GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) — Food truck operators in Green Bay say they’re frustrated by parking rules in the city’s downtown.
Cole Ductan serves burgers out of his truck, Bay Area Burger Company. They are a hit with the freshly inebriated late night bar crowd crowd; all looking for a delicious burger in a place with limited food options after midnight–but Ductan says he’s been ticketed for parking on Washington Street between Cherry and Main Streets after midnight, and he has been happy to pay the ticket–saying the fine is easily made up for in sales.
“It’s a busy area down there, people love me being down there,” Ductan told WTAQ. “So I was taking the ticket, but I was still shocked because according to chapter six of the mobile food vendor rules, Washington Street is a place we’re allowed to serve until 3 AM.”
Ductan took to Facebook in frustration last week, however, when he says a Green Bay Parking Attendant threatened to tow him.
“A new guy came up the other week and said he had heard about me and knew I usually took the ticket,” said Ductan. “But he said ‘not tonight’, and said if I don’t move by midnight he’s calling for a tow.”
It’s enough that fellow food truck vendor Anthony Swett of Taco Tone’s Food Truck hasn’t bothered even trying to hit the lucrative late night downtown market–despite knowing his frybread tacos would be a hit with bar-goers.
“It’s a great spot and there isn’t a whole lot to eat at the time of night I’d be interested in serving down there,” said Swett.
There is a reason, however, that parking on Washington between Cherry and Main Streets is forbidden after midnight.
“We’ve had some issues and challenges there in the past,” explained Green Bay Alderman Brian Johnson.
Johnson says there were a series of late-night brawls that broke out several years ago between customers leaving the bars on that street late at night. That led the city’s Common Council to forbid late night parking on that stretch of road so that police could easily access and observe it.
Police, Ductan says, haven’t said they have a problem with his operation.
“I ask them every time they pull up near me if they feel like I’m in the way or a problem right there,” Ductan said. “They all say ‘no, not at all’.”
Johnson says it’s something worth revisiting, given the city’s previous relationship with food trucks.
“Historically, I think it’s been a hostile relationship,” said Johnson. “We need to have a conversation around it. Really, food trucks weren’t even able to operate in Green Bay until a couple of years ago.”
It’s an observation shared by Swett.
“It’s all new to the city, and I think that’s part of the problem,” the taco vendor told WTAQ. “They’re trying to figure it out as they go.
Also willing to revisit the issue is Alder Randy Scannell–who represents the area in question.
“When we made the ordinance, we got feedback from food trucks, we got feedback from brick and mortar restaurants,” said Scannell. “We put together what I thought was a good ordinance, but if we need to tweak it, we can do that.”
Scannell says he has yet to hear from any food truck operators on the issue, but knows there is frustration.
“There should still be plenty of places downtown where they can park,” Scannell said Tuesday. “But if that is not the case, we need to look at our parking situation downtown and fix that.”
There are no concrete plans to change the ordinance.
