What to do with with the Pavilion lot? Food truck rodeo divides city leaders

A proposed Food Truck Rodeo in downtown Myrtle Beach has caused disagreement between city council members as they try to find a temporary use for the former Pavilion lot during the summer months.

The event was originally scheduled to run every Friday and Saturday from June 15 through September 1 at the former Pavilion site. The event would feature food trucks, live entertainment and a kid's area. Over the course of the summer, the rodeo could draw between 15,000 and 20,000 people, according to the city.

During a city council workshop Tuesday morning, some members said they were worried food trucks could take business from brick-and-mortar restaurants.

Now, the motion has been continued to the next meeting so council can have an opportunity to focus on what kind of entertainment they can bring to the event, making food trucks less of a focus.

During the workshop Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune encouraged the event, saying it could bring more life to the city's outdoor spaces.

"When we bring more people to an area, I think this is a great of example of focusing on that family-friendly image," Bethune said. "I think that this definitely does that. I also think it’s a great idea to get our residents more involved."

Councilman Michael Chestnut said the event will draw people into the downtown area, where they will spend money in other stores.

Councilman Mike Lowder suggested having food trucks once a month rather than every weekend.

The Bowery, Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs, Peaches Corner and The Chemist are some of the restaurants that surround the site.

"We can have the place lit up every weekend with something else, along with the entertainment, besides having the food trucks every Friday and Saturday night," Lowder said.

Councilman Phil Render agreed, noting, "If I have to choose between someone who has invested 30, 40 years of their life into a brick-and-mortar business, I'm going to heed those concerns."

This isn't the first time the food truck proposal has caused tension between elected officials.

In early June, Bethune took to Facebook, calling out Horry County Councilman Bill Howard. According to Howard, he asked Bethune to vote against the event because of brick-and-mortar restaurants.

Howard owns Dirty Don's Oyster Bar along Ocean Boulevard.

"You have to be willing to change as your consumer base changes," Bethune said.

This story was originally published June 12, 2018 at 4:07 PM with the headline "What to do with with the Pavilion lot? Food truck rodeo divides city leaders."