And now comes an announcement from Chris "Walt" and Sandy Walter that Walt's Mobile Bistro will be immobilized this month: "The going was tough, particularly because of Denver's city ordinances that kept us from doing business on Denver streets and in some cases even private lots.
"It quickly became obvious that times were going to be tough without Denver's help with street sales...." they continue. "The thing Denver doesn't understand is that there are thousands of Denver employees that only have 30 minutes for their lunch. They couldn't utilize a restaurant if they wanted to. The street trucks and carts offer an excellent opportunity for these employees to get a restaurant quality, health inspected, professional served breakfast, lunch and yes...even dinner. Not to mention service to the late-night crowd. The reason we are sharing our story is, we wanted to reach out to all owners of the food trucks and carts to convey that we feel to get the necessary changes you will need in Denver is to band together...start a mobile-food association to help your industry. It will bring a larger voice to be heard, creditability to your industry, create a code of ethics, institute proper food handling training, achieve possible savings through group business insurance and separate yourself from the view of your industry that my be left over from the past. In closing, we will truly miss our venture, along with all the many friends and customers we have served. We wish only the best to all the mobile food vendors. Keep up the fight! Good luck to you all."
The Denver Department of Public Works is currently working to pull together a one-stop shop for all the rules and regulations from various city agencies that affect mobile food vendors. "It's a priority," says Daelene Mix, communications director for Public Works, noting that the department met on the matter last Friday.
And Josh Wolkon, who was in the vanguard of the new gourmet trucks with the Steuben's Food Service Truck, has also reached out to the city, to "see if there's anything I can do to help communicate," he says. "It seems like people want it to work."
Once that new Public Works advisory is available, we'll post it here.
