If you love street food like we know you do,

support Supervisor Wiener in opposing AB1678

to save mobile food!

 In yesterday morning’s press conference, Supervisor Scott Wiener addressed the press as well as a crowd of mobile food vendors and enthusiasts with a resolution opposing bill AB1678. AB1678 seeks to ban mobile food vending within 1500 feet of elementary and secondary schools and would not maintain an exemption for parks or private property (as current legislation does). Supervisor Wiener’s resolution proposes the buffer area within schools be 1 block, instead of 1500 feet. He presented a map of San Francisco that displayed just how much of the city would be off limits to mobile food- evidently, it’s just about everywhere. He also pointed out that if AB1678 passes, brick and mortars in the very limited areas where food trucks would be allowed to serve would be hit even harder than they allegedly are now. Supervisor Wiener, along with several other members of the mobile food community, stressed the importance of food trucks in enriching San Francisco’s communities with a diversity of healthy and delicious food options. AB1678 would not only hurt mobile food vending, but the city and the community as a whole. We ask that you show your support for Supervisor Wiener and mobile food by writing to your local supervisor. To find your local supervisor, visit http://www.sfbos.org/. Also, don’t forget to sign this online petition! Mobile food needs your help now!

Curry is one of those dishes that have evolved beyond cultural borders – and yet, wherever it goes, it seems to remain a favorite amongst families, warm and spicy, filling and familiar. Whether eaten with noodles, over rice, or in a bowl with baguette to dip, the idea is still the same – curry as simple satisfaction.

“Don’t Worry, Eat Curry!” was organized as a tribute to that idea, and also as a showcase of the variety of cultural curries we have access to in this melting pot of a city. I spoke briefly with each truck chef/owner to hear about the inspiration behind the dishes they had especially stewed up for the event.

Jay from JapaCurry concocted a “California Roll” Curry, as inspired by the most popular sushi roll of all time. Familiar ingredients of said roll became the topping for this curry – crab stick, avocado, and tobiko – but the substance came from the real crab and shrimp stewed in the curry sauce. Although seafood in curry is untraditional by Japanese standards, the ubiquity of California roll and seafood here made this a unique and palatable fusion of cuisines.

Danny and Thomas from TomKat put together a Chinese Chicken Curry Noodle, which is a spin-off of one of Danny’s childhood favorites. His uncle would make it for him once a week, chicken curry over rice, and he decided to bring it back, except with egg noodles as a street food twist. The dish is still simple, garnished with carrot and celery, onions and potatoes – the same ingredients just as before.

Anamika from Kasa Indian Truck created a Goan Fish Curry. Although she herself hails from the north part of India, where there is little to no seafood, she blended the spices of her home region with fish curry from another region, and topped the dish with familiar ingredients such as fried okra, dried pomegranate seeds and bits of coconut. Intracultural fusion, as it were.

Shu from Sanguchon brought Bolitas de yucca, or fried yucca (similar to potato) balls stuffed with feta cheese and pork, with an accompanying huacaína (spicy cheese) sauce. Although the dish had Peruvian roots, in the form of Papa a la Huancaína (potatoes with spicy cheese sauce), the stuffed bolitas were spinned-off little balls of delight, and curry came mixed in with huacaína – truly imaginative.

Amir from Curry Up Now dished up a Halal Bone-in Goat Curry, which has been a special since the truck’s inception, brought back every so often due to popular demand. The reason it’s not a regular item is because it takes a lot of effort to cook – although delivered by truck and seemingly fast, it’s really slow food, stewed for many many hours. And you can taste it – the meat falls off the bone, all tenderness and spice. Get it when you see it, trust me.

Sun from Hiyaaa served up Stewed Asian Chicken Fusion Curry, a curry she serves to her children and representative of their Chinese/Vietnamese/Korean household. The recipe she had found so many years ago was for an Indian curry, but she made it simpler, less spice and more vegetables, suitable on a roll or over rice. I took it on a roll, and ate it all the way home.

Hopefully you yourself have had a chance to taste some or all of these curries, and to have noted your own reactions on the comment cards that circulated the event. In any case, we are glad to have brought all of these thoughtful, intercultural dishes to you – on or Off the Grid – and we hope to see you again soon. Happy eating!

Curry lovers everywhere rejoice: This weekend at Off the Grid: McCoppin Hub from 5-9 “Don’t Worry, Eat Curry!” will be satisfying your every curry urge! Taste curries from all over the world from our line-up of six vendors! Fret no more about the differences between Indian and Japanese curry. Experience Peruvian fish curry with a side of Chinese Chicken Curry. Get your masala on this Saturday night at Off the Grid McCoppin Hub!

Date/time: Saturday, August 6th, 5-9pm
Location: McCoppin Hub, corner of McCoppin and Valencia
Vendors: Curry Up Now, Kasa Kati Roller, JapaCurry, Hiyaaa, TomKat and Sanguchon

Taste a small portion from each vendor and vote on your favorite dish for a chance to win a classic black Off the Grid t-shirt!

These are the dishes you have to look forward to:

TomKat
Chinese Curry Chicken: egg noodles, chicken, celery, carrots, pickled
red onions, potatoes, curry

Sanguchon
1) Pollo al Curry: Free range chicken thigh braised with Peruvian aji
amarillo curry sauce with coconut milk & Thai basil served with
saffron rice
2) Bolita de Yucca: Japanese panko crusted stuffed yucca balls with
feta cheese and huacaina-curry sauce
3) Pork Estofado: Pork short rib stew in curry mint sauce with
Peruvian beer, tomato, carrots and olives served with coconut rice

Kasa Indian Truck
1) Goan Fish Curry: tangy, spicy braised fish with coconut, tamarind
and chilis in a thin broth, served over rice
2) Kati Rolls: flaky, buttery roti, lime marinated onions and cilantro
chutney rolled up with either: Lamb Curry (tender cubes of grass fed
lamb, stewed with potatoes in Indian spices) or Chicken Tikka Masala
(chargrilled chicken in a spicy, creamy tomato sauce)

JapaCurry
“California Roll” Curry with shrimp, crab and avocado

Hiyaaa
Stewed Asian Fusion Chicken Curry

Curry Up Now
Goat Curry-Bone in Halal Goat Curry Over Methi Pulao (Turmeric + Fenugreek Basmati Rice)

More information on our facebook event page!

Off the Grid: San Francisco, in partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Dept launches Off the Grid: Saint Mary’s Square in San Francisco’s Financial District.

Key Details-
Off the Grid: St. Mary’s Square
Soft Launch Date: Monday July 25, 2011
Official Opening: Monday August 1, 2011
Times: 11am-2pm Weekly
Number of Trucks: 4 Weekly
Location: Parking available immediately below the park in the Saint Mary’s Square Parking Garage off California Street.

Participating Vendors Include:
Hapa SF
3 Sum Eats
The Rib Whip
Senor Sisig
Toasty Melts
Fins on the Hoof
… and more.

Up to Date Event Information Available At:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OffTheGridSF
Twitter: @sfcarts

(San Francisco—Tuesday July 19, 2011)
Off the Grid: San Francisco is proud to announce the launch of “Off the Grid: Saint Mary’s Square,” located in San Francisco’s Financial District in the beautiful Saint Mary’s Square Park. Off the Grid: Saint Mary’s Square will feature vendors from all over the Bay Area (4 each week) serving Mondays from 11am-2pm.

Off the Grid: Saint Mary’s Square is a project created in partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department. The market continues Off the Grid’s commitment to bring value priced, local, artisanal food experiences to people-oriented public spaces where locals and visitors love to live, work, and play. Off the Grid is proud of its experience with creating excitement around, and opportunities for, local economies and small businesses and is thrilled to be able to locate in Saint Mary’s Square. Off the Grid: Saint Mary’s Square marks Off the Grid: San Francisco’s first location in San Francisco’s Financial District.

Off the Grid: Saint Mary’s Square will feature a rotating list of the Bay Area’s best traditional and nouveau Street Food vendors, including:

- 3-Sum Eats
- The Rib Whip
- Toasty Melts
- Fins on the Hoof
- Brass Knuckle
… and More.

For more details on Off the Grid: Saint Mary’s Square please follow us on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/offthegridsf.
####

ABOUT OFF THE GRID: SAN FRANCISCO:
Off the Grid: San Francisco is an event management company whose goal is the establishment of gourmet mobile food markets throughout the Bay Area. Off the Grid runs the successful “Off the Grid: Fort Mason Center,” “Off the Grid: Upper Haight,” and “Off the Grid: Civic Center” Street Food markets, and actively works with non-profits, small entrepreneurs, and municipal governments to support increased street vending in urban areas. Each Off the Grid market seeks to serve delicious food, and assist in formalizing spaces for mobile entrepreneurs to operate legally and safely in order to be able to positively contribute to the communities they serve.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Matthew Cohen-
Founder, Off the Grid: San Francisco
415-425-8444, matt@offthegridsf.com

Connie Chan-
Deputy Director of Public Affairs,
San Francisco Recreation and Park
Phone: 415.831.2796
Connie.Chan@sfgov.org

Off the Grid: San Francisco, in partnership with the City of San Mateo and the Downtown San Mateo Association, launches Off the Grid: San Mateo.

Key Details-
Off the Grid: Downtown San Mateo
Soft Launch Date: Monday July 11, 2011
Official Opening: Monday June 18, 2011
Times: 5-9pm
Location: Parking Area between First Avenue and Baldwin Avenue at the west side of the Downtown San Mateo Caltrain Station.

Participating Vendors Include:
Hapa SF
3-Sum Eats
Chairman Bao
Curry Up Now
Whisk on Wheels
Pacific Puffs
… and many more.

Up to Date Event Information Available At:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OffTheGridSF
Twitter: @sfcarts

(SAN MATEO—Friday July 8, 2011)
Off the Grid: San Francisco is proud to announce the launch of “Off the Grid: San Mateo,” nestled in Downtown San Mateo’s historic commercial district. Off the Grid: San Mateo will feature vendors from all over the Bay Area (8 each week) serving Mondays from 5-9pm.

Off the Grid: San Mateo is a project created in partnership with the Downtown San Mateo Association to transform a community streetscape into a weekly gathering place. The market continues Off the Grid’s commitment to bring value priced, local, artisanal food experiences to people-oriented public spaces where locals and visitors love to live, work, and play.  Off the Grid is proud of its experience with creating excitement around, and opportunities for, local economies and small businesses.

Off the Grid: San Mateo will feature a rotating list of the Bay Area’s best traditional and nouveau Street Food vendors from a variety of cultural backgrounds, including:
- Hapa SF
- 3-Sum Eats
- Chairman Bao
- Curry Up Now
- Whisk on Wheels
- Pacific Puffs
- and many more.

“Downtown San Mateo is the geographic center of the Peninsula, and an authentic urban experience. We are public transit accessible and walkable. We chose to partner with Off the Grid in creating an innovative community space because of their forward-thinking track record in engaging with merchants on these projects. We are looking forward to bringing even more activity to the Downtown.” said Downtown San Mateo Association Executive Director Rob Edwards.

Jaime Turri: “They were overjoyed because many reside here yet travel to San Francisco to attend this event. The fact is, the food trucks are coming to the Peninsula and San Mateo will be at the top of this nationwide trend. For once, the leaders in our community saw the opportunity and jumped at it. Instead of passing us by for San Carlos or Redwood City, it is landing here — and we are on top. ”

For more details on Off the Grid: San Mateo please follow us on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/offthegridsf.
####

ABOUT OFF THE GRID: SAN FRANCISCO:
Off the Grid: San Francisco is an event management company whose goal is the establishment of gourmet mobile food markets throughout the Bay Area. Off the Grid runs the successful “Off the Grid: Fort Mason Center,” “Off the Grid: Upper Haight,” and “Off the Grid: Civic Center” Street Food markets, and actively works with non-profits, small entrepreneurs, and municipal governments to support increased street vending in urban areas. Each Off the Grid market seeks to serve delicious food, and assist in formalizing spaces for mobile entrepreneurs to operate legally and safely in order to be able to positively contribute to the communities they serve.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Matthew Cohen-
Founder, Off the Grid: San Francisco
415-425-8444, matt@offthegridsf.com

Rob Edwards, Executive Director
Downtown San Mateo Association
805-616-9339

Jamie Turri
Owner/Buyer
J’me Boutique
60 East Third Avenue, Suite 108
San Mateo, CA 94401
650.685.2038 p

Saturday night was the first McCoppin Theme Night: Hot Food/Cold Nights (aka the spiciest street food event ever!). Being a diehard spicemonger myself, it wasn’t surprising that I jumped on the GrubPass – $30 for an especially spicy dish from each of the five trucks that were there.

For those of you who were otherwise engaged that night, I’m here to share photos and thoughts of the spicyliciousness that went down. First up, Little Green Cyclo and their Spicy Grilled Pork Patty Banh Mi.

This adventurous mouthful of a Vietnamese sandwich was chockfull of fresh veggies – carrots, daikon (white radish), cucumbers, cilantro, tomato, and the errant jalapeño for a bite of spice. I had a feeling that the well-seasoned pork patty could have been the kicker, but sadly it was hiding underneath all that veggie. Oh well, next time Little Green Cyclo!

Spicy verdict: * (mild, but never fear, for Sriracha hot sauce is there!)

Next up, Toasty Melts and their Papa-rizo!

This saucy number oozed deliciousness with all-jack cheese-encompassing papalote (roasted tomato) salsa, bits of chorizo and cilantro lime dressing. The melty cheese was the perfect carrier for all of these elements, and sandwiched between heartily crisped toasts? A complete drool-fest. And the cheese-tomato sauce-crispy combination reminded me of gourmet pizza all mellowed out. The peaches were a nice finishing touch.

Spicy rating: ** (but actually mild because of the cheesiness)

While I was queuing at Toasty Melts, the girl in front of me asked for some not-spiciness to put out the fire in her mouth. She said urgently “I feel like I’m gonna die”. Of course I demanded to know what she had eaten and from where. And that lead me to TomKat, and their “POW in the face” Korean Duk Bok Ki (Rice Cakes).

The redness you see is all numbing spice. I believe I had to put this dish down between bites so I could suck in gulps of air and fan my mouth furiously in vain attempts at countering the spiciness. Despite the ridiculousness of that, the dish was very fulfilling – the rice cakes were sliced thinly and chewy in this satisfyingly gelatinous way, the beef slivers were earthily smoky, and the onions and scallions and bean sprouts freshened it all up.

Spicy rating: *** (a veritable POW in the face, and maybe a kick in the pants too – TomKat doesn’t joke around)

Holding my numbed mouth together, I scampered off to Chaac Mool, for some possible relief in their Chiles Güeros Rellenos Con Chimole de Res.

The first thing I saw was that this place held lettuce. It screamed NOT SPICY and believe you me, I gobbled that all up. Once the numbness subsided, I got to eating the stuffed guero chile. Juiciness abounded, and the shredded beef inside was dry in contrast, though it gave the dish some grounding. The mini tortilla flat and the slice of avocado rounded out what would have seemed more like an appetizer.

Spicy rating: ** (or, as the vendor lady said, “um, I don’t know, delicious?”)

Time for the last taste! Senor Sisig and their Lechon Kawali Noodle Salad.

This dish was poppin’ – first of all, it looked like a party. Second of all, it was a party in my mouth, what with all the textural elements going on – crunchy fried pork (meat and skin and fat), juicy bits of tomato, slithery cold sesame noodles, zesty bits of water spinach stem. All the flavor elements were there, sweet and sour, salty and spicy, though the sourness really stood out. Still, a refreshing end to the spicy tasting.

Spicy rating: ** (so don’t cry home to your Filipino mama)

With that said, this concludes my take on what went down at McCoppin’s first theme night: Hot Food/Cold Nights. Hopefully you all got a taste of spicy, whether in-person or vicariously through this blog. What would you like to see/hear/read/taste next? What should the next theme night be like? Comment back or write on our wall – you’ve heard from me, now I want to hear from you!

I get asked almost daily by would be Mobile Caters about the current status of expanded Street Food regulation in San Francisco. My answer? I have no idea. Its beginning to be a problem; Its a fact that possibly the only thing worse than overly burdensome regulation is the threat of unknown changes to regulation. Why would anyone make a significant capital investment when you don’t know the rules of the game? Entrepreneurs ask, “Is it going to be better? Worse?” I’m afraid to say, but I have no idea. And, because this is the middle of the peak earning season for mobile vendors, this uncertainty is fundamentally affecting whether new vendors will legally choose to start their businesses in SF this season at all. In short: San Francisco City Government, you’re making a decision about Street Food, by not making your decision about Street Food.

But, based purely on guesses, here’s what I feel pretty safe saying won’t change (and should) in the new legislation:

1) Grandfathered in hot dog carts will continue to serve from carts that aren’t anywhere close to the current standards for mobile vending of any other type of food. In fairness, this is a CA health code issue, but the fact is that if it is safe enough to continue serving then why can’t everyone use that standard? SF is progressive and smart enough to address this issue of basic fairness that hot dogs don’t deserve a double standard.

2) There likely won’t be a way for health code certified trucks to quickly, inexpensively and legally serve a location (where they park on the street) for one night (or once a week) for a short period of time. And by the way $190 to serve for one night under a special event permit with the health department, and 153 dollars to shut down a meter, is neither inexpensive nor quick.

3) There likely won’t be any change to late night food service permitting.

4) There likely won’t be any new mechanism for allowing push carts to move around legally.

5) There likely won’t be any method of lowering the entry costs for new mobile entrepreneurs. Carts will still be required to have three part sinks (even though they’re required to operate out of commissaries to prep their food where these sinks are available). Griddles will need to continue having mechanical ventilation and ansul fire suppression systems when the open air and fire extinguisher would logically seem to suffice.

Now, this isn’t meant to say there isn’t a possibility of good things coming out of this legislation. But here’s my list of what I (continue to) want included (and Street Food vendors should fight for regardless of the current legislation) that would really create an amazing Street Food scene (without compromising food safety).

1) Suggestion: Eliminate the need for 3 part ware-washing sinks for all carts that operate out of a legal commissary.
Result: This would significantly lower the entry cost of building food service carts without compromising public health at all. It would also allow carts to be build small enough so that they might actually be able to be pushed (or peddled) around. The fact is that the only thing ware-washing sinks do is increase the size and cost of mobile food carts to be impractical.

2) Suggestion: Eliminate the need for a ventilation hood for griddle carts that operate outside.
Result: Immediate decrease in cost and size of legal carts with absolutely no cost to public health or safety. Fire extinguishers work equally well, and are approved for farmer’s markets and special events. Can you say double standard?

3) Suggestion: Allow catering trucks that have health certificates to register to park in a location of their choosing (on the public street) with the permission of the brick and mortar business they are parked in front of, for 3 hours (per day) no more than 50 calendar days per year.
Result: This would allow mobile vendors to work happy hours, catering events, evening engagements, and late night service in a way that would ensure that they are not in the same place every night. Is this a nightmare to enforce? Nope: Require all vendors to maintain a log of where they’ve parked. If they can’t produce the log for a permit officer immediately, they loose the right to work that location until they bring the log (and pay a fine) at the police station. How does the Police Department know where they are? Before they start serving, they come down to the police station and submit a stop request with a schedule of when they will be at a location. Is there a limit to the amount of vendors that can work a spot? Yeah, one at a time. Mobile trucks would happily pay 30$ per location to have clarification on this issue.

4) Suggestion: Allow carts and trucks to maintain a temperature of 38 degrees refrigeration in any manner they like.
Result: Current standards require new carts and trucks to install expensive mechanical refrigeration units although there are grandfathered carts and trucks all over the city that maintain healthy food temperatures with ice and less expensive technologies. 38 degrees is 38 degrees. It shouldn’t matter the method of how you achieve the temperature as long as it doesn’t affect food safety.

5) Suggestion: Create a mobile food peddler permit.
Result: There is currently no way to sell food from a cart that moves around. Create a zone were this type of service is allowed and encourage vendors to sell there (with legal, cheaper, carts).

6) Suggestion: Cut the distance requirements in half.
Result: Reduce the minimum distances from other vendors or similar food types from 2 blocks or 300 feet(which ever is greater for trucks) to 1 block or 150 feet (whichever is greater) for both trucks and carts. This would exponentially and immediately increase the amount of spaces for available for legal service.

7) Suggestion: Explicitly state that street vending is allowed at night.
Result: Currently the SFPD doesn’t approve permits for night vending. This would force them to allow night vending under the same standard that they permit day vending.

Every single one of these suggestions follow a standard that exists for either special events, or farmer’s markets, and also is under the purview of San Francisco City government to change. These changes would substantially reduce both the size and entry costs of carts, without sacrificing food quality at all. And, best of all, they could all happen within the existing permit structure. Now, the question is, will we see any of them in the new legislation this summer? I’m waiting to see like everyone else….

The hearing on Street Food in San Francisco, I think, went as well as could be expected.  There was lots of public comment and Supervisor Dufty, the hearing sponsor, seems open to getting feedback from the vendor community regarding the best ways for the city to manage Street Food.

Some relevant comments from the meeting:
“None of these people out selling street food are getting rich. They are just getting by.” -Chile Lindo
“Why do new vendors need these new expensive carts when there are older (mostly hot dog) carts serving perfectly safe food every day in SF who don’t need to upgrade?” -Smitten Ice Cream
“Is the 1500 foot minimum distance from schools really relevant to the food that modern street food vendors are selling?” -Bevan Dufty
“We should begin looking at a process that allows for vending  at time outside of normal daytime hours.” Regina Dick-Endrizzi

Here’s my key take aways for how best to move this process forward:

1. Don’t kill Street Food with Kindness.
The fact is that most street food businesses are not getting their owners rich (even the most popular ones).  By adding increased regulation and oversight to Street Food, SF risks making the financial burden to start a cart even more challenging and unrealistic for these vendors.

2. Mobility and Proximity.
Right now there isn’t good legal locations to serve from and, if you find one, the law doesn’t allow vendors to move around or congregate together (even if they want to). How about some changes that allow vendors the flexibility to move where they want, and sell with whom they want?

3. Reduce the cost of entry.
Its a simple truth: It shouldn’t cost $20,000 in order to build a legal Street Food cart.  Thats just crazy. It is not unheard of for San Francisco to pick and choose the California Law that it enforces. I suggest that without the SF Health Dept reinterpreting Health Code rules under the spirit of the laws, rather than the letter of them, most vendors simply won’t be able to afford to sell legally.  Specifics for this include: Regulating refrigeration temps by duration of service period rather than mandated mechanical refrigeration,  accepting commissary 3 part sinks as an adequate replacement for a cart 3 part sink, and allowing carts operating outdoors to not have commercial ventilation.

On a final note, congrats to Regina Dick-Endrizzi in the Mayor’s Office of Small Business, Nick Kinsey in the Parks Dept, Inspectors Lee and Reyes in the Health Dept., and Dan Sider in the Planning Dept for moving this process from just a task force to something that could provide meaningful legislative reform.

Its going to be an interesting summer.

On March 8th a sub committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors will begin public discussion on the future of Street Food vending in San Francisco.  The sponsoring Supervisor of this issue is Sup. Bevan Dufty of District 8.  Below is an open letter to Supervisor Dufty’s office regarding my hopes for San Francisco’s upcoming Street Food legislation. Please feel free to use this letter yourself to contact Sup. Dufty’s office (or any City Supervisor) to let them know that you support San Francisco Street Food.

_____________________________

Dear Supervisor Dufty:

I am a resident of San Francisco District 8 and a committed supporter of San Francisco’s innovative Street Food culture. I appreciate your offices’ initiative in beginning this public discussion of Street Food on March 8th, and I hope that you’ll work to support the many small businesses and local artisans who are seeking to participate in this industry in a legal and fair way.

Primarily, I hope that you will support the following changes to current San Francisco Street Food regulations:

1. Allow for mobile push cart vending, rather than limiting mobility to Mobile Catering Trucks.

2. Encourage the SF Health Department to review their code requirements to allow for more inexpensive cart designs, while still maintaining the necessary health requirements for protecting public health.

3. Enable vendors to congregate together.

4. Encourage the Police Department to allow evening and night vending in San Francisco.

5. Encourage the planning department to ease the restrictions on private property vending in order for property owners to make their own decisions about the best use of their property.

I thank you for supporting District 8, and San Francisco, entrepreneurs in a way that recognizes the value that this type of innovation brings to our community.

Kind Regards,

Matthew Cohen
(XXX)XXX-XXXX

On March 8th, the City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee (which is a sub committee of the Board of Supervisors) has scheduled the first public hearing on how to deal with Street Food from a San Francisco policy angle. While this is the first public meeting on this matter, this is a continuation of a fairly extensive internal city conversation that has been going on for the last 8-10 months on an inter-department level within the city.  Here’s the information that you need to know about why now is the time for you to act on behalf of Street Food in San Francisco:

1) This subcommittee is intended to be the first public sounding board for the variety of feelings on how street food should be regulated within San Francisco. Now is the time to be vocal in support of easing the barriers to entry and mobility of Street Food in SF, and letting the board know that this is more than an issue of small entrepreneurs vs. established brick and mortar restaurants. Many of the Supervisors may not be involved in the online community that has allowed Street Food culture to flourish in the city, but by making our voices heard now, we have the ability to move the goal posts on this issue from “Should Street Food be legal?” to “How do we make Street Food available throughout the city?”  We have the opportunity to show the Board of Supervisors the true extent of support that Street Food has within the San Francisco community.

2) The Parks and Recreation Department has recently begun awarding parks contracts to new vendors in certain spots within San Francisco. This is a good first step, but there needs to be some recognition from the city that the interest in having diverse street food options throughout the entire city exists, is not going away, and that the city has a responsibility to allow this market to grow without hindering it with burdensome costs and confusing regulations.

3) The SF Planning Department and Police Departments are in the process of reviewing their processes for approving Street Food locations, but it is the responsibility of the Street Food community to express to the Board of Supervisors the overwhelming interest in support of allowing vendors to congregate together, in order to attract the broadest customer base possible.

4) The Mayor’s Office has been working with the Police Department and Health department to look at how the existing police code might change, and where the various regulatory responsibilities might shift if moved to another department whose mission was to encourage Street Food entrepreneurship, rather than simply regulate it.

5) There has been some question from the business community about unregulated vending in San Francisco, and how it might harm existing businesses. Because many of these established businesses have a relationship with their supervisor(s) it has been easy for them to share their story.  It is the responsibility of the Street Food community in San Francisco to tell their stories to all the Supervisors. Don’t let this be a one sided argument; Street Food helps activate underutilized space, it provides job opportunities entrepreneurs at all levels of the economic spectrum, and has the ability to provide the city with increased tax revenue (and jobs) at a time when it would clearly be valued.

So here’s what to do:

Attend the March 8th meeting at City Hall of the City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee. The meeting is going to be in Room 250 and starts at 1030am. Street Food regulation is the 4th item on the agenda.

Reach out to your friends, neighbors and social network to spread the word about this meeting.

Communicate with your local Board Supervisor’s Office (via phone calls or email) your support of Street Food in San Francisco, and your desire to see more of it throughout the city.