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KOi Fusion is super grateful to you, our customers and readers, and to the strong cart scene both here in Portland and beyond. We here at KOi appreciate all your support, and we try our best every day to bring scrumptious K-treats to a street near you. KOi Fusion also has a philosophy of sorts, looking at food carts as a positive national movement that benefits diners and cities alike.
That’s why this recent LA Times article rubs us the wrong way. It appears that Los Angeles is cracking down on mobile food cart vendors (AKA our food cart homies) in some dubious ways. According to the article:
“Some drivers said they were cited for minimal violations such as parking too close to the curb, or parking too far away. Others said they were ordered to pack up and leave.
Police officials said the crackdown Wednesday was part of a one-day operation to clear the area of illegal vendors.”
So now you’re thinking, “KOi peeps, have you inhaled too many grill fumes? Of course we don’t want illegal vendors serving us food!” But the real problem came from one of the officers quoted in the article:
“Restaurants complain because the lunch trucks are taking their business, and they don’t have [proper] permits.”
KOi’s view? Food carts don’t “take” business from non-mobile eating locals any more than the stationary folk “take” from us. We know you’re making choices based on the food factors that are most important to you – whether it’s local, convenience of location, price, or degree of deliciousness. All we (and our food cart brethren) are out to do is meet your wants the best we know how.
Picture courtesy of a Miracle Mile customer's blog post on the issue - click on the pic to read it!
This also means we know you can’t eat KOi 24/7/365 (oh that it could be so…but we digress). You’re going to support other food vendors, and we think that’s great! A strong dining scene, from high end fancy places to food carts, makes a stronger economy overall. Portland has one of the most diverse food scenes you’ll ever come across, and we want to keep the community hopping as much as anybody. The cool thing is that YOU – not the cops and certainly not us or other vendors – get to decide what to support and what to eat. It’s all about consumer choice.
So, for the record, we want you all to know that KOi Fusion supports our mobile vendor peeps in LA. They create jobs, start independently owned businesses, and bring positive and active uses to somewhat stale and empty parts of the city. Food cart vendors also provide good food that is affordable to just about everyone. The City of Los Angeles should take note.
What do you think about the role of food carts in the PDX economy? Leave a comment and let us know!
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When I’m craving K-Tacos, I go to Twitter and see where you’re at. In other words, when I want you, I hunt you down and eat you. If you’re too far away, I wait another day. Ain’t taking business away from nobody but you when you’re on the other side of town.
I used to live in LA and I would welcome any truck that came along. The best tacos came off of trucks or tiny shacks all over the city. If a restaurant in Los Angeles is losing business, it’s because they are not serving what the people want. Plain and simple.
I remember hearing about this from the Tom Leykis show last year, before he was pulled from the airwaves. He was gonna have a taco cart fest to bring all the vendors together. If I remember right, the head permanent resteraunt that headed the complaint is now a chain taco place that started out as a taco cart.
food carts are a source of revenue for small business owners. It’s a capitalist market for a reason. Restaurants cannot produce a quality product for a 30min lunch break. Local employees, students and tourists want something quick and nourishing. At a price level, restaurant and food cart vendors vary from $5 -$7 for food carts compared to the $6 – $12 lunch prices at most restaurants. I’ve tried my best during lunch hour to get a quick meal and food carts provide the solution. Why not boycott Subway for driving local deli stores out of business? Shut down all the McDonalds and Taco Bells and any other “convenient food” option. It all comes down to the personal preferences of the customers. Each month many food cartrepreneurs go out of business. The same stress and challenges are a common factor for both groups. Why point the finger at food carts taking a “piece” of the market? I’ve meet a food cart owner in downtown Vancouver, Washington (first friday). He was laid off from HP as an engineer. Now he sells fish tacos to support himself. There’s an underlying problem that needs to be discussed. Obviously restaurants need to make money to pay employees, food costs, rent, etc. but that’s the risk you take for investing a substantial amount of money into a business industry that has a high failure rate. Food carts have limitation in hours and don’t usually serve alcoholic beverages. Restaurants serve that purpose to wine and dine customers during dinner and weekends. Some food carts stay open late at night to serve the club scene. Restaurants aren’t open that late (exception Le Montage, 24 HotCake House and Voleur) but even with a few restaurants being open late, decent food is in demand and those who can provide will profit. What restaurant is serving k-tacos? None that I’ve seen. It all comes down to freedom of choice. The blame can be passed around all day, but the food carts multiplied in Portland for a reason, freedom of choice. We can choose what we want to eat. Some restaurants don’t get that. They should spend more time creating a strategy to serve the busy lunch hour crowds. Don’t they have better equipment and MORE space? save the tears and get to work. Food is the main focus here and there are many food carts and restaurants that have average food.
The food carts are a part of local economy that people actually latch onto no matter what social class or rank. Everyone can enjoy a 5 dollar cart item, and that’s what is so great. Anyone who is against some honest self-starters like these is crazy.
Hey,each of you have inspired me.It has been very difficult to get funding for the restaurant as a start up in these times so therefore we are thinking of taking this route to begin so thanks and I wish that I lived out there.
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I believe that food carts, such as Koi Fusion, are legitimate businesses and are a welcome addition to the diverse food scene that Portland has to offer.
Not only do carts offer a quick, affordable and delicious dining option for people on the go, they offer a more affordable way for entrepreneurs to enter into the restaurant business without the costs of maintaining a permanent storefront.
It is my opinion that in these touch economic times, both diners and owners of food carts around PDX appreciate the fact that these carts are able to be sustainable businesses.
Restaurant owners that believe these carts are stealing their business should realize that people will never stop going to sit-down establishments as long as these places offer good quality food and service. Perhaps those that are complaining could learn from places like Koi Fusion, which consistently satisfies customers (myself included) with great food and friendly service.
There is no reason that these dining options cannot coexist.