Roanoke, VA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)

Sec. 2 treats the sidewalk itself as part of the vending site and layers on rules beyond the citywide zoning limits. The application must state the width of the sidewalk measured from the adjacent building or property line, and must show measurements to any bench, trash can, fire hydrant, or utility pole within 20 feet, plus distances to building entrances, crosswalks, intersections, or outdoor dining areas within 20 feet. Subsection (13)(d) requires a minimum of 42 inches of unobstructed sidewalk clearance around the vending site, with the cart's service and queuing areas arranged so that clearance is never lost, and bars any vending site from sitting in an on-street parking space.

m. to midnight Friday and Saturday; the cart must come off the sidewalk once vending stops for the day. The cart may not touch, lean on, or be affixed to any building or fixture, may not sit unattended for more than 10 minutes, and may not have an open flame. Vendors must keep the site and the surrounding 20 feet free of trash during and after vending, supplying their own receptacle if no public one sits within that radius, and must move or stop immediately at a police officer's direction during an emergency. Sidewalk vending stops entirely inside any area covered by a valid special event assembly permit, even one issued after the vending permit was granted.