COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus City Council unanimously voted on Monday to make changes for food cart vendors in one section of the city.
Beginning in May, vendors will be required to stop serving food at 2:30 a.m. and be completely packed up and off the street by 3 a.m. Vendors would also need to have a reservation to set up.
These rule changes will only apply to food carts in the Short North.
The original proposal called for closure by 2 a.m. but that was reconsidered after council members met with some food cart owners.
The conversation surrounding restricting food cart hours has been going on since the fall after concerns began rising surrounding safety in the Short North when the businesses and bars close late at night.
"It was a long process, we engaged with a lot of people and we made some good compromises," Councilmember Emmanuel Remy said.
During a final hearing on the issue earlier this month, a representative with the Short North Alliance said they were hopeful that the changes would be a good next step in fostering safety crime prevention and support for the community.
Some owners spoke out against the change during the final hearing with one saying most of their money was made between 1:30 a.m. and 3:15 a.m.