Restaurants can't stomach food trucks, but students relish them

Helen Booker commutes daily from her administrative job at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. But she never conducts any official business at HUP. Every day, Booker buys fruit salad from Phuong Ha's cart on 34th Street, on the sidewalk outside HUP. "I walk all the way over here just for this," Booker said. "She's got the best fruit in town." Other customers might disagree, since Ha's cart is one of about 10 mobile fruit-salad establishments that currently operate on or near campus. On an average weekday afternoon, there are more than 60 food trucks and carts on campus, serving everything from fruit salad and cheesesteaks to pizza and alu paratha. Alu paratha? This potato-filled whole wheat bread is available for $2 from Surjit Singh's Indian food truck at 40th and Locust streets. Although the food trucks and carts -- which have been a campus staple for more than 20 years -- offer a wide variety of cuisine at student-friendly prices, some restaurant operators said they are bothered by the vendors' presence. The restaurateurs claim that many vendors sell unsanitary food, disobey parking regulations, take some business away from local restaurants and have far lower overhead costs due to their lack of rent and real estate taxes. Yet vendors said they believe their food is clean and healthy, noting that vending is a legitimate way to earn a living and -- Ha being a prime example -- that they have regular customers just as any restaurant does. The Competition Because of the number of vendors and restaurants on campus, a chief concern in the community is competition. "I think they're stealing from us," said Don McKee, owner of Muffins 'n More in Houston Hall. "They have cut into this business tremendously -- not just me, everybody." Student Life, Activities and Facilities Associate Director Tom Hauber said the food carts outside Houston Hall do exact a price from the building's tenants. "Some of [the food carts] have adversely affected some of the vendors in the hall," Hauber said. But he added that the food carts outside may actually help business inside. "The Houston Hall merchants will not believe it," he said. "But I actually see it happening." Other restaurant operators said they do not worry much about competition from the food trucks and carts because of distinct quality differences. "They have to cut into some of our business, but not enough for it to hurt us," said Beijing co-owner Mark Gendelman. "The way it stands now, we're fine." And Bruno Sicilia, manager of Cosimo's Pizza in the Food Court, said he is more concerned about people who sit idly at tables in the Food Court than about the food trucks across the street. The vendors themselves said competition is not a factor in their businesses. Le Anh -- who owns "The Real Le Anh" Chinese food truck on the south side of Spruce Street near 36th Street -- said even though her name remains on two other food trucks which she no longer owns, she does not worry about competition from them or from the other trucks serving similar fare. And The Pizza Pitt in Houston Hall and the Pizzeria Express food truck on Spruce Street are owned by the same person. "It's a better business arrangement, but it's too much work," said manager Andreas Andoniadis, who added that he puts in "at least 100 hours" each week. Clean and Healthy? Jack Tran's family has operated the food truck at 34th and Walnut streets for more than six years. Tran, who is studying computer science at Rutgers University-Camden, said his Vietnamese family decided to serve traditional American foods instead of Asian fare for economic reasons. "It's easier, it's faster and more people like it," he said. "It has wider appeal." Although Sicilia said the vendors are "hardworking people," he added that he feels the food is generally more sanitary in retail food establishments. "From my experience, I would say that the quality of food is much better here," he said, adding that he hears that several vendors "have to precook the night before" and do not have proper refrigeration. But Tran maintains that his family's truck serves high quality food under sanitary conditions. "If we weren't sanitized, I think we wouldn't be in business," he said. Philadelphia Department of Health spokesperson Jeff Moran echoed Tran's comment. "It's in no vendor's interest -- no business's interest -- to serve dirty food," Moran said. Moran added that the vast majority of food trucks and carts have high standards of cleanliness -- and that the Health Department regularly performs surprise inspections to ensure that vendors meet these standards. Even so, the department examines each report of unsanitary food or facilities. "We investigate every complaint," he said, adding that "very few cases actually go to court." But even some vendors feel there are varying standards among their peers. Jim DiBattista, who works at the Quaker Shaker food truck at 37th Street and Locust Walk, explained that his employers "buy way better meats" than many other vendors do, and that he thinks his truck is cleaner than others are. "Everything's got to be scrubbed," DiBattista said, washing dishes as he spoke. "My boss is anal." Still, restaurant operators feel there is an inherent sanitary difference between the restaurants and the food trucks. Larry Baker, general manager of Cool Peppers Mexican Grill on 40th Street, said all of his restaurant's materials are routinely sterilized and that his employees wear gloves -- which he said most vendors do not do. Baker said he believes that "the chances of getting some type of food poisoning or bacteria from our restaurant" are considerably lower than from outdoor vendors. He said he would not eat from a food truck, adding that his restaurant's fresh food is healthier than the vendors' fare. "Everything is made from scratch," he said. "We don't serve things from a can." College sophomore Joanna Wolf, who said she usually stops at a food cart to "pick up a quick drink on the way to class," is also loath to eat from the vendors. "Generally, I find it to be unhealthy food," she said. Crowd and Parking Yet the hundreds, perhaps thousands of students, faculty and staff who regularly patronize the food trucks and carts seem to have a different opinion. College freshman John Wright, who does not have a Dining Services meal contract, eats from the vendors "every day." "You can get healthy food," Wright said. "It's definitely better than Stouffer Dining." According to Associate Treasurer Chris Mason, the market demand, along with a recent city ordinance that "restricted vending on Center City streets," have led to the glut of vendors at the University. "They needed a place to go," Mason said. "[And] the University does not have a vending plan in place." In fact, according to Hauber, the situation became so bad at one point that one could not cross Spruce Street in front of Houston Hall because the carts were so close together. The Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections -- which regulates all city businesses -- now stipulates that all food carts, but not trucks, must be at least 30 feet apart from one another, according to spokesperson Tom McNally. Hauber said the department even "marked lines" to ensure that vendors complied. But the situation is different for the larger trucks, which must park on the street in order to conduct business. Richard Dickson, Philadelphia Parking Authority director of regulations and public service, said that there is little his agency can do about vendor parking. "As long as they have money in the meter, they can park there," Dickson said. Although the traffic code says vehicles may not stay past the meter's allotted time capacity, the PPA decided in 1983 not to enforce that time limit if money remained in the meter, Dickson explained. But this policy has led to problems, Dickson said, adding that vendors may "jam the meters" in order to avoid any parking tickets forever. "It's prevalent everywhere there are vendors," he said. "It's not unique to the Penn campus, unfortunately." As a result of this problem, the PPA is currently reconsidering the non-enforcement policy, Dickson said. Gendelman said it did not seem difficult for food truck vendors to find a location on campus. "[The vendors] just put their truck down anywhere they want and that's it," he said. And Mason said parking regulations are not enforced anyway. "Most of the time [the vendors] don't put money in the meters," he said. Mason added that one possible solution would be to have the Philadelphia City Council create a special vendor zone for Penn, similar to the arrangement at Drexel University. According to Dickson, food trucks must pay $3,000 annually for a spot on Drexel's campus -- between Market and Chestnut streets on 32nd Street. Furthermore, vending is prohibited for one additional block in each direction. Operating Costs The restaurant operators also gripe that they must pay a premium in rent and taxes -- while vendors have much lower overhead costs and can therefore set considerably lower prices. According to McNally, "anyone that's operating a business in this city must have a Business Privilege License" -- a one-time $200 fee. All food service establishments must also own a Food Preparation License, which costs $80 per year. And the vendors must annually fork over $250 for a Sidewalk Sales License. On top of that, vendors must purchase a vehicle, which can run anywhere from about $20,000 for a lunch cart to $75,000 for Rami Dakko's 1994 truck. But the vendors have few other expenses besides food and beverage costs. On the other hand, restaurants must pay thousands of dollars each month in rent, taxes and labor. Beijing co-owner Alex Yuen said his establishment pays about $6,000 in real estate taxes every month. And Quin Triu, manager of Oriental Food Fair at the Food Court, said he pays $9,000 per month in rent. Sicilia said the vendors do not just have lower operating costs -- many do not complete their tax returns properly. "They don't pay taxes on everything they make," he said. Yuen and Gendelman also voiced similar concerns. But the vendors continue to defend their businesses -- and the effort they put in.

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