King Street mobile food cart concerns brought up to Charleston City Council

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – A Downtown Charleston restaurant owner is calling on City of Charleston leaders to address mobile food carts on King Street.

The presence of mobile food carts on weekend nights is a given on Upper King Street, but El Jefe Texican Cantina Owner Roy Neal said lately, they’ve gotten out of hand.

“This past Saturday night there was six or seven of them. A couple of months ago, there only was a couple,” Neal told News 2.

The restaurateur questioned if the food carts are being held to the same standard as brick-and-mortar establishments. He said city rules require him to keep his signs out of the sidewalk and to maintain a single file line when patrons are waiting to get in.

“A lot of these mobile food carts are parking so close to the sidewalk, if not, on the sidewalk, that their patrons are in line on the sidewalk and that defeats the purpose of what the city’s trying to do,” Neal shared. “Well, I have to follow that rule, along with all the other businesses on King Street. I think the mobile food carts should be doing that too.”

Neal also took issue with how late the vendors seem to be staying open and selling food. He said he and other businesses must obtain a Late Night Establishment permit to stay open past midnight. He took his concerns to the Charleston City Council meeting this week.

“I heard what was said. I think we need to look at it. First off, is everyone playing by the rules? Do those rules work? And are we making the street the best that it can be? I think it’s time for us to take a look at it and think about it, for sure,” Charleston City Councilman Mike Seekings said to News 2.

News 2 also spoke with Rolanda Bayoumi, who co-owns the King of Shawarma mobile food cart with her husband.

“Our customers get their food and walk away. They don’t loiter, they don’t stand around. We follow the same rules that apply to everybody else,” Bayoumi explained.

Those rules include closing at 1:30 am which Bayoumi said was implemented a few years back. She said they are careful to abide by the closure requirements.

“If we’re not shut down by 1:30, it’s a fine. No questions asked. If we’re still open at 1:31, that’s a potential fine, it’s a potential ticket,” the business owner said.

Bayoumi said their business took a hit with the 1:30 shutdown time and shared she feels food carts are being singled out.

“Here we go again, we’re getting picked on,” she stated.

As for Neal, he said the carts need to be moved to a safer area.

“Everybody’s entitled to their opinion, my opinion is, I just don’t think King Street needs mobile food carts,” Neal said.

For more information on food vendor permitting and rules, click here.