BY DANIEL M. PEREZ
Journal Staff
Local food truck vendors called on government leaders to establish standardized fees, streamline permitting procedures, and designate specific operating zones during a legislative roundtable discussion addressing food truck operations held at the Guam Congress Building.
Vice speaker Vicente Anthony Ada convened the hearing to examine growing concerns surrounding land use, health regulations, government property usage, and economic development within the island’s expanding food truck sector.
Ada said that while mobile dining has become a vibrant fixture in local communities, operators continue to face mounting bureaucratic hurdles and inconsistent costs across different municipalities and government entities.
Small business owners testified that layers of overlapping fees assessed by village mayors and executive branch agencies have severely hindered their financial viability. Geneve Apuron, owner of Sticky Fingers, detailed how vendor fees for village events fluctuate dramatically without clear guidelines.
She explained that securing a spot for a two-and-a-half-day festival in Malesso’ costs up to $6,000, whereas a similar space in Hågat costs $3,000. "And that's just for the spot," Apuron remarked, emphasizing that vendors must also supply their own power generators and utilities. "That's not adding everything else like power, because they're not even giving me power as a truck. I have to provide for everything."
Joseph Atalig, owner of The Food Truck, recalled that when he launched his enterprise in 2016, vendors were only required to obtain a peddler’s license from the Department of Revenue and Taxation and a sanitary permit from the Department of Public Health and Social Services. Over time, additional agencies introduced separate permits and fees, creating confusion and increasing operational costs.
The Department of Parks and Recreation, for example, charges $1,500 per month plus an additional fee of $5 per employee for trucks operating at public beach parks, while the Department of Public Works later added requirements for vendors at Skinner Plaza.
Atalig stressed that current regulations fail to differentiate between small mobile units and large brick-and-mortar establishments. "If the Dusit is paying $750, then we're paying $750," Atalig pointed out, arguing that a food truck serving meals through a window should not be assessed the same base sanitary fee as a multi-story resort with full seated dining.
He suggested restoring centralized weekly events where vendors could operate efficiently under unified regulation. "Imagine bringing that back where you get 20 food trucks every Thursday night," he said. "The public, the military, the locals, and the tourists all know where to go."
Other vendors emphasized that high location fees fail to reflect the substantial overhead involved in running a mobile unit. Bert Javier, owner of Pono Hawaiian Grill, pointed out that vendors at the Tumon Night Market pay $175 nightly, amounting to roughly $700 per month, to operate for just a few hours one night a week on government property.
Javier explained that while food trucks offer an accessible entry point into the culinary industry, the business model carries significant hidden costs. "Our business is so vulnerable," Javier said. "The wear and tear on our vehicles, not just our vehicles, but our trailers, and our equipment, there are so many hard costs and fixed costs that are associated with the wear and tear of our business, but that's not accounted for."
Javier urged lawmakers to consider establishing dedicated food truck parks with proper infrastructure, saying that Guam "could benefit from having a designated destination for the food truck experience." Ada assured participants that the legislature will review the testimony and collaborate with regulatory agencies to develop clear, equitable guidelines that support small business growth while protecting public health and safety. mbj
Journal Staff
Local food truck vendors called on government leaders to establish standardized fees, streamline permitting procedures, and designate specific operating zones during a legislative roundtable discussion addressing food truck operations held at the Guam Congress Building.
Vice speaker Vicente Anthony Ada convened the hearing to examine growing concerns surrounding land use, health regulations, government property usage, and economic development within the island’s expanding food truck sector.
Ada said that while mobile dining has become a vibrant fixture in local communities, operators continue to face mounting bureaucratic hurdles and inconsistent costs across different municipalities and government entities.
Small business owners testified that layers of overlapping fees assessed by village mayors and executive branch agencies have severely hindered their financial viability. Geneve Apuron, owner of Sticky Fingers, detailed how vendor fees for village events fluctuate dramatically without clear guidelines.
She explained that securing a spot for a two-and-a-half-day festival in Malesso’ costs up to $6,000, whereas a similar space in Hågat costs $3,000. "And that's just for the spot," Apuron remarked, emphasizing that vendors must also supply their own power generators and utilities. "That's not adding everything else like power, because they're not even giving me power as a truck. I have to provide for everything."
Joseph Atalig, owner of The Food Truck, recalled that when he launched his enterprise in 2016, vendors were only required to obtain a peddler’s license from the Department of Revenue and Taxation and a sanitary permit from the Department of Public Health and Social Services. Over time, additional agencies introduced separate permits and fees, creating confusion and increasing operational costs.
The Department of Parks and Recreation, for example, charges $1,500 per month plus an additional fee of $5 per employee for trucks operating at public beach parks, while the Department of Public Works later added requirements for vendors at Skinner Plaza.
Atalig stressed that current regulations fail to differentiate between small mobile units and large brick-and-mortar establishments. "If the Dusit is paying $750, then we're paying $750," Atalig pointed out, arguing that a food truck serving meals through a window should not be assessed the same base sanitary fee as a multi-story resort with full seated dining.
He suggested restoring centralized weekly events where vendors could operate efficiently under unified regulation. "Imagine bringing that back where you get 20 food trucks every Thursday night," he said. "The public, the military, the locals, and the tourists all know where to go."
Other vendors emphasized that high location fees fail to reflect the substantial overhead involved in running a mobile unit. Bert Javier, owner of Pono Hawaiian Grill, pointed out that vendors at the Tumon Night Market pay $175 nightly, amounting to roughly $700 per month, to operate for just a few hours one night a week on government property.
Javier explained that while food trucks offer an accessible entry point into the culinary industry, the business model carries significant hidden costs. "Our business is so vulnerable," Javier said. "The wear and tear on our vehicles, not just our vehicles, but our trailers, and our equipment, there are so many hard costs and fixed costs that are associated with the wear and tear of our business, but that's not accounted for."
Javier urged lawmakers to consider establishing dedicated food truck parks with proper infrastructure, saying that Guam "could benefit from having a designated destination for the food truck experience." Ada assured participants that the legislature will review the testimony and collaborate with regulatory agencies to develop clear, equitable guidelines that support small business growth while protecting public health and safety. mbj
