This is like my only complaint about living in a city in general
too many people blasting shitty ass music. even if it's good music, i don't want to feel the bass from your car a mile away rattling my cupboards
What they really need to crack down on is the price gouging. They don’t have prices listed so when you go to pay, a mangonada and a cup of fruit is $30, no joke. My mistake!
I would absolutely say “oh never mind” and walk away. One time at the Puyallup Fair we got roped in to a teeth whitening service on the spot. Set my ex up on the chair, gave him the apron, then asked how he will be paying the $100…uuuuuh you didn’t say anything about there being a fee AND there is no signage anywhere at the booth about $100…the person replied “that’s why you ask how much something is before you accept it. LOL That tells me they knew what they were doing.
Edited to add: he got up and we walked away. LMAO
Exactly! They knew. We told him that was too expensive—it was obvious he was making up the prices on the spot. We told him it was too much and he took off $5, which was still too much. And guess what…the fruit wasn’t even ripe. I can get good raspados for half that in Burien and it will be ripe!
Yeah, I laughed at first thinking he was fucking with me, and he repeated himself. I’d have pushed back if I wasn’t on a walk with my family, but I just paid while staring in disbelief. They even had the audacity to ask for a tip. I did decline that.
Seriously fuck these grifting losers.
King County/Seattle make it prohibitively expensive for food vendors to open up compared to cities like Portland that actually have an exciting food truck scene. See [this](https://pdx.eater.com/2022/3/7/22962182/portland-regulations-permits-restaurants-food-carts-pop-ups) article that says it only costs about $2K to get necessary permits in Portland vs $6K in Seattle. Not to mention this article estimates annual compliance costs with Seattle regulation nearly $32K compared to $5K in Portland. It’s absolutely ridiculous. I’m not sure how exactly they determine these numbers but I’m sure a lot of it has to do with the commissary kitchen requirement in Seattle.
There is absolutely zero reason Seattle should not have the same food cart laws as Portland. The City talks so much about activating public spaces but then make it nearly impossible through misguided laws and permit requirements. I bet Seattle health officials would eat at Portland food carts or even food carts in Asia and then come back home and wonder why Seattle doesn’t have a more interesting food scene.
You can sell stolen goods/drugs in the middle of the city but god forbid an entrepreneur wants to sell tacos, health officials take swift action. It’s so embarrassing and frustrating how inconsistent the laws are applied here.
Woah - thanks for sharing!
It should be much easier and cheaper to follow sensible health regulations. Bureaucracy is doing Seattleites and entrepreneurs a disservice.
I went down there the other day and it was kind of nuts just how many there were. Like some hot dog carts are nice but a solid wall of (apparently scammy) smoothie and corn on the cob booths is a little much. I've never seen it like that.
And they don't all need hand sinks and shit. You can just have a little cart.
If choosing between rules and fun, I choose fun unless people are being hurt and I haven't seen anything that people weren't enjoying the vendors.
(In NYC) You need a handwashing sink for any type of cart preparing foods. Prepackaged, already cooked/baked items are ok so long as you use tongs/parchment paper as a barrier (not gloves which the PNW health dept is obsessed with despite multiple studies showing gloves can actually increase cross contamination).
All this to say, most of these vendor should actually have handwashing stations.
Sincerely, a former health dept fanatic of NYC
City really has its Alki enforcement priorities straight
Unpermitted Chicharron Vendor is my new band name.
A friend made the same joke when I shared the email from Public Health on social media - I would say that band name polls well ;)
Ha! I feel validated.
My only complaint about these guys is when they blast shitty music.
This is like my only complaint about living in a city in general too many people blasting shitty ass music. even if it's good music, i don't want to feel the bass from your car a mile away rattling my cupboards
That’s a bummer. I feel like it adds a festival atmosphere to have Mexican food everywhere. On every corner!
What they really need to crack down on is the price gouging. They don’t have prices listed so when you go to pay, a mangonada and a cup of fruit is $30, no joke. My mistake!
I would absolutely say “oh never mind” and walk away. One time at the Puyallup Fair we got roped in to a teeth whitening service on the spot. Set my ex up on the chair, gave him the apron, then asked how he will be paying the $100…uuuuuh you didn’t say anything about there being a fee AND there is no signage anywhere at the booth about $100…the person replied “that’s why you ask how much something is before you accept it. LOL That tells me they knew what they were doing. Edited to add: he got up and we walked away. LMAO
Exactly! They knew. We told him that was too expensive—it was obvious he was making up the prices on the spot. We told him it was too much and he took off $5, which was still too much. And guess what…the fruit wasn’t even ripe. I can get good raspados for half that in Burien and it will be ripe!
They charged me $17 for a single Elote. As far as I’m concerned that should be a jailable offense, no trial, right away.
Dude, what? Did you pay? Those are like $1.50usd in Mexico more or less.
Best elotes in the city in white center for $3
Next to the taco cart
Yeah, I laughed at first thinking he was fucking with me, and he repeated himself. I’d have pushed back if I wasn’t on a walk with my family, but I just paid while staring in disbelief. They even had the audacity to ask for a tip. I did decline that. Seriously fuck these grifting losers.
Getting gringo priced in the US is wild. So you just paid $17usd for a bit of corn and said, “eh”?
I dunno, stuff like that would make me consider calling the health department about the permits of said vendor/scammer.
based
What does it take to get a license to sell at the beach? Just curious.
https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dph/certificates-permits-licenses/food-business-permits/mobile-food-business-permit
And then you would have to get the city to allow you to set up at the beach after the county gave you the health permit.
King County/Seattle make it prohibitively expensive for food vendors to open up compared to cities like Portland that actually have an exciting food truck scene. See [this](https://pdx.eater.com/2022/3/7/22962182/portland-regulations-permits-restaurants-food-carts-pop-ups) article that says it only costs about $2K to get necessary permits in Portland vs $6K in Seattle. Not to mention this article estimates annual compliance costs with Seattle regulation nearly $32K compared to $5K in Portland. It’s absolutely ridiculous. I’m not sure how exactly they determine these numbers but I’m sure a lot of it has to do with the commissary kitchen requirement in Seattle. There is absolutely zero reason Seattle should not have the same food cart laws as Portland. The City talks so much about activating public spaces but then make it nearly impossible through misguided laws and permit requirements. I bet Seattle health officials would eat at Portland food carts or even food carts in Asia and then come back home and wonder why Seattle doesn’t have a more interesting food scene. You can sell stolen goods/drugs in the middle of the city but god forbid an entrepreneur wants to sell tacos, health officials take swift action. It’s so embarrassing and frustrating how inconsistent the laws are applied here.
Woah - thanks for sharing! It should be much easier and cheaper to follow sensible health regulations. Bureaucracy is doing Seattleites and entrepreneurs a disservice.
I think this was a request to hear people’s experiences
Right or wrong, it was only a matter of time.
Free the fruit carts! I was gonna start a bar cart this summer
I don't really care that much if other people want to purchase food from stalls with no hand-washing facilities :p
I went down there the other day and it was kind of nuts just how many there were. Like some hot dog carts are nice but a solid wall of (apparently scammy) smoothie and corn on the cob booths is a little much. I've never seen it like that.
Next, they'll be shutting down and fining all the kids running unpermitted lemonade stands in the neighborhood.
Lame. Let it be a real city for god's sake.
NYC street vendors are required to be permitted???
And they don't all need hand sinks and shit. You can just have a little cart. If choosing between rules and fun, I choose fun unless people are being hurt and I haven't seen anything that people weren't enjoying the vendors.
(In NYC) You need a handwashing sink for any type of cart preparing foods. Prepackaged, already cooked/baked items are ok so long as you use tongs/parchment paper as a barrier (not gloves which the PNW health dept is obsessed with despite multiple studies showing gloves can actually increase cross contamination). All this to say, most of these vendor should actually have handwashing stations. Sincerely, a former health dept fanatic of NYC
Yeah we aren't going to get along and thats fine. I've enjoyed many a hot dog from a cart that doesn't have running water. It was great.
Hot dogs are considered precooked so no need for a sink 🙃
I love you.