Food truck operators shovel local sidewalks

While many Penn students welcomed this weekend's massive snow storm, the heavy accumulation caused headaches for many University officials and food truck operators.

Sunny Datt, the owner and operator of the Taco Pal food truck located around 37th and Spruce streets, credited the University with doing a good job with snow removal but said conditions on Monday were still difficult.

Getting the food truck on the sidewalk was "a little bit hard," Datt said. "The University cleans a lot, but we have to do more shoveling."

And shoveling snow wasn't his only problem.

"You need a good pair of boots and warm socks to keep warm," Datt said, pointing out that while the heat from the cooking surface keeps his upper body warm, there is nothing below his waist to heat his legs and feet.

Still, Datt said that his business was strong despite the weekend's harsh weather and the fact that he had to open late and close early.

For Hemo Abdelaziz, the owner and operator of the Hemo's food truck across the street from Taco Pal, this weekend's snow meant frozen feet while serving customers and shoveling the sidewalk before parking.

"I am warm on top, like my face, my chest," Abdelaziz said. "But my feet are so cold because I don't have heat in here."

Abdelaziz, who typically opens his food truck on weekdays at 7 a.m. and closes by 5 p.m., said that most of his regulars still come to enjoy his food despite the weather but that harsh conditions such as those during the weekend were sufficient to dissuade even his most loyal customers.

As for the enormous snow banks piling up on the side of the road and the sidewalk, Abdelaziz had to take matters into his own gloved hands.

"I had to come here [Sunday] to clean the sidewalk," Abdelaziz said. The snow "makes it hard for everybody, but especially for us."

The popular Triangle Diner on Spruce Street enjoyed relatively normal business over the blustery weekend, with no noticeable increase or decrease in business.

"It actually ended up being a normal weekend," Triangle Diner Food Service Director Doug Michel said. "Except with a wet floor and floor signs all over the place."

In anticipation of the blizzard, University officials met Friday morning to agree on a plan of action regarding the clearing of the expected ice and snow.

There were nearly 100 University workers clearing snow this weekend -- up from the the usual 15 -- in response to the 12.5 inches that blanketed University City. These employees worked all weekend to keep pathways accessible to pedestrians.

"There are machines that move snow and there are people, too," Business Development Marketing Manager Tony Sorrentino said. "It's like a blend of human power and technology."

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