JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville councilman said Friday that the city won’t shut down the Trout River Food Park despite the rumors of its closing on the park’s official Facebook page.
The food park is a popular staple in the Northside community, an area with few fresh food options.
“Good, healthy food, and you know it’s just convenient for everybody,” Mike Taylor said.
The owner, Robert Germano, was going to shut it down after years of code violations. He decided against it after the community reaction and meetings with the city.
On Thursday, the official Trout River Food Park Facebook page posted that the city and Code Enforcement intended to shut down the food park. The post asked people to call the Code Enforcement office to request that they not shut down the park.
Councilman Reggie Gaffney, Jr., released a statement saying that it isn’t true.
Recent posts circulating on social media have caused concern by suggesting that the City of Jacksonville and Code Enforcement intend to shut down the Trout River Food Park. This information is not accurate.
The City of Jacksonville, including its Code Enforcement Division, has not taken action to close the Food Park, nor has it ever attempted to do so. Any decision regarding the operation or closure of the Food Park rests solely with its manage, Robert. His recent frustrations have led to discussions about the park’s status, but it is important for our community to understand that these decisions are not being made by the City or Code Enforcement.
We remain committed to transparency, fairness, and support of small businesses that serve as vital resources for our neighborhoods. Our office will continue to work with all parties involved to ensure accurate information is shared with the public.
We appreciate the community’s ongoing support of our local food vendors and ask for patience and understanding as we work through this matter together.
Councilman Reggie Gaffney, Jr.
Gaffney also specified that any decision regarding the closure of Trout River Food Park rests solely with Germano and not the city.
The city released a statement addressing Germano’s claims that the city was threatening to shut down the park. It said Code Enforcement was never planning to come to the park on Friday, but it did reach out to Germano for an active case it has related to screening a dumpster for food waste.
Just like last time this accusation came up, the City has never threatened to shut down the park. And Code Enforcement was never planning to go out there today [Sept. 12].
What specific violations have been cited against the Trout River Food Truck Park?
We have one active, and this case continues to be about addressing where the food waste is disposed of without adequate screening. Their warning notice was issued on April 28, 2025.
When Code Enforcement met with the manager several weeks ago, there was also an active case for not maintaining the fence. That case is no longer active.
When we visited the property in preparation for that meeting, there were about a dozen violations present on the property across a few different agencies. We communicated those to the manager but did not initiate enforcement for them.
• Has the Food Truck Park been given a reasonable opportunity to address these violations before closure is considered?
They were provided reasonable time to comply with all violations where Code Enforcement issued notices. There is no upcoming closure that we are aware of. The manager said during the last meeting that he was leaving the city and not planning to take any corrective action for the violations.
Could you also provide an update on the current status of the violations, any deadlines for compliance, and whether a closure is being actively pursued.
The active case is for screening a dumpster because food waste is stored there. The officer’s comments (below), said that he was going to follow up after 9/11, but there has not been any contact yesterday and there was no plan to visit today. There is not a situation where this would close the business.
September 5: 2025-9756363 called Mr. Germano and left a message for an update. I stated specifically that gates need to be installed at the dumpster screening and that they be closed unless actively emptying trash. I stated that subsequent inspection will be on or after 9-11-25 and if in violation a paying citation will be issued.
The City of Jacksonville
The city said on Sept. 5, an officer called Germano and left a message for an update regarding the open case and that an inspection would be on or after Thursday and if in violation, a paying citation would be issued.