BEAUMONT, Texas — There's trouble ahead for the Taste of the Triangle as at least five Southeast Texas restaurants and organizations will no longer be participating.
The annual fundraiser hosted by the Sabine Area Restaurant Association helps raise scholarship money for area culinary students.
This all comes down to a new Beaumont city ordinance. Vendors are being required to buy and prepare all their food in the City of Beaumont in order to participate. These new restrictions have caused several groups to pull out.
The change is impacting groups like the culinary students at Lamar State College Port Arthur (LSCPA).
One business owner is stepping in to help.
"I know I can't change the rules but at least I want to do something for them," said For the Love of Foods Owner Jessie Ly.
For the past eight years Ly has participated in the Taste of the Triangle. But the new ordinance has turned the tables on her.
"You had to have a commissary in Beaumont, if you didn't you had to purchase all your goods in Beaumont and they would inspect your spot two hours before the taste. Then you can start cooking in the parking lot," said Owner of Judice's 1927 Al Judice.
Not only do organizers need to cook the food in Beaumont, they also have to buy it, prep it and have it inspected in Beaumont.
This is causing major issues for business owners like Judice, whose restaurant is located in Nederland.
"It's an excessive amount of hoops to have to go through. If it was a catering job we would make it work," Judice said.
The five businesses who have pulled out of Taste of the Triangle are:
- Judice's 1927 in Nederland
- Mama Kim's in Nedeland
- Bulllfish in Orange
- Texas Roadhouse in Port Arthur
- Lamar State College Port Arthur culinary students
Students from LSCPA are one of the organizations pulling out of the fundraiser because of the new ordinance. Ly says she's offering them the opportunity to share her booth.
"They'll help me prep food and serve food. These are our future kids who are going to be in the restaurant industry," she said.
The ordinance changed March 2023, according to Beaumont Mayor Roy West.
"I think this was the first event since the ordinance went into effect in March. I think the Taste of the Triangle put out the guidelines but they didn't ask to see if there was a work around," he said.
West is hoping to find a work around in the future.
He will be meeting with council members and the Beaumont Health Director tomorrow. They want to find a quick solution so this does not impact future events like Mardi Gras.