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Food Truck Backlash Rolling Full Steam Ahead
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Mar 25, 2010
Modified Mar 25, 2010
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By
Jaya Saxena
Published Mar 25, 2010
Modified Mar 25, 2010
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Now that the warm weather is bringing food truck patrons out of hibernation, some brick-and-mortar restaurants have begun complaining about their mobile competition. Brooklyn Paper reports on growing tension on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, a hot spot of truck activity with favorites like Endless Summer and Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream, where restaurant owners are blaming the trucks for bad business.
Blackbird Café owner Emmanuel Cris said, "They affect business in the area in a pretty detrimental way...It’s tough enough to pay rent in this neighborhood." Overhead costs on a truck are definitely much lower, letting them sell food for cheaper and at different locations throughout the day. New York Muffin is also complaining that the trucks haven't been disposing of their trash properly. "When you come to Bedford Avenue in the morning, the neighborhood stinks because of them. They drop all their disposals in the sewer." However, the co-owners of the Endless Summer taco truck say no one has confronted them about any problems.
This may just be a case of restaurant owners becoming annoyed that the trucks decided to park their delicious offerings directly outside of their doors. A Bliss Cafe employee told us, "We see [the trucks] a block off one way or a block off the other way, but they don't really affect us. They're not leaving any garbage on our door," and Hannah at Fornino said they "never even considered" that the trucks could be a problem. But both Blackbird Cafe and New York Muffin are located closer to the truck's typical parking spot than Bliss or Fornino. The only way they're ever going to settle this is with a food fight demolition derby.
Tagged
bedford ave
blackbird cafe
bliss cafe
brooklyn
food trucks
fornino
van leeuwen
williamsburg
Jaya Saxena
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