St. Johns County OKs Food Truck Park Rules

St. Johns County commissioners unanimously approved new regulations for food trucks and food truck parks Tuesday, enacting Ordinance 2026-31. The decision concluded a months-long dispute involving The Outpost, a local food truck park.

The Outpost, owned by Justin Tahilramani, faced a temporary shutdown due to a code violation that cited a lack of a permanent structure, paved parking, and restrooms. Tahilramani said the situation revealed a gap in the county's Land Development Code, which lacked a clear definition for food truck parks.

"St. Johns County just didn’t really have an operational definition for food truck parks and how they could operate or how they were supposed to operate," Tahilramani said.

The ordinance permits food trucks and food truck parks in Highway Commercial, High Intensity Commercial, and Rural Commercial zoning districts. It defines a food truck park as a permanent market or food court with at least three food trucks on a single property, excluding temporary festivals and fairs.

Operating hours for these parks are now limited to 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Food truck parks must provide a minimum of three seats per truck, five parking spaces, restrooms, trash collection, water and wastewater connections, grease interceptors, and ADA-compliant facilities. Individual trucks must maintain a 10-foot separation from each other and sit at least 100 feet from residential structures. Parks must also adhere to the county's noise ordinance.

The Planning and Zoning Agency previously recommended the ordinance for approval. Tahilramani called the new operating hours a reasonable compromise and stressed the need for clear codes.

"The code needs to be specific enough that you or I or the 10,000 pound gorilla can understand it and can operate," he said.

While the ordinance is considered a victory for many, Javier Cornejo, owner of Dogtown food truck, expressed regret.

"Every one of us will wish that these people that left come back knowing that we’re open again and we’re under everything that the county was asking for," Cornejo said.

The ordinance takes effect upon filing a certified copy with the Florida Department of State.