Jose Flores has made the corner of 18th and Central the home base for his food truck, Taqueria Hernandez, since he opened it a couple years ago.
When the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas put a 60-day moratorium on food trucks in December, Flores and his son Pablo tried to find a nearby spot to keep their regulars fed, but still lost business.
“Financially, it hurt because we still had expenses, food costs, truck maintenance and other bills,” said Pablo Flores.
The UG enacted the ban after several health and safety violations, such as incorrectly disposing of grease in storm drains, blocking traffic and setting trash on fire. Pablo Flores said Taqueria Hernandez got four days’ notice before the shutdown.
It lifted on Friday, and the intersection of Central and 18th again filled with trucks. Jose Flores was again able to satisfy regulars who come to eat his tacos, tortas, burritos and quesadillas.
Two days before the ban lifted, Kansas City, Kansas Environmental Services held an informational session to educate the vendors on the correct ways to dispose of fats, oils, grease and gray water. During the hiatus, Environmental Services also cleaned and fixed sewer and drainage systems.
Pablo said he’s not sure which trucks were guilty of the city’s main complaint, dumping grease into the sewer, but that his dad found the educational session very informative.
“ He was grateful for that educational class,” Pablo said. “Because he learned a little bit more to making sure to keep everything clean.”
