The Worcester Vendors Alliance formed last July with the support of Real Solutions in response to attacks against vendors which threatened to make street vending unprofitable and all but impossible in Worcester. The group was successful in partially amending the original proposed ordinance which would have banned street vendors completely from downtown and require they move every five minutes. Unfortunately, in the end, a new ordinance requiring vendors to close at midnight without police special permitting and forcing street vendors to gain the permission of nearby business and property owners for 250’ and 500’ was passed by a 6-5 vote.
The Worcester Vendor Alliance has continued to meet, sharing experiences on the implementation of the new ordinance and researching legal and political responses.
What is clear is that the new ordinance has severely curtailed street vending in Worcester, putting several vendors out of business while threatening others.
Mike Benedetti Video
Original video interviews
Street vendor after street vendor have come forward to simply say, “It’s not working”.
DAN MASCROFT; DANNY’S DOGS &
JOHN SWEENE; MAYBROOK HOT DOGS
Regular stalwarts along Water Street, Mascroft and Sweeney each worked a late shift. Sweeney eventually gave up, because of Wings over Worcester’s protestations. Mascroft moved to Pleasant St. where Tammany Hall owners welcomed him. Unfortunately a bar brawl erupted on the street one night and the WPD decided he shouldn’t be on Pleasant St. late nights any longer. Returning to his earlier homebase on Water St. has piqued the ire of Freshway Pizza. So now Mascroft has been told by the WPD that his continued presence on Water Street will garner $100/item fines.
MATA HERNANDEZ; EL DELICIOSO
For years he worked the corner of Benefit and Main Street until targeted by City Councilor Haller. Once targeted Hernandez was regularly harassed, moving to Park Avenue, where he lasted just several months. On Park Ave. he was forced to pay for a police detail which would periodically fail to show-up allowing the route officers to shut him down shortly thereafter. After a short stint, Hernandez was forced out of business because of State Liquors’ veto power over his Park Ave. location.
JANE KAUFMAN; COREY’S FAMOUS HOT DOGS
For years, Kaufman could be found in Front of City Hall at Harrington Corner. She used to sell hot dogs to Mayor Lukes. She was thought to be excluded from the new City ordinance because she’s technically on park property, not a sidewalk, and always received her permitting through the Park Department. This year she was told “NO”, even though you’re on Park land you’re going to need to go to speak to all the property owners and businesses up and down the street. Jane started by talking to business managers, but has now been told by the City that she must have permission from the owners. So since April, she's been forced to wait, hoping to receive back approval for her hot dog cart from the corporate owners of Dunkin’ Donuts and Honey Dew Donuts in Wallamazoo!
Each of these vendors share a specific story detailing termination of their street side businesses, but the collective amalgamation makes it clear that the new ordinance doesn’t work, instead it simply puts a target on street vendors. Across the City, larger businesses have been given veto power over the small guy pedlars. Why does Pizzeria Uno down on the Boulevard have veto power over sausage sales in front of the Palladium because it’s front doors are less than 250’ from the rear loading dock of the Palladium? But that’s just it, what business is going to forgo their newly inherited veto power over competition when it’s been handed to them on their laps?
I talked to George, the owner of Freshway Pizza on Water. He seemed like a nice guy, but he made it clear he was making sure Danny’s Dogs was removed from Water Street and he was going to exercise his veto power to keep anyone else off Water Street.
Last year, as the uproar over the new ordinance proposal was building, the Worcester Vendor Alliance met individually with several City Councilors to talk about the concerns. Councilor Joe Petty did his research. Petty based opinion 11 months ago on a conversation he initiated with Freshway Pizza after the vendors group used Water Street as one example to highlight the expected dangers of the new ordinance. He met and talked to Boston regulators, and felt the new ordinance as crafted would work for Worcester. The following week, Petty conveyed back to the group his Water Street conversation; I talked to the Freshway owner and he’s OK with your keeping your cart where it’s been. Days later, Petty then cast his deciding 6th vote behind the new ordinance.
Less than one year later, that assurance given by Freshway to “the quiet Councilor” is no longer in effect.
Danny's Dogs "Driven Out of Business"
Worcester Vendor Alliance
It's the money, alright
It sounds good to say that it is "big business" versus the little guy, but that is not the case.
A small business owner risks his life savings and his family home to renovate a storefront and buy equipment to open a restaurant or coffee shop, all for the pleasure of working 100 hour weeks and creating a job or two. Maybe he's on the hook for $400,000--a lot more if it is a big space or a fancy place.
Then some guy pushing a cart that cost less than a fraction of that investment parks by his front door and skims off his sales? That is fair? Will the cart vendor help pay the restaurant's overhead? That does not go down when the sales do. Maybe those lost sales were his entire profit, or thatlast check of this week's payroll for his employees.
The vendor cart isn't free and the vendor works har, too. No question about that, but it is simply unfair to disregard the storefront owner's potentially losing his home if his restaurant fails. He isn't "big business." Even if he were, who says you can put a hand in his pocket when his investmnt is what is drawing pedestrians to the area. If there were vacant sotrefronts all along a block and a hot dog cart, the cart would not want to be there because there would be no business.