Are they just filling a void?
This always bothers me, I don't know why. But every time I see these lunch trucks, better known as "roach coaches," right in the center of town selling their wares, I wonder about all the Grove businesses who actually are part of the Grove and don't just drive through selling and then packing up and leaving.
What about all the Grove businesses that pay high rents and pay high taxes and pay for permits and inspections and may start paying into the BID fund and things like that. They have such high overhead and then this roach coach passes through town from who knows where, steals their customers and takes off for the next neighborhood.
Before I took this photo, there was a line of maybe 12 to 15 people waiting to order. That is 12 to 15 people not using Grove businesses who are licensed and legally here. And before those 12 to 15 people, there were another 12 to 15 people and so on.
But then you can look at it like this -- maybe they are just filling a void. They are actually doing what I always talk about -- having a breakfast cart in the center of town. So maybe it's a good thing. I'm not sure if Focaccia would agree in light of their new breakfast cart. But the customers were going for convenience and price and maybe that's the American way.
posted by Tom Falco at 10:00 AM
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12 Comments:
I cant imagine that this is legal.
There are probably 2 issues to consider here: Price and cultural preferences. These carts abound in poor working areas, Hialeah, etc. They sell to workers with very little breakfast or lunch money AND they sell what they like, mainly in Latin America's poorer areas: spicy stuff, often greasy, typical "empanadas" or "arepas" tacos, cuban sandwiches,, I bet Foccacia doesn't sell too many chorizo burritos for a Buck that will fill anone up for 5 hours, and these Carts doesn't sell exquisite chocolate croissants for 2:50, twice the price and less filling..
so 2 things: Price and "culinary" tradition, mainly Hispanics. (the touch&go concept also helps)
As a property owner I can tell you that I won't vote in favor of the BID while this is allowed to happen. I see it daily and the cops are a block away and do nothing.
So are we saying the Grove has no room for the small person trying to make a living? Roach Coach (IMO) is for quick and easy while say Focaccia or Green Street is a sit down and relax type of deal. Can we not have room for both or should we become excluded to what we like and only what we like.
These are not legal, I have already called Marc Sarnoff's office about them. They are stealing businesses. You cannot just pull up in front of a legal business and sell. If this was the case, there would be hundreds of these trucks on the streets parked daily. They belong in construction sites, not on city streets in front of other businesses.
Are these roach coaches going to be paying into the BID and do they pay taxes to the Grove? If not, they should be gone. Now.
one of the kiosks at mayfair was almost put out of business by the city for selling water which wasn't allowed. Why can these lunch trucks just pull up and sell what they want a few feet from the kiosks that are not allowed to sell water?
They should be strictly for construction sites. These are the trucks that start honking their horn a block away before they even reach the construction site. They should definitely not be allowed in the downtown business district.
Code should be called when they are spotted. Dial 311 or call the Net Office 305-960-4670.
I bet you won't see them on Miracle Mile in Coral Gables stopping curbside.
Be sure to get the license plate
of the truck for when you call the hotline.business License no.would be helpfull as well.
leave them alone. the food is decent and fairly priced. hopefully a little bit of competition will bring down prices in the grove...
jeeze, you people probably throw rocks at the ice-cream man too. they're not hurting anyone, and they let grove residents and workers have a cheap alternative to high price restaurants of the grove. Would you rather have another Mcdonalds move in next to Le Bouchon?
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