Gimbel construction may force food trucks to relocate

Penn students searching for what's become known as the best food on campus might have to travel a little farther come the end of the school year. With impending renovations to Gimbel Gymnasium, the food trucks adjacent to the building will have to relocate this summer. According to Recreation Director Michael Diorka, the construction of the long-awaited Pottruck Health and Fitness Center -- the University's planned $20 million addition to Gimbel -- is scheduled to begin the day after Commencement. "Basically, for us to be able to start construction [on Pottruck], we will have to move the vendors temporarily during construction," Vice President of Facilities Services Omar Blaik said. "We are working with [the vendors] on several locations that are in the close proximity of where they are today." Blaik and University Architect Titus Hewryk acknowledged that Penn was mulling over several possibilities for relocating the food trucks. Blaik added that the University was looking specifically at two or three options, saying that he wants to minimize the impact of the move on traffic conditions. He declined to discuss the options further. The affected food trucks would include La Petite Creperie, The Quaker Shaker, Bento Box, Kim's Oriental Food, Ali Baba Magic Food and George's Lunch Truck. According to food truck vendors, one of the options under consideration would be to move the food trucks back on the lot to the 3700 block of Sansom Street. Aiyan Huan, a worker at Kim's Oriental Food, said that the University told her and her co-workers yesterday that the truck would be moved back on the lot toward Sansom sometime in July. Blaik and Hewryk did not return repeated telephone calls for additional comment. According to La Petite Creperie owner Andreas Andoniadis, the vendors were told as early as 18 months ago that a move to Sansom was a possibility. "Last year, they told us there's a possibility, for the safety [of customers and vendors], we're going to move back," Andoniadis said. "So that's the story, but maybe they changed the story. I don't know." Although Blaik said he felt that the vendors will actually see an increase in business after the move, due to the abundance of hungry construction workers who will be working on the Pottruck Center, the vendors themselves have mixed reactions. Michael Lynch, owner of The Quaker Shaker, said he does not think the move will affect his business too much. Andoniadis was not as optimistic. "Do I have a choice?" Andoniadis asked. "I don't have a choice. I wish I could stay here, but we'll see. See, that's the problem, we don't know anything yet." Andoniadis also said he appreciated that the move was for the safety of the students, but added that the relocation would definitely affect his business, despite its excellent reputation. "This section's going to be [closed] off, so whoever wants to come, he has to go [down] 37th Street, go back, make a left," he said. "It's going to be, you know, more moving for the students. So, we'll see. I hope it's going to be OK." Other food truck proprietors next to Gimbel said they hope that the new distance won't be too disruptive. "[Moving to] Sansom Street I think would be OK, but otherwise it would be tough for us," Lac Nguyen, owner of George's Lunch Truck, said. "Whenever people are moving, it takes a long time to recover."