Reader: This Anti-Vendor Policy Is a Dog-Gone Shame!

Kersten Jaeger

Audio By Carbonatix

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Many amenities have been lost to the pandemic — including the hot dog stands outside of metro area Home Depot and Lowe’s stores. Back in January, vendors at these locations were told they had thirty days to remove their equipment, and they haven't been invited back. "We’re continuously evaluating the needs of our business, and we found that in some areas we need to repurpose the space to better serve our customers’ home improvement needs," a Home Depot spokesperson told Westword this fall. "The fact is that all food vendors at our stores have remained closed since March 2020, and many voluntarily chose to move their business somewhere else during that time."

But another fact is that many of these vendors did not want to leave, and would happily reopen at their old locations today. “At my Lowe’s, they replaced my hot dog stand with a water cooler,” says one vendor. And customers would be eager to welcome them back, judging from their comments on the Westword Facebook followup on the missing vendors. Says Tate: 

This anti-vendor policy is a dog-gone shame!

Reports Dave:

I haven't gone to Home Depot since the carts disappeared. The promise of a dog, chips and soda was the only way I could get my kids to humor me and tag along to the hardware store.

Adds Dom:

As an avid Home Depot shopper, this deeply saddens me. The ability for me to grab a meal while I'm grabbing supplies is a job-saver. I don't need more shitty grills or fence displays outside.

Offers Zak:

What a shame. The ability to grab lunch and some supplies for work in one stop was such a time-saver.

Recalls Aaron:

The guy at the Glendale Home Depot used to play his bass along with the songs on the radio. it was awesome.

Wonders Enrique: 

Why is Home Depot trying to shut down people's businesses and livelihoods?

Suggests Denise:

They should be using all that parking-lot space to bring in food trucks — and that, my friends, would attract more customers. This is a disgusting moment for them to shut down the little guy vs a big greedy corporation.

For the record, there is one Home Depot in metro Denver that still has a vendor: the Brat Bar in Arvada. But so far, that's the sole exception to the rule.

click to enlarge

The Brat Bar in Arvada still cuts the mustard.

Kersten Jaeger

Do you miss the vendors? Has their absence changed your shopping habits?