The Observation Deck

http://www.fireduptacotruck.com/

FRI- Lakewood, Detroit ave, next to Edward Park 5pm till 9, or sold out

The tacos look pretty amazing. I will have to try them on Friday.

Ryan

A simple Observation, and reflection.

I was the second guy to bring hotdog carts to Cleveland. I actually bought half the carts(3)
from the first guy to bring them here. Within a year a couple more guys had shown up.



The City of Cleveland sat down with us, and us us for rules and guidance for what we were
doing. They also brought in restauranteurs to work with us. Because of our low overhead
and the ability to move on slow days, we came up with a rule for not being 500' within
another brick and mortar restaurant. We also had to have hot and cold running water, to
wash our hands and anyone who wanted to wash their hands.

The restauranteurs then asked for us to have commissaries to prepare our food, and they
had to pass inspections for chrome fixtures, real stoves and onions, and mens and womens
bathrooms. That way we at least had to compete with those that had invested so much.
What we did not have to contend with was signage, rent, and the ability to move locations
with the wind. Down to the stadium on game days, to Edgewater for 4th and concerts.

My question would be, is it fair to Cozumel, to allow a food truck to blow in, set up in front
of their store, practically, and move around say to Taco Tontos when it opens?

Is it good for Lakewood businesses or is it not. When the trucks invade Termont, they go
to a park not near any other food establishments. Would that not be more fair?

Just curious what you think.

PS - The tacos are killer.


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Is it fair?

My question to you is, does it have to be fair?

If this taco truck offers a better taco than cozumels maybe cozumels needs to improve their menu. Competition creates better products for consumers. I do not think we need more government involvement. If we left it up to them we would soon have regulated profits and controlled territories and menus to keep everything fair...

Ryan Salo wrote:Is it fair?

My question to you is, does it have to be fair?

If this taco truck offers a better taco than cozumels maybe cozumels needs to improve their menu. Competition creates better products for consumers. I do not think we need more government involvement. If we left it up to them we would soon have regulated profits and controlled territories and menus to keep everything fair...

It does, unless all you want are food trucks coming in and making their $$ and leaving.

Cozumel could not afford to serve the same taco for the same price as the food truck.

Ever

Wouldn't it be more fair to have them set up at least 1 block away, 2 blocks away?

Just saying, facts are facts, Cozumel costs a lot of money to just open every day, never
mind the months of building with everything inspected, and changed again and again.
I just got a text from another food business looking for an architect that could draw his
kitchen for the city to approve. The cheapest he found was $3,500.

That $3,500 is a cost of doing business. the trucks do not have. Did they submit plans.
It is the city making it unfair so shouldn't they try to level the playing field they tilted?

I am not anti food trucks, I love the things, but not sure at the cost of places that have
invested in our community.

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Jim,
Do you honestly believe that without government intervention lakewood would be taken over by food trucks? And if that would happen is that bad? If the market is saying they would prefer gourmet food from a swat truck with no servers or places to sit maybe that is the future of fine dining. I think you would have been one of the ones fighting for laws to protect the horse and buggy because the public wanted something new...

I don't think cozumels has anything to worry about. I will have a taco from a new Cleveland based company and enjoy it without any guilt.

Ryan Salo wrote:Jim,
Do you honestly believe that without government intervention lakewood would be taken over by food trucks? And if that would happen is that bad? If the market is saying they would prefer gourmet food from a swat truck with no servers or places to sit maybe that is the future of fine dining. I think you would have been one of the ones fighting for laws to protect the horse and buggy because the public wanted something new...

I don't think cozumels has anything to worry about. I will have a taco from a new Cleveland based company and enjoy it without any guilt.

Ryan

You are breaking me up. This is not about Lakewood or Cleveland. This is not about the
the idea of FREE Enterprise. It is about fair practices.

If one person can open a business for $20,000 and another $150,000 That means one has
$130,000 more dollars to recover before he evens breaks even. Throw in rent, upkeep
right down to the rolls of toilet paper for men's and women's bathrooms and it becomes
a never catch up proposition. So if you have people selling equal quality tacos, the one
with more invested has to sell their tacos for more. You do understand that, right?

This is what happened with the hotdogs carts downtown, and although we (the hotdog
cart owners) to steps to hurt our bottom line, we realized it was a way to keep us from
being thrown out of the City of Cleveland. We were still able to make a damn good living,
still my favorite job. But in order to be fair and keep the business in the city healthy we
sat down, made concessions, and it worked out for everyone.

As the one set of business is heavily regulated by the city. Shouldn't their competition.
Even if you were to throw away all of the rules brick and mortar businesses have, the
trucks have the advantage of moving around. So when Cozumel goes out of business, they
can go park in front of Taco Tontos.

These are fundamentals rules and laws of business. Costs of doing business, and supply
and demand. It is so Ryan of you to think it is not only fair but great, that a company
comes in and invests a reported $200,000, and it is fair to allow a truck to roll up in
front of the place and sell similar items with less cost than they spent brick and mortar
place spent on tables and chairs.

So 500' is not fair? So having a brick and mortar establishment somewhere in the city is
not fair? I mean I know that buying food off of trucks is cool, but is it healthy financially
for a community, that has as of last count 303, I think, places to buy prepared food?

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Jim,
Does your logic only apply to to restaurants? I know of a paper that creates small offices, using technology and volunteers to create a product that is far less expensive than their competators. Is that
"fair" to companies that have invested far more money in toilet paper as you stated?

Ryan Salo wrote:Jim,
Does your logic only apply to to restaurants? I know of a paper that creates small offices, using technology and volunteers to create a product that is far less expensive than their competators. Is that
"fair" to companies that have invested far more money in toilet paper as you stated?

Ryan

That same small paper(s) obeys every rule that applies to other businesses, not just in
their field, but along the same street they work in. (Our signage approved by city, not
that truck's signage which can block other brick and mortar businesses)

At the same time the competition has come into the market we occupy with mega dollars,
and the help of massive multi-national companies, and have tried to do the same thing?

Have I ever complained about their business practices? Have I complained that a
multimillion dollar corporation also uses volunteer efforts against us, while banking
millions from those that refuse to see the multi-billion dollar company asking for them to
volunteer? No never, until you brought this up.

I have wondered aloud why people would volunteer to serve a multi-billion dollar out of
state corporation. But I HAVE NEVER COMPLAINED OF UNFAIRNESS, that that would be stupid.
We obey the same laws. In fact we have been audited by the twice, and have
been found in complete compliance with state and federal laws. I am willing to bet the
competition has not. While they are on record calling on us, I would never think of
dropping dime on them.

Ask the schools, city hall, the libraries. The LO has NEVER asked for special treatment, or
favors. We have asked only to be treated equally with other print and media sources.

For the record, I have never pulled a paycheck from the Lakewood Observer, and I am
pretty sure my wife has never pulled a paycheck from the Lakewood Observer. The
O'Bryans actually get to pay for the privilege of working with the Observer. I do not
ever remember pulling a commission check either, but I could be wrong. There are
paid staff members of the Observer, they just are not related to the O'Bryans. This is
a way fro Deb and I to give back to the city that has given us so much. Nothing more.

Lakewood has a couple different media sources where the "publisher/editor" gets $30,000+
a year to get volunteers to sign on to help them. For that matter the city has many at
$40,000 a year plus people, asking others to volunteer their time. The LO is not one of
them. I could care less what others make or how, I am just saying The O'Bryans volunteer
right alongside the good people and businesses of Lakewood. We walk the talk.

I should have realized you could not understand the concept, of fairness in business and
an even playing field for all.

FWIW

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Jim,

You completely missed my point, probably because of anger that I compared your great paper, which I read and share with others, to a taco truck. My point was that the PD spend millions per year and you can come in and offer advertising to their clients for a fraction of the cost because of your business model using volunteers and small offices. When you look at you vs PD I don't see it much different from truck vs brick building. Your business model isn't "fair" to the PD.

You asked if I heard you complain, why would you complain? That is like the taco truck complaining that cozumels gets a parking lot?!?@

What about a paper sales company that has been in business renting expensive downtown space for 50 years being undercut by a smaller company further out of town that better utilizes technology. Should the smaller more efficient company be stopped because it isn't "fair" to the company that has invested so much for years?

Your argument just don't hold water about business being "fair". As long as all businesses are obeying the same laws, ingenuity should be rewarded.

Is the truck business breaking any laws? Should laws really be put into the books?

Jim O'Bryan wrote:I should have realized you could not understand the concept, of fairness in business and
an even playing field for all.

Typical liberal response, attack the speaker. I thought you were above that Jim. Come on...

Fortunately most of us eat several meals a day and have many great places to chose from in Lakewood outside of our own kitchens.

The last time I purchased from a food truck here, I felt ripped off. The cost was high, the food was good (but the portion was tiny), the service...well, what service? I ate in my car out of a styraform container. There were no benches or a park with picnic tables nearby.

I am unlikely to seek out a food truck for tacos when I can get the best around for $2.00 a piece every weekend off the La Plaza Supermarket Taco Cart on Lakewood Heights Blvd at Elbur. Cozumel's also serves up good food at a fair price with great service, which suits me, my family and friends for many meals.

I don't think the truck(s) will put anyone out of business if they are only allowed here for a few hours a month/year but I do think it is rude to park it outside of a competitor. If I owned a food truck, I would seek out locations where I was bringing something unique (beyond the "truck experience") to the area.

I don't care if they come from a building, a car, a truck, or a donkey....how could more tacos ever be a bad thing?

Perhaps it's my west coast roots but I haven't been real impressed with Cozumel or many of the mexican restaurants around here. I am willing to try tacos from a truck or any place willing to compete. Everyone has different tastes and competition isn't a bad thing. Plus the point that seems to be missing is that these trucks serve a different customer base and they won't be there all the hours or days a restaurant is. The nature of their business is to move around. This seems a bit too much ado about nothing.

Danielle Masters wrote:Perhaps it's my west coast roots but I haven't been real impressed with Cozumel or many of the mexican restaurants around here. I am willing to try tacos from a truck or any place willing to compete. Everyone has different tastes and competition isn't a bad thing. Plus the point that seems to be missing is that these trucks serve a different customer base and they won't be there all the hours or days a restaurant is. The nature of their business is to move around. This seems a bit too much ado about nothing.

Great points, plus I'll add that these trucks usually have a following...which means people outside of Lakewood will be brought here by it's presence and possibly notice other places and spend other monies in Lakewood as well.

J Hrlec wrote:Great points, plus I'll add that these trucks usually have a following...which means people outside of Lakewood will be brought here by it's presence and possibly notice other places and spend other monies in Lakewood as well.

That is a great point, I know some families that do travel around to other cities following one truck or another.

Personally I am glad new businesses are trying to offer us new and innovative products to try. I hope they are good. If not, I will not become a "follower"

I remember the same worries when the farmers markets where getting started. I was going to shut down the Bin and all the other local merchants. Bins still there. As long as they are playing by all the applicable rules, health, safety, permits, sales and income taxes I think they will only bring new customers to all kinds of Lakewood businesses. Maybe a few taco eaters will even pick-up a LO, or stop by another store.
Every business has competition, Cozmel or the LO each has it's advantages or short comings compared to its competition bigger or smaller and it is the owners job to tailor their products or services to meet their customers needs.

Bill