(The Center Square) – A temporary restraining order was granted Friday that will block Milwaukee from starting its food truck curfew Saturday.
The motion was granted to put the curfew on hold until at least June 10, when the next court proceeding will occur.
The ruling came after the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty filed a lawsuit on behalf of Abdallah Ismail, owner of the Fatty Patty food trucks, seeking to block the 10 p.m. food truck curfew on Saturday that also included an 11 p.m. curfew at Burnham Park.
“It’s good,” Ismail said after the ruling. “It’s a month, not like the five days we were expecting. It’s really good.”
The lawsuit argued that the new law interfered with Ismail’s ability to make a living and that it arbitrarily treats food trucks on Water Street differently than bars and restaurants in the area.
“By aggressively limiting hours of sale while simultaneously keeping brick and mortar restaurants open, the city is violating the rights of our client,” WILL Associate Counsel Kirsten Atanasoff said in a statement when the lawsuit was filed. “WILL is proud to help this small business owner oppose the city’s senseless policy.”
Alderman Bob Bauman previously said that the ordinance was necessary to control crime and “food trucks are a significant cause of the disorder that is taking place on Water Street, especially among underage individuals who can’t even patronize the bars.”
