Truckin'

Jonathan Kauffman Ponders the Future of Food Trucks in S.F., After a Showdown at the City Last Week

The Kati Roller truck.
The Kati Roller truck.

In lieu of a review this week, SF Weekly’s Jonathan Kauffman pens a piece about the state of S.F.’s food truck ordinance, after a months-long brouhaha culminated in an “acrimonious showdown” last week at the Board of Appeals between food truck operators and downtown business owners. As an example case he focuses on Anamika Khanna and Tim Volkema, owners of Kasa Indian Eatery and the new Kati Roller truck. They’ve faced some staunch opposition from business owners downtown, like one who owns a Subway and a 7-11 on Drumm Street, who feel the trucks are being unfairly allowed by the city to steal customers “off the sidewalk.”

The Kati Roller truck.

Food trucks argue the Financial District especially has long been over-saturated with the same mediocre sandwiches, soup, and salad, and people ought to be allowed more lunch options. The Board of Appeals sounds like they’re going to challenge the food truck ordinance as it stands, saying it was too vaguely worded to begin with.

And the “informal coalition of lawyered-up restaurateurs and property managers” are going to press on with their filed nine separate appeals against Kasa’s two permitted FiDi spots, as well as other appeals against burger truck Doc’s of the Bay.

What say you, dear readers? Are the overpriced downtown cafés being big whiners, or have they earned the right as brick-and-mortar business owners to protect their turf?

Rocky Road: Food Trucks Clash with Downtown Businesses [SF Weekly]
Earlier: JapaCurry Battle Makes the Journal

Jonathan Kauffman Ponders the Future of Food Trucks in S.F., After a Showdown at