BAXTER-Morey's Seafood Markets expressed an interest in getting back into the restaurant side of the business, but whether the city of Baxter approves is yet to be seen.
Morey's founder Steve Frank and Paul Burton, general manager, spoke to the city council last week. Morey's used to have a restaurant with its market but closed it in 2007. Frank said a more recent move across Highway 371 leaving the Baxter Village to transform a former convenience store next to Von Hanson's Meats on Audubon Way in Baxter has been the business' salvation.
"We have had a tremendous boost to our business," Frank said. "... Customers ask us incessantly, all the time, when are you going to have a restaurant again."
Frank said there isn't room for a restaurant in the store. They envision an auxiliary kitchen outside the store. With people coming to the market for food, Frank said being able to serve food, not for a sit-down restaurant, but a seasonal auxiliary kitchen would provide an opportunity for the business.
Josh Doty, community development director, said this use would be different as it wasn't a food vendor who would be moving to a variety of locations. By the city's ordinance, mobile vendors are not supposed to stay at a site for more than two days.
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Doty said questions before the council would be whether to limit this to stores with food sales or require products to be limited to those offered in the store. Questions, Doty said, include whether the ordinance should be open to all commercial properties or limited to certain uses and whether sewer and water fees should apply or if seating should be allowed or not.
"There are lots of ways you can go with this," Doty said, asking if the city council was interested in opening the door to this type of sale.
Mayor Darrel Olson said when the food trucks first came up they were new to the city and there was quite the controversy. There were concerns the food trucks would compete with taxpaying brick and mortar restaurants. Both Baxter and Brainerd looked at how they could respond to the new requests for food trucks.
The city's food truck ordinance has exceptions to allow for short durations such as grills and food sales outside grocery stores that serve as fundraisers or for special events.
Council member Todd Holman said he struggled with the additional ramifications that could apply if the city were to go forward.
"My comfort place is where we are today," Holman said.
Council member Steve Barrows agreed.
Holman said his concerns included site plans as mobile units or a stationary food truck as an auxiliary kitchen becomes part of a parking lot designed to allow vehicle movement. Putting things in that zone creates an obstacle that isn't part of the traffic flow. Holman said public safety even on private property is a concern to him because they are adding something that isn't the norm. Holman also noted the number of people, perhaps 85 percent, who come to the area as seasonal visitors or outside residents to shop in Baxter. Other concerns Holman listed included architectural standards, lighting, signs, enforcement and whether the food vehicle would be a distracting form when looking at building types. Holman said he was reluctant to add anything citywide.
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Council member Mark Cross said Holman hit upon a lot of things he was also struck by although not in the same vein.
If the city helps businesses promote themselves to expand what they are doing then it should be across the board, Cross said, but it shouldn't happen without review.
"Someone needs to prepare a site plan and we probably need to craft standards," he said, noting the city already has a limit to 10 percent garish colors.
"I'm not opposed to this," Cross said, adding he didn't want it to be used as a way to skirt building a kitchen and paying sewer and water fees. With parking lots not full except for Thanksgiving and Christmas, Cross said it is workable but needs review and needs to have a water and sewer fee component.
"I think it could be a big draw to businesses," Cross said.
"I'm not opposed to it at all," said council member Quinn Nystrom, adding just like everything else, the city has to look at standards and make sure there is a process in place and a review.
Cross said not everyone is going to want to jump through the hoops to make this happen as they'd have to produce site plans and communicate colors and deal with utilities as though they were going to put up a building.
"This is an extension of someone's existing business. It's just short of building a building in my mind," Cross said.
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With the council divided, Olson broke the tie and asked Doty to draft an ordinance the council could consider. The council continued to discuss the issue later in the meeting.
Cross said his thought would be to open the option to anyone if they thought an auxiliary kitchen would benefit their business.
"I don't think it's something that someone is going to jump into lightly. It is just short of building a brick and mortar kitchen," Cross said, noting the expense involved with the commercial equipment. ... In my mind I could write an ordinance for this. I have an idea it might help businesses to expand."
Nystrom said the concerns raised were not insurmountable. She said a business is looking to be proactive and grow in Baxter.
"I don't think that is too much of a request," Nystrom said.
Doty said he could work on an ordinance and have one ready for the next council meeting. Frank and Burton left earlier in the meeting. Doty said he thought they were anxious to get started as soon as possible. Cross said with something as contentious as this can be and with the permitting process, he didn't know how someone could think they could come in and start tomorrow. Even a simple ordinance revision would take at least a month. That, Cross said, is just the reality.
In 2014, the city developed a mobile vending ordinance. The idea was to allow up to four licensed food truck vendors to go to up to 10 sites, which were reviewed at beginning of license requirements. There are no food trucks operating in Baxter at this time. Prairie Bay had a food truck at one time, but no longer. Other vendors expressed interest but never materialized.
RENEE RICHARDSON, associate editor, may be reached at 218-855-5852 or renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com . Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Dispatchbizbuzz .
