After late-night food vendors were banned from residential areas in January and pushed into new vending boundaries surrounding State Street, the Vending Oversight Committee met Wednesday to discuss the status of the food carts’ business.

“Everything I’ve heard has been very positive,” committee member Warren Hansen said of the food vendors’ new locations, which include Frances Street, Johnson Street and Broom Street.

Popular late-night vendor Jin’s Chicken and Fish moved from its Langdon Street location to North Frances Street shortly after the January change, but Hansen said they have had only three complaints from owner Justin Okafo, who would rather remain in his old location because it is more familiar.

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said none of his constituents in the area have said they miss the previous Langdon Street location of the food cart.

According to Hansen, The Underdogs, a hot dog cart, is “thrilled” with its new East Johnson Street location. The food cart tried late-night vending at Library Mall but found there was more traffic on East Johnson.

The committee also discussed amending a city ordinance that requires restaurant wait staff to carry alcoholic beverages from inside an establishment to the outdoor patios for customers. Customers can carry their own food outside, but must wait for alcoholic drinks to be delivered to them.

Owner of Hawk’s Hawk Schenkel said the law affects about a dozen outdoor cafes on State Street.

“It’s thoroughly confusing to customers,” Schenkel said, adding it can end up causing poor service when a bartender has to leave a customer at the bar in order to deliver an alcoholic drink to an outdoor patron.

“As a bar owner, it’s a tremendous strain,” Schenkel added.

Committee member Rosemary Lee said she believes although some are worried underage persons will gain easy access to alcohol if it is carried outdoors by customers, she doubts 17-year-olds will be drinking in sidewalk cafes.

“This is something we need to do,” Lee said. “I cannot see that this would get out of hand.”

Schenkel said the amendment would not increase the rate of underage drinking any more than the current ordinance. Alcoholic drinks must be delivered outside, but there is the same potential for the drink to be passed to an underage person, he added.

“If I thought it was bad for the downtown, I definitely would not ask for it,” Schenkel said.

The VOC referred the amendment to its May meeting. The City Council will then vote on the amendment, which could go into effect this summer.