Jan
8
I’ve always been interested in starting up my own mobile perogy stand here in Vancouver. And with an epic bike trip planned, I thought it might be a good way to raise the cash. A simple little roadside kiosk, perhaps mounted on my bike trailer, a plug in and a hot plate, and away you’d go.
I looked into the City of Vancouver’s policies and was mildly encouraged. It didn’t look too complicated, or expensive, save for one minor detail- there was a list of foods that were allowed and those that weren’t. Unfortunately to the quality or diversity of streetside fare, the allowed foods are limited to hotdogs, pretzels, and nuts.
Now hotdogs and pretzels are a decent combination, in certain times of need, but to be honest I have never had much luck with the street side dogs served in this wonderful city, despite the wonderful smell of frying onions. How much better would it be if those fried onions were to accompany not a questionable, low quality hotdog, but some delicious, homemade, wholesome (and vegetarian) perogies?
Luckily there looked like a loophole. “With respect to offering other food products,” said the City’s website, “you will have to obtain approval from Vancouver Coastal Authority (Health Department) who regulates food products and handling of food products at (604) 675-3800.” So I called the number and got a hold of David Jansen (sic). I asked him about the perogy situation and to my great disappointment, the City, according to the Health Department, had some incorrect wording up on dispalay. Apparently the possibility for approving another food was not in the dice.
“That’s the list and we don’t believe we will be expanding that list,” he told me. “We like to keep this list very limited.” He made reference to the simplicity of a hotdog operation, and expressed his fear that if you allowed other foods, you might end up with oversized mobile kitchens all over the city.
I asked him why they allow hotdogs.
“hotdogs are pre-cooked,” he said, and didn’t require much preparation.
I told him perogies were precooked, and that they could be prepared just as easily as the hotdog, with the exact same thing as a hotdog stand. Even the condiments would be identical.
“I know all about the perogy,” he answered, mildly annoyed in a somewhat pedantic, condescending tone. He went on about how they would prefer servers of food to “make an investment” and that if I wanted to sell perogies so bad, I could start a restaurant. I told him he was cutting down on small business opportunities and the possibility of having good food served by streetvendors. And so ended our unhappy conversation.
If you wonder, as these people do, why the street vending in this city sucks, it’s because there is an arbitrary rule that makes it shitty. But before you move to New York, where you can find some real streetside vending action, take faith in the fact that it’s a rule you can’t really logically defend. Like the complete ban on street vending in this city not even twenty years ago, let’s hope it changes.
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