2010 was an amazing year for the Cake Crumbs Bakery and their beloved Denver Cupcake Truck. It’s not much of a stretch to say that with almost 8500 Facebook fans and a fleet of three trucks serving two cities, that these guys are the most popular street food vendor in Denver right now. And now? They’ve got pretty substantial news coverage to boot. Though it’s not at all sugar coated.
Zoning Brouhaha
It turns out that Clementine and Clyde are outlaws of a sort – though nobody seems entirely sure what laws are being broken. On Wednesday, Sean and Denon Moore, the brilliant bakers behind the business, posted on their blog that they “recently encountered issues with Denver Zoning regarding where we can and cannot be/park” and they detail some of the convolutions they’ve been navigating with various municipal departments. After reading that tale and talking to a few other street vendors, one thing is clear: Nobody is sure what’s going on, but everyone is nervous. The laws are unclear, the processes are dizzying, and no two departments seem to have the same answer to the question “What does a food truck have to do to be legal?”
Not All Gloom and Doom
I just watched Channel 2’s coverage of the brouhaha, and one of the spokespeople for Denver pointed out that this emerging business model may in fact require the city to take a look at the existing laws and consider them with fresh eyes. In an email I recieved from Denon, she writes, “We will begin talks with the city next week and have told them our focus is to create clarity for all food trucks…. From the sounds of it, the City of Denver wants to work with us and possibly look into changing some of the laws, rules and regs. It’s going to take some time but I think it will all end well for the food trucks.”
Given how much great energy Sean and Denon have generated for the street food scene by the sheer goodness of their cupcakes and a wicked smart social media marketing strategy, I don’t really think the city of Denver can afford not to make adjustments and concessions that encourage growth in this exciting new industry. I hate to say it, but I can’t think of a better truck for this to happen to here in town. If any one of our amazing vendors can take this on and make a change, it’s the Denver Cupcake Truck.
Sign the petition!
How do I know these guys have what it takes? Not even a few days into this ordeal, and they have Denver mayoral candidate, Chris Romer committed to their cause. According to my email from Denon, if Romer gets 10,000 signatures on this petition, “he himself will walk it to the city. He is going to fight all the way for us!”
I’ve signed. Will you? There’s a note at the bottom of the petition asking for your comments to leaders and the press. Here’s what I wrote – feel free to lift it, modify it, sweeten it up and repost it. Let’s get Clyde and Clementine back on the streets where they belong!
This emerging business model has captured the hearts and minds of thousands of Denverites and hundreds of thousands of Americans. I look forward to seeing the city of Denver live up to its growing reputation as a small-business friendly place in search of innovative, excited young entrepreneurs. Sean and Denon as well as the growing army of Denver street food vendors are practically bursting with ideas and innovation that build civic pride and engender a sense of community in a way that blows my mind! Team Clementine!
Drop your comments here, leave notes of support on the Denver Cupcake Facebook page, sign the petition, and like them on Facebook if you haven’t already. What these guys accomplish in the coming months will have a lasting impact on the street food scene in Denver. Help them make the change!