Akron mulls effect of food truck

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Officials in this city aren’t exactly eating up the new food-truck craze.

The president of the city council in Akron said Monday a committee will look into food trucks and what effect they’ve had on established restaurants in other cities where they are popular.

Local food-truck operators and their supporters have been lobbying council through social media and other means to permit them in the city. But the Downtown Akron Partnership has raised concerns about food trucks competing with downtown restaurants.

“You’ve gotten our attention,” council president Garry Moneypenny told the local food-truck owners and others who have taken to Facebook and urged people to sign an online petition to promote their cause. He also asked the operators to tone down their online remarks, which he said have at times attacked the city, elected officials and downtown restaurants.