MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – The application process for food trucks in the City of Myrtle Beach opened up two weeks ago, but the city hasn’t seen one completed application. The city said the only application they received was not entirely filled out.
Mark Kruea with the City of Myrtle Beach said the city thinks this is because people haven’t had time to establish their food trucks to bring into the city.
WBTW spoke with people who already have established food trucks on the Grand Strand. Kerry Ragland with Kurbside Katering in Carolina Forest originally wanted to apply for a permit, but he chose not to once the application process opened.
The ordinance says, in part, that “Mobile food units must be affiliated with an existing permanent commercial kitchen,” but Ragland said the city did not specify that the kitchen had to be inside the city limits of Myrtle Beach. We asked the city to clarify.
“The ordinance says you have to be tied to a commercial kitchen, and I think we’re interpreting that to be inside the city limits of Myrtle Beach, which may not be what they were thinking about,” said Kruea.
Ragland said he thinks the city had a different agenda. “They already knew the three main food truckers of the Myrtle Beach area are in Surfside, and two are in Carolina Forest,” said Ragland. “They didn’t say anything about the commissaries having to be in Myrtle Beach.”
Kruea said the application process will remain open until six qualified candidates have submitted applications and have been approved for a food truck permit.
