Madison’s late-night vending could see fewer licenses and a change in vending sites, according to recommendations from a city Office of Business Resources memo.
Late-night vending is allowed in the city between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. for customers to purchase food after most typical business hours.
The recommendations include only allowing a maximum of 10 licenses annually for eight large food carts and two pushcarts. Currently, the city has no limit on the amount of late-night vending licenses, and the changes are an effort to prevent a flux of vendors in allotted vending zones for 2014, according to the memo.
For vendors who are unable to acquire a license, the Office suggested creating a wait-list that would allow vendors a chance to receive licenses from vendors with expired licenses. Another plan included allowing vendors with the most seniority the first choice for vending locations.
Plans for new vending locations mentioned in the memo include relocating large food carts to Frances Street, West Gilman Street and Broom Street. Two pushcarts would be permitted to park on Frances Plaza and the corner of University Avenue and Lake Street.
Steven Lawrence, owner of Fried and Fabulous, said his largest concern with the revisions are the proposed vending locations.
“The city staff that were making recommendations on these locations are totally unfamiliar with what this area is like,” Lawrence said.
Lawrence presented Warren Hansen, the coordinator of the Office of Business Resources, with a city map he created showing approximately 70 locations that would provide sufficient space for vendors and enough foot traffic to appropriately sustain a business.
Lawrence said he was disappointed to see the city staff disregard his suggestions and instead recommend eight vending spaces in a “single configuration” making vending locations congested.
Lawrence contacted owners of University of Wisconsin-Madison private residence halls, such as Statesider and the Towers to confirm the vendors would not be a burden to the areas that were restricted by the office. Lawrence said some of the owners responded enthusiastically, saying the vendors would work as an amenity to the residence halls.
The Vending Oversight Committee will review the memo Wednesday.
