My neighbor Mike Stenke runs a food truck business, Klausie’s Pizza. Recently there’s been a battle between the food truck operators and some downtown restaurants, who want some rules put in place on operating food trucks on public streets.
While I can sympathize with the restaurant owner’s arguments, I find it curious that no one’s raised a stink about the hot dog vendors that operate around town. I figure if a hot dog vendor can operate his food establishment on a public street, why not a food truck? Also, why should a required distance be placed between a food truck and a restaurant when no rule would keep a brick-and-mortar restaurant from opening right next to an existing restaurant? Do the existing restaurant owners want to legislate buffers between all potential competitors? If a restaurant owner is going to have a competitor, one would think he would prefer a competitor that could go away once in a while.
Anyway, the City Council heard the issues in a session last week and Stenke, because his livelihood depends on it, was also present for the discussion. After the meeting, though, someone pulled a dirty trick on Stenke, calling the cops about how his truck was parked.
Now, having worked in downtown Raleigh, I can tell you that the city’s “parking Nazis” are seemingly everywhere and will ticket you in a heartbeat. I used to watch from my window as some poor sap got cited for the smallest infraction. And last month a UPS driver came back from a delivery to find two boots placed on his truck’s wheels. Yet, when Stenke was reportedly “over the lines” with his truck, the parking Nazis were nowhere to be found. Instead, a Raleigh police officer raced to the scene and proceeded to hassle Stenke, going so far as to ask him for his business license. The officer eventually let Stenke go with no citation, but not before leaving Stenke shaken.
Now, I work closely with RPD as part of my duties as East CAC chair. I call 911 all too frequently for the dumbshit behavior of folks in my side of town (but not normally the folks who live here). Still, for the life of me I just can’t justify why the cop had to ask for a business license for a parking violation. Stenke wasn’t selling pizza at the time, after all. Did the UPS guy get asked for his business license? I don’t think so.
I know Stenke has been loudly opposed to the restrictions on his business. It’s a hot debate in Raleigh right now, and I think it merits serious discussion. Even so, Stenke is right to feel harassed by the city, at least for the parking stunt. It was petty at best and punitive at worst.
I wrote the city council yesterday and urged city leaders to issue an apology for the parking thing.
Good morning, Councilors.
I am disturbed by the account I read today in the Raleigh Public Record regarding the anonymous call on Mr. Stenke’s pizza truck for being incorrectly parked.
As you may know, I am a strong supporter of the Raleigh Police Department. That said, I cannot for the life of me justify why the responding officer felt the need to check Mr. Stenke’s business license over a supposed parking violation.
Understand that I have no dog in the fight regarding pizza trucks. I believe their merits or detriments should be openly debated with the goal that some sort of agreement can be reached between the parties.
Mr. Stenke is my neighbor. More than that, he’s a citizen and like any other citizen he deserves a fair shake. Nothing more, nothing less. The city’s egregious, punitive response to his supposed parking violation was clearly out of bounds and merits an apology.
Whatever rules the city adopts regarding his ability to operate his business, I would expect our city to treat him with fairness, dignity, and respect.
Thank you for your consideration of this matter and for your service to our city.
Regards,
Mark Turner
I quickly got a response from city manager Russell Allen:
Mark,
As soon as I heard about this incident last week I asked Detective Hershberger who is assigned to the Chief’s office to investigate. He immediately called Mr. Stenke to get any details and hopefully the name of the Police Office so we could fully review. Mr. Stenke did not have the name. No citations were issued and no incident reports were filed. Detective Hershberger left his contact information should Mr. Stenke have any further concerns. Mr. Stenke seemed pleased with our response.
I just wanted you to know that whenever we have such reports, we fully investigate in order to get the full picture and context. It is always frustrating when we have this kind of report and yet are not able to interview the Police Officer.
Sincerely,
J. Russell Allen
City Manager, Raleigh
919-996-3070
So I don’t know the officer who responded, and I haven’t talked with Stenke about his experience. Having listened to the call reporting Stenke’s truck, though, it’s obvious that the anonymous caller was unduly concerned about Stenke’s parking job. Hey, have a debate on the food truck issue. Work something out, but treat everyone with respect. Whatever you think about his business, Stenke deserves an apology for the over-the-top reaction to his parking. What happened was shameful.
I’d be happy to tell you why we want restrictions on proximity for food trucks and not for permanent restaurants. A permanent restaurant draws customers to the area. A food truck draws customers away from restaurants who have invested time and effort. Food trucks don’t show up downtown to draw a crowd, they show up to draw FROM the crowd.
We also take exception to having a ramshackle truck (I saw the pizza truck you reference here TOWED to a spot in front of the Lincoln Theatre just the other day) running a generator full steam ahead, spewing pollution- both air and noise- just feet from our front door.
No one begrudges your neighbor his business, we’d just prefer he didn’t siphon off our customers that we have worked so hard for. Where was your neighbor twelve years ago when there were no hordes of customers downtown? Where was he five years ago? Now that downtown is booming and the actual neighbors, the bricks and mortar folks who have truly invested in downtown, have a symbiotic relationship that works and attracts a good nightlife crowd, the last thing our thin-margin businesses need or want is to have a parasitic relationship with food trucks.
Let them build corrals, complete with bathrooms, trash facilities and electrical hookups and you will find that the downtown business community will welcome them with open arms. We already welcome them for festivals when such amenities are provided through their special permit fees.
As far as your hot dog vendor argument goes, I’m pretty sure that two wrongs don’t make a right.