Pasadena's food fight

Local restaurant owners aren't happy about food trucks in Pasadena, so they got together at Cameron's Seafood on East Colorado to discuss options. Among those who attended were Robin Salzer (owner of Robin's B-B-Q), Ishmael Trone, a couple of city bureaucrats, a Starbucks exec and at least one food truck operator: 

PASADENA - Restaurant owners in Pasadena fired the opening shot Tuesday in a battle with trendy gourmet food trucks, which brick-and-mortar businesses claim are luring away customers.

To the chagrin of many Pasadena restaurant owners, the city of Pasadena doesn't subject food trucks the pricey conditional-use permits restaurants must obtain to open for business.

"You can't have a double standard and that's the problem," said Robin Salzer, owner of Robin's B-B-Q and Woodfire Grill. "The city created a double standard because food trucks were the flavor of the month."

Restaurant owners don't simply want to force food truck operators to apply for conditional-use permits. Many want food trucks barred from parking on city streets, restricted to operating on private property (500 feet from the nearest restaurant) and operating only after 10 p.m.

Some even suggested enacting a ban similar to San Marino's ordinance, which doesn't allow food trucks at all.

"The black and white of this is that catering trucks shouldn't be allowed in Pasadena," said Bessie Politis, Western Pacific regional quality assurance manager for Starbucks.