibit vendors from being within 200 feet from a K-12 school entrance, unless permitted by the facility.
Mobile food vendors will not be allowed to operate between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m., according to the official ordinance.
One mobile food vendor is allowed per parcel. Parcels exceeding 30 acres in size may have one mobile food unit per acre, up to 15 units total.
The food truck issue began in November 2013 when a truck owner wanted to expand his business into the county. Horry County policy allows push carts, not food trucks.