KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.
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Kansas City, Kansas, food truck operators say business has been slow since the Unified Government issued a moratorium preventing food trucks from operating in the popular 18th and Central area.
“We’re not in the same business,” said Francisco ‘Paco’ Valencia, owner of Paco’s Tacos.
Al Miller/KSHB 41
He owns one of the trucks operating near 18th and Center that the Unified Government banned from operating in the area for at least 60 days in December.
Valencia and other food truck owners spoke with KSHB 41’s Megan Abundis about their reaction to the ban in December.
Valencia said it was an ideal location for the businesses, and despite previous tensions surrounding food truck hours, they were still getting several hundred customers a day.
“We didn’t know what to do, it surprised us,” Valencia said.
The entire restricted area described in the Dec. 19 moratorium stretches from 17th and 19th streets and Grandview Boulevard to Wilson Boulevard.
United Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas
According to the Unified Government, there were several reasons for these restrictions, including the dumping of cooking grease and other food waste into stormwater drains, evidence of garbage burning, an unlicensed portable toilet, road closures and crossings. right and a food truck constantly. parked in the same spot for weeks.
UG cites this mobile sales ordinance when referring to violations of the aforementioned code.
Al Miller/KSHB 41
“We basically wanted to hit a pause button,” said Jeff Miles, director of the Environmental Services division of Public Works under the Unified Government. “Let’s get in there, clean it up, get it back to 100% and then educate.”
The moratorium is hurting businesses like Paco’s Tacos, and even UG feels it.
“We want them to succeed,” Miles said. “I eat there actually quite often. I love the food trucks, all the businesses in Kansas City, Kansas.”
Miles says there is no evidence to blame any food trucks for dumping grease into storm drains, but since grease was found in the area where the food trucks were located, Miles says it was easier to restrict access to that area.
Al Miller/KSHB 41
“We needed free access to all that infrastructure,” Miles said. “We’ve already sent out machinery to start some cleanup. This colder weather has slowed things down a bit, but we’ll be back at it as well.”
Miles showed KSHB 41’s Rachel Henderson photos of grease dumped in storm drains from December 2024, but he said UG has known about the dumping for months.
Al Miller/KSHB 41
“Our team is going to meet with all the food truck owners; we’re going to invite them and go through an education process that we do throughout the year,” Miles said.
Valencia said he is open to talks but has not been approached by the city to discuss his issues.
“If I had the opportunity to talk to the city or anybody, I would,” Valencia said.
He said he would like to start an organization to represent food trucks in the area, but doesn’t know where to start.
He says having a liaison who can go back and forth between food trucks and the city can make code enforcement more effective.
“We love this community, Wyandotte County. We want to be here,” Valencia said.
But if the worst comes to the worst, he might not stay in Kansas.
He says supporting the many employees at the brick-and-mortar-only location — which is only open Friday through Sunday — has become more difficult since the ban.
In fact, he says he reopened it once the ban went into effect.
Al Miller/KSHB 41
“It’s difficult,” Valencia said. “We can’t support it. It’s not enough to pay our bills.”
The final decision on what happens after 60 days is not up to Miles. It depends on the UG leadership.
All Valencia wants is to get back to business.
“We don’t ask for anything for free,” Valencia said. “We just want to work.”
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