The food truck battle in Buffalo reinforces some ridiculousness that I foolishly thought was disappearing. We spend so much time thinking about what might happen, almost nothing ever actually does.
The notion that the downtown restaurants “are sick†of the food truck “invasion†is rather nutty. It reminds me of the anuerysms that coffee shop owners had when Starbucks entered the region. Those shops made good product and everybody was fine. There has yet to be a food truck park right outside the Ellicott Square Building or right in front of the local pizza chain, but apparently that has to be guarded against. I guess my question is why. The acclaimed taco truck does lunch time business at the corner of Main and Mohawk, an intersection served mostly by the occasional homeless guy. The others go to spots where there aren’t much in terms of alternatives.
It amuses me that one of the leading squawkers is a former tea-party less government is better candidate for state office.
I can’t help but think that if people are walking past reheated pizza slices to stroll a couple of blocks for a freshly made lunch, perhaps those screeching should look at their own operations instead of screaming for regulation.
If people aren’t buying your stuff, maybe your stuff needs to improve. If you are worried about people continuing to buy your stuff, maybe you need to find a reason to keep them buying your stuff.
Reading about the permit process that the Ice Cream Bicycle dudes had to go through when nobody else was vending was mind boggling and we haven’t evolved any further when one truck got ticketed for a law that didn’t exist yet. Um, what??
Things get unnecessary hard when paranoia has people staking turf out instead of trying make something that doesn’t suck.
This is a battle riddled with inconsistencies as a local brick and mortar pizza chain had no problem dragging a trailer next to the food trucks at the Music is Art fair last week. That’s all well and good, and I hope everybody made money and a grand time. My son ate pizza, I had a nice burger from the truck next door and we were happy.
Choice is good, folks.
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09/23/2011 11:24 #55183
TruckinCategory: random
09/17/2011 17:12 #55163
A funky goo timeCategory: music
While us who follow the Sabres are understandably enamored with goings on orchestrated by Ted Black and Terry Pegula, I spent the afternoon basking in the efforts of another prominent Buffalonian as Robby Takac put on the latest edition of Music is Art on the Shakespeare Hill in Delaware Park.
Literally something for everybody, but if you haven't heard "We're Not Gonna Take It" or "I'm Too Sexy for my Shirt" done Polka Style then you haven't lived dear friends.
Kind of ironic to note that we're at the height of the food truck battles, one of the complaining entities pulls up their trailer next to the Roaming Buffalo, an entity you should visit.
And as my son shows, getting VIP treatment is pretty cool too.
Literally something for everybody, but if you haven't heard "We're Not Gonna Take It" or "I'm Too Sexy for my Shirt" done Polka Style then you haven't lived dear friends.
Kind of ironic to note that we're at the height of the food truck battles, one of the complaining entities pulls up their trailer next to the Roaming Buffalo, an entity you should visit.
And as my son shows, getting VIP treatment is pretty cool too.
metalpeter - 09/18/11 11:01
VIP Awesome! Those Idiots are great.... Speaking of Just Pizza I won't boycott them just as people who love them and Jim's shouldn't boycott the trucks. But that being said They are mobile stop whining... I wonder though with their thing attaching to a truck and not being a truck if they have to follow the same rules... Roaming Buffalo was great... Yes the pretty Girls was a nice extra.. But the food I had (just a burger with bacon) was really good!
VIP Awesome! Those Idiots are great.... Speaking of Just Pizza I won't boycott them just as people who love them and Jim's shouldn't boycott the trucks. But that being said They are mobile stop whining... I wonder though with their thing attaching to a truck and not being a truck if they have to follow the same rules... Roaming Buffalo was great... Yes the pretty Girls was a nice extra.. But the food I had (just a burger with bacon) was really good!
09/10/2011 21:48 #55133
Rescue MeCategory: random
9/11 - Everybody has something to say about it as we've reached another milestone with that day
It's on my mind too, thanks to the regurgitation of the tv coverage. One of those seminal moments that seems like 2 minutes ago and twenty years ago at the same time. MSNBC reran the two hours of the Today show from that day and it was hard to not watch and wonder.
At the time, both my sisters were Manhattan residents. As I watched things unfold, I tried to remember my New York geography, hoping (correctly) that their routines at them safely out of harms way. My Dad and his software skills were rented out to a firm whose offices were across the street from the Pentagon. So it was a full day.
Because it was so seminal, I think it is one of those things where there will always be a faction that is just raw. The hullabaloo over who is invited for this or that seems like needless squabbling and no I won't use my facebook status for such propaganda.
My son was three and looking forward to Blues Clues but for once I was stuck on the Today Show as they brought whoever they could find in an attempt to describe it all.
I remember calling his mom at work and telling her to get to a tv set. At the time, the one tower of the trade center was on fire, but the time she saw it, the tower was falling.
Watching the rerun of the coverage, it is easy to second guess the bewilderment of the Today show crew as it was unfathomable. I've been a big fan of the show "Rescue Me" which has those events as a prevailing theme for its cast of characters. You seen that second plane and feel the jolt all over again. It looks like the scene from a movie, but tragically isn't. The "Rescue Me" folks had an interesting scene two weeks ago that I think put some of the squabbling over who gets invited to what ceremony in the proper perspective. The Chief of the firehouse gave a rare unterrupted speech about how those who died aren't celebrated on any wall, or any special ceremony. They are remembered by continuing to talk about them. And I think about all the events of the day in general.
It was an unfathomable horror, but it didn't effect everybody precisely the same.
It is good to see activity at that location and how One World Trade Center is 80 stories into the sky. Five years ago, all the political squabbling going on created a much ado over the hole in the ground zero, but not much else, so that progress in encouraging.
It's on my mind too, thanks to the regurgitation of the tv coverage. One of those seminal moments that seems like 2 minutes ago and twenty years ago at the same time. MSNBC reran the two hours of the Today show from that day and it was hard to not watch and wonder.
At the time, both my sisters were Manhattan residents. As I watched things unfold, I tried to remember my New York geography, hoping (correctly) that their routines at them safely out of harms way. My Dad and his software skills were rented out to a firm whose offices were across the street from the Pentagon. So it was a full day.
Because it was so seminal, I think it is one of those things where there will always be a faction that is just raw. The hullabaloo over who is invited for this or that seems like needless squabbling and no I won't use my facebook status for such propaganda.
My son was three and looking forward to Blues Clues but for once I was stuck on the Today Show as they brought whoever they could find in an attempt to describe it all.
I remember calling his mom at work and telling her to get to a tv set. At the time, the one tower of the trade center was on fire, but the time she saw it, the tower was falling.
Watching the rerun of the coverage, it is easy to second guess the bewilderment of the Today show crew as it was unfathomable. I've been a big fan of the show "Rescue Me" which has those events as a prevailing theme for its cast of characters. You seen that second plane and feel the jolt all over again. It looks like the scene from a movie, but tragically isn't. The "Rescue Me" folks had an interesting scene two weeks ago that I think put some of the squabbling over who gets invited to what ceremony in the proper perspective. The Chief of the firehouse gave a rare unterrupted speech about how those who died aren't celebrated on any wall, or any special ceremony. They are remembered by continuing to talk about them. And I think about all the events of the day in general.
It was an unfathomable horror, but it didn't effect everybody precisely the same.
It is good to see activity at that location and how One World Trade Center is 80 stories into the sky. Five years ago, all the political squabbling going on created a much ado over the hole in the ground zero, but not much else, so that progress in encouraging.
metalpeter - 09/11/11 08:39
That Is a great show! That was a great part of the show as well.... Nice blog by the way...
That Is a great show! That was a great part of the show as well.... Nice blog by the way...
09/06/2011 21:50 #55109
Border CollieCategory: random
Note that the Border Collie has put the stick down in front of the “man.â€
“Throw the stick Mister! Do I have to draw you a map?â€
“Throw the stick Mister! Do I have to draw you a map?â€
09/04/2011 11:02 #55084
Okay, it really was the humidityCategory: weather
I'm not a good civic booster. After staying out till the hours known as wee on Friday, walking the wing fest yesterday was a nausous feeling that I could only escape by running here, this after taking a well deserved nap in the comfort of my ac laden bedroom.
Felt better because of stepping into the water, laughed all the way as I accomplished the completion of the parenting triple header, embarrassed the young son. He was the longest hold out, but apparently me walking the marina barefoot was too much for him, walked about 15 feet behind me all the way back to the car.
It's good to be five
paul - 09/04/11 11:41
I have yet to make tge wing fest. Maybe next year.
Its so funny how time changes amd embarasment no longer matters e.g. I now wear the socks and sandals.
I have yet to make tge wing fest. Maybe next year.
Its so funny how time changes amd embarasment no longer matters e.g. I now wear the socks and sandals.
tinypliny - 09/04/11 11:10
The last time I stepped into the water, I dropped right into it (in san diego, the tide was too high). My camera met saltwaters for the first time. After that meeting, its lens never wanted to go back in.
The last time I stepped into the water, I dropped right into it (in san diego, the tide was too high). My camera met saltwaters for the first time. After that meeting, its lens never wanted to go back in.
tinypliny - 09/04/11 11:08
LOL, I remember all the times when I was embarrassed by my folks. Funny thing is I now realize I am turning into them :)
LOL, I remember all the times when I was embarrassed by my folks. Funny thing is I now realize I am turning into them :)
Well said.
Glad to see you posting on this... And it reminds me that on my post about this article that there is something I left out...
1. Are those Building land lords upset or is it Just Paladino ?
1A. Reason I ask that is in the article it doesn't mention what places are upset I found that odd
2. I don't think this really has to do the food truck might take away some business
2A. Just pizza is mobile and you see them at all the festivals you know those things that say are one thing and half the people just eat there... I think that they want to there name to be Valuable so they can sell Pizza at a high rate and charge others to sell it aka pimp out the name...
2B. The landlords (notice the article said land lords it didn't mention a Cafe or Tim Horton's or some place) know that they can charge a certain and have certain conditions like maybe even a cut of the profits or maybe they even run the place... Now if a food truck is out front of say Taki's or even a Hot dog Vendor at the corner it takes the value out of that spot... This is more true of bringing a place in... The Roaming Buffalo is a great example (great burger buy the way and pretty girls want to try the Roast beef) if it is in one spot at a building if not every day at least every other day... Would Red Osier move into that spot? Well they might but with someone who sells the same food right out in front of the building that spots value drops... So what they are more likely to do is move to a spot where you have just as many people who would buy your stuff........
I think at some point someone and I don't know if it will be addressed so I will now the 600lbs Gorilla in the room... There is a perception that food trucks are dirty or don't face all the same health code stuff sit down places do... Or that since they are mobile regulations are less or harder to enforce... That is why many years back (don't remember what I was there for) after some event in Toronto it was dark and I wasn't going near that food truck.... In the article in the news Paladino says something that I don't get about them not being taxed... Don't know the tax laws so don't know if they pay less tax or not maybe vs a building someone owns that tax is less but they still pay tax not sure what he was getting at...
Now one other thing that I think drives this is: there is the Idea that food trucks take away your customers and yes that can be true. But what is also possible is that it will also help you out I will give both examples.....
I love my Burger King I really do... Now if I go there to get a burger and I saw Roaming Buffalo I'm going to the food truck even If I have to stand... But this all so works the other way around. Say Lloyd's sends out a thing on every social network they will be at Bidwel Park.... Awesome I get there 20 people in front of me screw this over to ETS... A good example of this is all the places that Have Pizza on Elmwood... If you want pizza you can get it anywhere on elmwood to bad 2-4-1 isn't open any more yes it was cheap as fuck but you sure got a lot of it... If you walk into just Pizza (use to have 2 elmwood locations) and 10 people are in line for slices everyone else is walking out and going down to Casa and this what these people don't get...