Another call to review Vancouver’s food carts
Posted January 9, 2013 9:10 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Another voice is coming out against Vancouver’s food cart program, the day after one city councillor called for a review.
But now, one restaurant owner says it is hurting his bottom line, big time. Shariq Karim runs the Harvey’s location on Granville Street and since opening at the end of the November, he’s had to cut staff and scale back hours.
The reason? A food truck opened up outside his front door.
“Having a hot dog vendor who’s not paying the same rent that we are, that doesn’t employ the same number of staff we do and such, taking away from that business is really hurting a lot of us.”
Karim says the City of Vancouver isn’t even enforcing its own bylaw, which is to ensure there is at least 60 metres between the truck and an established food service environment.
“It is an ideal spot, I can understand why the hotdog vendor wants to be there because he is getting traffic from both Republic and [the] Roxy but has told me clearly more than once that he won’t move until the city actually asks him to move.”
NPA Councillor George Affleck is putting forward a motion calling for a review of food carts, including their proximity to brick-and-mortar establishments like Karim’s. It goes to council next week.
