What seemed like relatively minor code updates approved by the Grass Valley City Council earlier this week may be a major concern to some downtown restaurant owners. One amendment the Council gave its blessing to will expand the locations and operations of food trucks. They had only been allowed at special downtown events. The change will allow one food truck per commercially zoned property. But Jerry Cirino, the owner of Cirino’s restaurant, says he’s not sure he’ll stay open. He points out he’d only need around 10-percent of his current inventory to set up a food truck…

click to listen to Jerry Cirino

Speaking on “KNCO: Insight”, Cirino is also upset about the lack of communication about the change, which was passed with little comment by the Council and no comment from the public. Mayor Ben Aguilar says restaurants have nothing to worry about…

click to listen to Ben Aguilar

Aguilar says the change should allow food trucks to spread out more and not threaten downtown eating establishments. But Cirino and other critics say that could also mean siphoning more customers away from the downtown, eroding what is already a small profit margin, especially with inflation causing people to eat out less.