Fulton County orders abrupt shutdown of street food vendors
The El Burro Pollo street food vendor after being shut down
An enforcer with the Fulton County Department of Health & Wellness made the rounds of Poncey-Highland’s burgeoning street-food corridor today and shut down all vendors serving hot food in the middle of their lunch rush.
“We were told we could serve our food as long as we weren’t preparing it on the street,” said Leslie Santiago, who runs the weekends-only El Burro Pollo burrito stand with her husband, Hector. “But today they told us we needed to have a license, even on private property.”
The Santiagos, who also operate a morning French toast stand, quickly moved the operation inside to their Super Pan Latino Sandwich Shop across the street.
Also shut down was the Atlanta Fry Guy, one block away. The King of Pops, an ice pop push cart, stayed open.
Santiago named a supervisor at the Fulton County Department of Health & Wellness whom she was told had ordered the shutdown. Calls to the health department went unanswered, as the offices are closed on Saturday.
According to the department’s website, it is simultaneously a county agency and a district in the state public health system. Fulton is the only county that has this distinction.
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183 comments Add your comment
Unpainted Huffhines
February 20th, 2011
2:21 pm
So much for the “support small business” and “free market” rhetoric. There are street vendors all over most other major US cities. Restaurateurs do just fine, unless they are too expensive or their service sucks. Socialists!
freedom of speech
February 20th, 2011
2:49 pm
“why is it that comments are allowed only on these silly articles. However, when violent crime happends in ATL or a serious article that could use public comment is written, the AJC shuts down commenting on articles. Its all pretty sad.”
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You are correct. The people are silenced on the main stream issues. Most of you have no idea how bad things really are inside the City of Atlanta Government and Police. They are all “kin” folk to each other from the top on down, and nothing will ever change. Glad I moved North years ago.
StreetFoodCred
February 20th, 2011
3:46 pm
Simple solution is to get a license.
anon
February 20th, 2011
3:52 pm
The best solution is to abolish government
ChuckH
February 20th, 2011
3:54 pm
The city of Atlanta is full of fat-ass black women who have no accountablity whatsoever in their jobs and are pissed at the world so God Forbid if someone else grabs themselves up by their bootstraps. I hate the city and state governments that are so full of “fluff” by everyone hiring their grandbaby mama’s uncle’s third cousin by jailhouse marriage.
Michael
February 20th, 2011
4:09 pm
I used to drive a roach coach 30 years ago in Maryland. We don need no stinkin’ license.
Jimmyd
February 20th, 2011
4:14 pm
Just as long as they don’t stop Antavious from selling my rock to me on the weekends, it’s all good…
Michael
February 20th, 2011
4:18 pm
Hey, that’s Dontavious’ spot!
CDK
February 20th, 2011
4:19 pm
The problem is not that they chose not to have a license…it’s that they can’t handle the hoops you have to jump through to get one. To have a license, you must also have a commissary that is certified by the health department. That location is effectively a commercial kitchen that is used by you and only you. From there you are only allowed to legally operate your truck from 2 pre-determined and approved locations within a county. That location must meet certain requirements, including having an accessible bathroom within 150 feet. This greatly limits where you can legally set up your truck and makes moving through multiple locations over the course of the week impossible.
No longer can multiple vendors share a kitchen part time. A food truck should be an affordable way to open a small business but under our local laws it is not. In the city of Atlanta it’s probably easier to sell crack and fake Rolex’s on the street than it is to sell food!
count_schemula
February 20th, 2011
4:50 pm
“I’m for truth, no matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” Malcolm X
count_schemula
February 20th, 2011
4:51 pm
“We need more light about each other. Light creates understanding, understanding creates love, love creates patience, and patience creates unity.” Malcolm X
count_schemula
February 20th, 2011
4:52 pm
I this is largely where “the community” is at today. “We cannot think of being acceptable to others until we have first proven acceptable to ourselves.” Malcom X
count_schemula
February 20th, 2011
4:55 pm
“Despite my firm convictions, I have been always a man who tries to face facts, and to accept the reality of life as new experience and new knowledge unfolds it. I have always kept an open mind, which is necessary to the flexibility that must go hand in hand with every form of intelligent search for truth.” Malcolm X
count_schemula
February 20th, 2011
4:56 pm
The more things change, the more things stay the same. “Right now, in every big city ghetto, tens of thousands of yesterday’s and today’s school dropouts are keeping body and soul together by some form of hustling in the same way I did.” Malcolm X
baldylocks
February 20th, 2011
5:26 pm
makes sense… food carts are an act of terrorism!!!!
it’s probably embarrassing for atlanta city officials. they have no idea on how to effectively manage THEIR business and they wouldn’t want that rubbed in their face via a passionately constructed burrito made by a person struggling to make rent in the worst economy of our time. just can’t squeeze enough blood from the small stones.
but taco bell? well… bring it in!!!!
Rob
February 20th, 2011
5:32 pm
I am so glad I moved out of this town 4 years ago…
Jack
February 20th, 2011
7:25 pm
Not too long ago the city of Atlanta effectively shut down the Varsity junior on Lindbergh. As I understand it, the Varsity folks wanted to rebuild their building they had been operating out of for the past 40 years. Atlanta got into a pissing match with them because Atlanta wanted to restrict their curb cuts from the ones they have now down to 1. Varsity said no way and Atlanta said no go and Varsity said screw you Atlanta and closed the restaurant and boarded it up. Great job Atlanta, another fine job you hapless saps have accomplished there.
count_schemula
February 20th, 2011
10:18 pm
I know vaguely of the Varsity battle, but I can say that that area on Cheshire Bridge is EXCEPTIONALLY screwed up traffic wise. Cars come from all directions all the time. Not that that is the Varsity’s fault because that area’s mess was a long time in the making.
Carol
February 21st, 2011
5:45 am
If you see how they prepare your food and the potential safety hazards that exist from these areas none of you would be complianing;
Sherry
February 21st, 2011
7:29 am
This is ridiculous – why is everything a conspiracy by bad government. They were enforcing a law!! AND YES OTHER CITIES REQUIRE A LICENSE. “You sell food. Note: Food vending requires a license from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Call 311 or visit http://www.nyc.gov/health for information about food cart vendor licenses and permits.” j-taken right off the NYC Dept of Consumer Affairs. Grow up people!!
DLink
February 21st, 2011
10:59 am
PS
Kudos Sherry, and count_schemula – your posts stood out, as well. Thanks for brightening the place up!
c-bear
February 21st, 2011
12:04 pm
The health dept. and rev. dept. need to be aware of who is doing what, not necessarily where. One should only have to register their name and phone # and what they want to sell (a basic business plan) with the agencies and for contact reasons only. The vendor will have an ID/Account # to send taxes on their sales to. People who really enjoy a particular vendors food, repeat customers will attest to the quality of their product and will show in the high amount to taxes paid from that vendor. If you have crappy food prep and poor quality, lack of customers, you have no tax money, you have no business. Simple as that.
Steven
February 21st, 2011
1:27 pm
its what happens when you don’t pay off someone- classic fulton.
3C Atlanta
February 21st, 2011
2:10 pm
I went to a food truck festival in Austin Texas last fall and it was fantastic! http://www.gypsypicnic.com/. It would not hurt the ATL to talk to other cities to undersand how they allow these types of entreprenuers. It makes sense to get people out of the cars and offices.
Less Democates= More Democracy
February 21st, 2011
3:21 pm
Why does the county feel the need to require a permit, whe they already have a business licnese? How many transactions didn’t take place becuase of county action? How much sales tax revenue was lost today due to county action. It looks to me we would all be better off with less county action.
Sarah
February 21st, 2011
3:42 pm
One thing that makes me jealous of cities like New York, L.A., Portland, Boston, etc. is the amount of street vendors and food trucks that their cities have. Atlanta is missing out on a wonderful addition to our food culture. Definitely need to fix it now and fix it quickly.
Dave
February 21st, 2011
4:14 pm
Yet another reason I am glad I moved away from the Atlanta toilet. The street vendor restrictions have nothing to do with food safety; rather they are a result of politics as usual. Remember, small businesses do not have the political donation dollars to spare to put their interests to the forefront. I have never read or seen any stories of a food poisoning epidemic stemming from street vendors.
Personally, I considered starting up a business of this type. I have been unemployed for over a year now, after I was laid off prior to the sale of the company I worked for, basically because I was white and they didn’t want to risk getting sued by letting the blacks go. I have the experience and connections for equipment to start a street vending business, and would therefore be able to provide my own employment, and possibly create a job or two for others in the process. However, due to Atlanta’s asinine restrictions, this will not happen. Good job, Atlanta, you have once again inspired an enterprising, working citizen to leave, and I will surely be replaced by two drains on society.
Deano
February 21st, 2011
4:28 pm
If you’re white, don’t try getting any permits from the city of atlanta for this kind of thing. The white-hating blacks in atlanta city govt will not give you the time of day.
Downtown Heffa
February 21st, 2011
4:59 pm
It’s all about taxation and revenue. Big brother needs to know what’s in your pocket.
c-bear
February 22nd, 2011
9:14 am
There has to be some accountability in any business, especially food. We aren’t talking yard sales y’all! There needs to be some structure to this new foodie trend. Remember we are in Atlanta, the heart of Atlanta, where there are lots of players and hustlers just waitng, licking their chops, to get your money for nothing. It just takes one clown to ruin it for everybody. Remember Buckhead, Light-up Atlanta, Freaknik, Lenox Sq, Atl. Station, Underground Atl…ok… Like the city government so goes the general population. Atlanta….we have raised a brazen and unethical city.
ATLANTA SHUTS DOWN STREET FOOD VENDORS | New York Street Food
February 22nd, 2011
9:37 am
[...] From AJC.com: [...]
Seth G
February 22nd, 2011
1:24 pm
Haha! ATL, the wannabe city that goes backwards. They might as well bring back slavery. Pathetic.
Food 4 Thought
February 23rd, 2011
11:31 am
Well, if anything, perhaps the actions last week will spawn the kind of dialogue needed to move the street food efforts in the right direction. It sure has created quite a bit of discussion here. Sometimes it takes a few mis-steps to bring the issues to light. Keep the momentum going!