Dinner is Coming.

November 14, 2012 7:31 PM

Game of Thrones Food Trucks. (SLYT)
posted by curious nu (31 comments total)

One one of the most amusing shouting matches I've seen recently happened when a BBQ truck tried to set up right in front of a French restaurant. BBQ truck guy seemed to think he could roll up and sell smoked brisket anywhere there is curb space, French restaurant guy thought he owned the street out front and could dictate who could or couldn't park there. I don't know who was right or wrong, but they both seemed like assholes.

Many restaurants seem to coexist peacefully with the trucks, near my apartment we have a pinkberry, and a FroYo truck about 20feet away.

I like food trucks more than most people (except that damn "scnitzel and things" truck. I'm still boycotting that guy) so I hope we don't end up with a protectionist ban the way Chicago did.

Also, would it be too much to ask if we could get a damn samosa truck?
posted by Ad hominem at 7:59 PM on November 14, 2012

Oh, that pol with the "baked in the oven of paranoia" line. I never thought of paranoia being, possessing, or using kitchen appliances, but I totally see it.
posted by Ad hominem at 8:03 PM on November 14, 2012 [1 favorite]

That was awesome and educational.
posted by Mezentian at 8:20 PM on November 14, 2012

If they're relying on George R.R. Martin to solve their problem, they're in for a bit of a wait.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 8:20 PM on November 14, 2012 [14 favorites]

So a dispute between the trade guild and wandering merchants, with appeal to the Lords of the City? The psuedo-medieval thing is more apt than I think they even realized.

Also, mandatory GPS tracking? Jesus, they're selling cupcakes, not meth.

Also, I fully support renaming the Great Lakes as The Inland Seas. THE SEA OF HURON has an especially Tolkeinien ring to it.
posted by eurypteris at 8:21 PM on November 14, 2012 [5 favorites]

If they're relying on George R.R. Martin to solve their problem, they're in for a bit of a wait.
Three words:
Red Council Meeting.

It's in the Good Book people!
posted by Mezentian at 8:22 PM on November 14, 2012 [1 favorite]

This is great; I love seeing food trucks fight back against asshole overly paranoid restaurant owners and their easily-bought politicians. The GPS requirement in Chicago is so absurd, but the 200-foot restaurant limit is at least better than Boston, discussed previously, where the limit is an absolutely insane 1000 feet.

Here in Raleigh, it took years but the idiotic protectionist regulations are slowly easing. Keep fighting, Chicago.
posted by mediareport at 8:22 PM on November 14, 2012

It's hard to believe that I enjoyed a video from the Institute for Justice, but here we are.
posted by allen.spaulding at 8:39 PM on November 14, 2012 [1 favorite]

I was hoping this would portray hordes of Dothraki, traveling from place to place, selling horse meat.
posted by twoleftfeet at 8:50 PM on November 14, 2012 [2 favorites]

Hodor take me away from this terrible food truck

Hodor
posted by boo_radley at 8:53 PM on November 14, 2012

We have become weak, fellow humans! We have lost the love of the fight, the will to conquer! Now the minions of the Schnitzle King battle Cupcakes for Courage. But this is not a glorious fight. Where are the spoils of victory? Where are the lamentations of their women?

Sure, your cupcakes are mighty tasty, but I crave the taste of blood, the joy of defeating my enemy. And no cupcake can replace that.

But those schnitzles are pretty good. Let me have another and we won't ransack your village.
posted by twoleftfeet at 9:06 PM on November 14, 2012

twoleftfeet: "I was hoping this would portray hordes of Dothraki, traveling from place to place, selling horse meat."

Hot dog carts. It is known.
posted by The White Hat at 9:26 PM on November 14, 2012 [8 favorites]

I agree, Metafilter needs a samosa truck.

pb?
posted by mannequito at 9:41 PM on November 14, 2012

Would ponies pull it?
posted by Mezentian at 9:53 PM on November 14, 2012

I'm not sure the one-time $5 membership fee will cover a pony-drawn samosa truck. Of course, there's only one way to know for sure...
posted by eurypteris at 10:24 PM on November 14, 2012

The Metafilter food truck came to my town. We'd never seen anything like this here. It was big and blue and made lots of noise - plenty of bells and whistles, plenty of hoopla and whoop-di-doo. Crowds gathered and there was much gnashing of teeth and choruses of "attaboy" and "oh, no... you didn't" and there was much smoke and not a few mirrors and several guffaws.

I fought my way to the front of line, because I wanted a taste of the hullaboo. Fought my way to the front just to partake of the ruckus, to see what all fuss was about.

Know what? It's a plate of beans.
posted by twoleftfeet at 10:40 PM on November 14, 2012 [3 favorites]

Lord preserve me. I hate schnitzel! It would feel so nice to come down on the food trucks, just because of Schnitzel King. Except I like food trucks roach coaches.
posted by Goofyy at 11:53 PM on November 14, 2012

200-foot restaurant limit is at least better than Boston
Hoo boy, you're not doing well if your rallying cry is "not as terrible as Boston." Mayor Menino once heard of "innovation" but he passed a city ordinance banning it.
posted by 1adam12 at 12:48 AM on November 15, 2012

Social engineering is why I left my carreer in City Planning.
posted by humboldt32 at 1:18 AM on November 15, 2012

Would ponies pull it?

Yes. It shall be known as the Samosa Ponderosa.
posted by mannequito at 2:09 AM on November 15, 2012 [2 favorites]

The City of Sydney is trialling food trucks, and they've recently come out with an app that you can use to see where the food trucks are based on GPS tracking devices and whether or not they are open, along with updates posted by each truck operator. Tonight I was trying to will the taco truck to come near my office but it wasn't going to be there til too late :(
posted by Joe Chip at 3:13 AM on November 15, 2012

It's 100 feet from restaurants and 50 feet from gas stations (because of possible open flames) in Cleveland. I understand Councilman Joe Cimperman was a real champion in keeping the restrictions as minor as possible.
posted by starvingartist at 3:59 AM on November 15, 2012

I like food trucks more than most people (except that damn "scnitzel and things" truck. I'm still boycotting that guy) so I hope we don't end up with a protectionist ban the way Chicago did.

Since you're referencing S&T, I can only assume you're in NYC, which means you already have a food truck ban through the DOT. It's been enforced heavily in midtown East; less so elsewhere.
posted by Remy at 5:53 AM on November 15, 2012

It's hard to believe that I enjoyed a video from the Institute for Justice, but here we are.

Wow, yeah. I hadn't heard of them before but looking at their other stuff it definitely fits the mold of either being absurdly dumbed-down and slanted messaging or an overwhelming blizzard of irrelevant facts that serve as a smoke screen for whatever underhanded agenda they're pitching at the moment.

But this particular video is entertaining and food trucks are awesome.
posted by XMLicious at 6:44 AM on November 15, 2012

If they're relying on George R.R. Martin to solve their problem, they're in for a bit of a wait.

It's the Robert Jordan school of writing. Has some drawbacks.
posted by Malor at 7:00 AM on November 15, 2012

If only one of these food trucks in the Winterfell lands, just south of The Wall, would provide something delicious to break my fast, mayhaps I might raise my lords bannermen in defense of their trade. I'd even send out a raven to announce its arrival.

(translated: a breakfast burrito truck is an open niche in an otherwise severely overcrowded food truck market here in the twin cities. Please bring one to Minneapolis. With chorizo. I'll tell my friends, including Roose Bolton. I'd even like you on Facebook)
posted by mcstayinskool at 7:20 AM on November 15, 2012

In Jersey City, the restriction is either 500 or 750 feet. That's kind of extreme, but I'm fine with some sort of restriction (200 ft?). We all want local restaurants and don't want rows of bordered up store fronts with trucks parked in front of them. The only way to do this is with zoning laws.

Business owners spend time, money, and energy building up their businesses and establishing a customer base. They also pay local taxes and often are at the forefront of revitalization projects. If anyone can simply park outside and attempt to siphon off their business once they're successful, there's little reason to risk so much. This goes for all stores, not just restaurants (except maybe stupid chain restaurants/fast food joints!).
posted by Crash at 7:20 AM on November 15, 2012

As mentioned in the video, Los Angeles restaurants continue to operate, accepting to co-exist given the city's lack of interest in protecting brick-and-mortar eateries from healthy competition.

Business owners spend time, money, and energy building up their businesses and establishing a customer base. They also pay local taxes and often are at the forefront of revitalization projects.

I'd say the same thing about the trucks. They invest in their trucks and fuel and brave city traffic to build up their businesses. They are followed on Twitter by a loyal customer base who want to find out their current location. As a business operating within the city they are also subject to the taxes of that city and there are regulations associated with health concerns (aside from the conditions in the truck there are also concerns over the proximity of an available restroom).

Food trucks have revitalized some areas of the city, much like farmer's markets and other events that occur in public spaces.
posted by linux at 8:16 AM on November 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

Atlanta and Georgia regulations (via Atlanta Street Food Coalitiion) are so restrictive, and are enforced so erratically, that most street food here is done in private parking lots on a published schedule. (Which, in ATL, generally means you drive to the truck, park, go get the food, get back in your car, and drive home.)

Or maybe I've got weird expectations 'cause I grew up in Portland and am used to eating things from carts.
posted by catlet at 8:44 AM on November 15, 2012

In Pittsburgh we've got the restrictions on distance from restaurants rule (200' I think) but also rules that say that they can't use metered parking spaces and that trucks have to move every 30 minutes. City council is trying to fix the issues but I'm not sure that they have the votes. The 30 minute rule is the worst part since it means that they spend half their time in setup and tear down.
posted by octothorpe at 8:56 AM on November 15, 2012

These people just win at PR. Great job.
posted by ersatz at 11:55 AM on November 15, 2012