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But the city requires him to buy a $180 temporary permit every 90 days for each of his carts. The permit can be renewed once. That means he would have to move the carts every six months, confusing his customers and potentially hurting business.
“I’m not sure what I’m going to do,” Trobman said.
The Olympia City Council will study how to ease the process after hearing from Trobman Monday night. Councilwoman Rhenda Strub referred the matter to the council’s land-use committee, which she leads.
Trobman proposes that the city offer a food cart permit that can be renewed yearly, saving time and money.
He sees untapped opportunity. Portland has nearly 500 mobile food vendors, he said, and he’d like to see Olympia have a version of the scene. “It is definitely a growing trend,” he said.
Trobman got into the mobile vending business after the bad economy forced him to close the Clubside Cafe on Fourth Avenue in spring 2009. He started by serving up gyro, falafel and souvlaki at night at two downtown locations — Fourth Avenue and Adams Street and in front of The Brotherhood Lounge at State Avenue and Adams Street. Since June, he’s also been catering to the lunch crowd next to Hardel’s Do-It-Best hardware on Harrison Avenue.
He said the stands have been profitable because his overhead has all but disappeared. He went from 16 employees at the Clubside to two.
“The potential is almost limitless,” he said.
That’s not to say it’s easy getting started. Another vendor, Cameron Jutte, spent five months and $10,000 getting the necessary permits, permissions and equipment to open his hot dog stand, Man Bites Dog.
“It seemed kind of never-ending,” said Jutte, whose opened the stand across from the Olympia Farmers Market seven weeks ago.
“Every city and county seems to have its own laws and regulations, and it’s very hard to know what you can and can’t do,” he said. “Even today, seven weeks in, I’m not clear on where we can set up and what we can do.”
In addition to a permit from the city, mobile food carts need approval from the county health department. Food preparation and dishwashing have to happen in a “commissary,” typically a bricks-and-mortar restaurant’s kitchen. That costs rent.
The county health department considers a restaurant mobile if it doesn’t have permanent plumbing, said Sammy Berg, senior environmental specialist. Permits are renewed yearly.
“We hold them to the same standards as we do restaurants,” he said. “People should expect good, safe food.”
Another cost is renting space for the cart location if it is on private property, which Jutte and Trobman do.
Jutte suggests that somebody create a checklist that spells out what is required of a food cart vendor.
Ruthie Snyder, downtown code-enforcement officer for the city, said she wants to encourage mobile food vendors, especially around bars.
“We really like the idea of people getting out of the bars and getting something to eat,” she said. “It’s more eyes on the street, more activity. There’s a lot of positives about having mobile food vendors.
“The biggest issue is finding the right location where it doesn’t obstruct pedestrians, where it’s safe, where the type of equipment they have is safe.”
She said there are probably six vendors downtown. There are two taco trucks from Tacos California — off Harrison Avenue on the west side and off Fourth Avenue downtown.
Portland is held up as a national model for food carts. There are hundreds of them there, many concentrated in parking lots. And it’s inspiring other cities.
Tacoma recently approved changes to its code to encourage street vendors, according to The News Tribune. It will allow licensed street vendors to operate for free in three locations and relax commissary rules.
Jutte thinks a food cart scene could work here, too.
“There’s a lot of foodies and people wanting cheap food on the go,” he said. “There’s definitely a big market for it.”
Matt Batcheldor: 360-704-6869 mbatcheldor@theolympian.com
