Milwaukee food truck owners fighting ordinance that would force trucks to close early
CBS 58 MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) - Starting on May 9, food trucks operating in the downtown Milwaukee area will be forced to close at 10 p.m., three hours earlier than when they are currently required to close.
An ordinance passed by the Common Council and signed by Mayor Cavalier Johnson aims to slow down late-night violence in Milwaukee.
“We are taking some measured approaches to attempt to diminish the disorder that occurs on these weekend nights, especially when the weather is warm,” Milwaukee Alderman Robert Bauman said in an April committee meeting.
The Fatty Patty has several food trucks throughout the SE Wisconsin area, but the busiest one operates on Water Street.
“We make most of the money in this location downtown,” Fatty Patty owner Abdallah Ismail said. “We’ve been waiting for the summer to cover the expenses that we had in the wintertime.”
Ismail says the truck makes 70% to 80% of its sales after 10 p.m.
“Closing at 10 p.m. means maybe a small change for other people or for the city, but for us, it’s closing business,” Ismail said. “People come to the truck to eat, not to fight.”
The hope for Ismail is to work with the city to find a better solution, instead of forcing him and others to close.
“We’re willing to work with the city to find a solution that will keep the city safe,” Ismail said. “If they think that we are the problem, but definitely we’re not, we have to work together to find a good solution.”
