For many, food trucks can be a fun way to grab a snack, try something new while in transit or, if located in the right spot, to grab some sustenance when other options are too far away. But when food trucks pull up on Mt. Diablo Boulevard and park in front of the dense lot where there are an assortment of businesses and eateries, as well as a half dozen restaurants just across the street, restaurant owners like Sonia Nawabi, owner of 365 Burrito, Maria Gastelumendi, owner of Rising Loafer Cafe & Bakery and Kimmeng Soeung, owner of Johnny’s Donuts, say it’s bad for their businesses.
 
    California gives cities the authority to impose public safety regulations including vehicles that sell food, however such vehicles cannot be banned if they are lawfully parked on streets in residential districts. Moraga recently discussed adding regulations to food trucks at the Sept. 24 Town Council meeting and the Moraga Chamber of Commerce surveyed local businesses to express their thoughts concerning food truck policy. The Town planned to revisit policy proposals by the end of 2025, but there have been no updates to date. The City of Lafayette has no specific food truck regulations currently in place.

    Nawabi has worked in the restaurant industry her whole life, but her decision to buy the Lafayette branch of 360 Burrito 20 years ago was one she made with her heart. “I used to work in the San Ramon branch and I loved the Cajun burrito and the fresh ingredients and I craved it,” Nawabi recalls with a smile, “so when this one was for sale in 2005, I purchased it.” 

    As a healthy, fast option for burritos and tacos, Nawabi’s restaurant has, at times, been a viable option for construction teams working on developments in town. However, as the taco trucks and other vendors on wheels have rolled into town, Nawabi has felt it. 

    “It was understandable when they had a truck down the street near the construction site, but now they’re bringing them right here (to the busy section of Mt. Diablo Boulevard),” Nawabi says.
 
    Nawabi estimates that her restaurant’s earnings have decreased by about 30% since the food trucks rolled in. Like other restaurant owners, Nawabi’s biggest overhead cost is rent, but she also pays taxes and has long-time employees who count on 360 Burritos for their families’ livelihoods.
    Gastelumendi opened up the Rising Loafer Cafe and Bakery in Lafayette 25 years ago with the vision of bringing textures and flavors of sustainable and organic cuisine from the farm to the table while making a living in the process. 

    “I am an immigrant. I’m an indigenous person – Quechua of the Andees – our philosophy is that where we work, we put our roots and commit to the community,” Gastelumendi says. “Making this kind of food is not just about making a living, but also about the lives and the diet of the community members – offering them something that is going to nurture their body.”

    When Gastelumendi isn’t in her restaurant which she runs with her husband, she’s participating in Sustainable Lafayette, the Environmental Task Force, the Community Garden and Lafayette DEIB. “Every dollar spent at the food truck is a dollar not spent on a rent-and-dues paying business,” Gastelumendi says. “Environmentally, the food trucks run their engines and generators as they idle all day long. The smell of the gas goes everywhere – even in the kitchen if we have our door open.” 

    Soeung joined the Lafayette business community in 2020 when she took over Johnny’s Donuts and feels for her business neighbors and is concerned with the aesthetic and the parking impact of food trucks. “Parking is already congested. These small businesses pay high rent (over $5,000/month) and it’s affecting us.”

    Gastelumendi and Nawabi have voiced their concerns with the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce about what might be at stake for mortar and brick eateries like theirs if restaurants on wheels continue to wheel in and out without paying their dues in the form of rent and taxes, but say they feel like they’re at an impasse. 

    Sarah Regan, the executive director of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce says the chamber has not yet taken a formal position on the issue of food trucks in town. “We do empathize with our brick-and-mortar restaurants, cafes and delis – particularly along Mt. Diablo Boulevard,” Regan said. “We recognize this can be especially challenging for businesses that pay rent, local taxes and comply with long standing regulations to operate downtown.” Regan added that the Chamber is in contact with Contra Costa Environmental Health to ensure the food trucks are properly licensed and that they’re not obstructing sidewalks. 

    Meanwhile, Sonia Nawabi believes in her heart there is a win-win compromise that could allow brick and mortars who are rooted in the community and food truck businesses to roll in from time to time. “Why not offer some regulations – maybe the trucks can come to town every Wednesday to give local residents the chance to try something new or maybe the city can designate an area and a time frame – two hours for operating,” Nawabi says. 

    In the meantime, in the absence of city regulations, the three business owners say they hope that Lamorindans will consider voting with their dollars and frequenting their businesses so they can stay a part of the Lafayette community.