As I wrote yesterday, there’s a big important meeting happening tomorrow, and I’d love it if each and every one of you could make it. Hell – I’d love it if I could make it. But I can’t. So, instead, I’ve written a letter to councilmembers involved in the committee tasked with looking into the current food truck situation, and think you should too.
The vendors are counting on you!
Below are the addresses and a suggested subject line so they can see the flood of support with just a glance at their inbox!
We’d also like to request you CC us here at DenverStreetFood.com and the gmail address below. I’d love to post a selection of your street food love letters here on this site (with contact info scrubbed, of course), and the vendors are looking to track support emails for themselves (the gmail address).
Subject: Save Denver Food Trucks
To: Michael.hancock@denvergov.org, Doug.linkhart@denvergov.org
CC: savedenverfoodtrucks@gmail.com, info@denverstreetfood.com
Easier to Copy Cat?
Below is the letter I’ve written. Feel free to lift any parts that are appropriate for you!
Dear City Council,
I’m writing to express my enthusiasm and support for our growing Denver street food scene. The unique emerging business model of the gourmet food truck (or cart or trailer, in many cases!) has allowed a new crop of energetic entrepreneurs to take advantage of a relatively low barrier to entry to bring a nationwide trend to Denver. Serving up amazing food (have you tried the Deluxe truck’s fried truffle mac ‘n cheese balls? Or El Caribe’s mouthwatering arepas?!), these trucks are able to bring interesting and exciting new food options to all parts of this great city. The beauty of the trucks themselves draw curious onlookers and the quality of the food often quickly converts them to rabid fans!
Their mobility adds a feeling of spontaneity and fun to following them, and the interactive nature of their social networking presences pull citizens of Denver and surrounding areas into a buzzing community of shared interest. Through my involvement in DenverStreetFood.com, I’ve met some incredibly interesting people all of whom share a passion for this scene. There’s a sense of civic pride that’s being tapped into by these vendors that I find heartwarming.
In addition, I’ve been able to watch as our website’s list of active vendors has grown from about 6 to the current list of over 40 vendors in less than a year. That’s over 30 new small businesses on the road! That’s good news for Denver. I can’t tell you how much it means to me, as a consumer, to know that if I want to pop out of my office for a quick lunch, my options for a quick bite on-the-go aren’t limited to national chains. I would much rather spend my money on a great meal crafted by a local chef and support a Denver-grown business.
I know that our local street food vendors have a lot of questions about zoning regulations right now and that you’ll be meeting tomorrow to discuss them. I’d like to urge you to do what is in your power to make Denver a food-truck friendly city, and by extenstion, a small-business friendly city. Making the current rules and regulations crystal clear to the vendors on the street is critical, but so is working to create an environment where these creative entrepreneurs can thrive and the cultural benefit they provide to the city can grow.
Sincerely,
Shelly Drumm
DenverStreetFood.com