Food truck owners speak out to stay in Steveston Village
The owners of a food truck say they will press on in their fight to operate in the village of Steveston, after learning that complaints from nearby businesses led to a City of Richmond staff report recommending food trucks not be allowed to operate within a nearby radius of any brick-and-mortar restaurants in the town.
Corvette Romero and Matt Brennan are the co-owning operators of Shameless Buns, a Filipino food truck that has been parking at the Steveston Hub and doing business in the village for the last few weeks.
While the business may attract customers from near and far, the pair say they are now facing a heavy-handed response from city officials, who seek to relocate them away from high-traffic areas where other brick-and-mortar restaurants already exist.
In an interview with Daily Hive, they noted that they went through the complete licensing and permitting process to operate where and how they do. Some local eateries have still complained.
Romero said the latest round of frustration came after receiving a call from a friend who had seen local media reports that discussions among City of Richmond officials mentioned potentially cancelling the food truck’s business license and re-writing of bylaws related to when and where food trucks could operate.
This bylaw, she noted, wouldn’t apply to all of Richmond but rather Steveston specifically.
Asked if anyone other than the bylaw officer they originally worked with had been in contact with them about this possibility, Romero and Brennan said no.
Now, with Richmond City Council scheduled to decide tonight on the fate of the business remaining in Steveston this summer – which could include relocation and/or even business license cancellation – the pair are hoping it doesn’t come to that.
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They note that because of the unique nature of their business, people who make trips also spend money at other local businesses while there, which supports the local economy as a whole.
“Not only has it been great for our business, but the whole town of Steveston has benefited by new people visiting,” they said. “Additionally, we are helping to support Steveston by paying rent to the Steveston Hub, which is used to help offer free space to the village.”
The case on Shameless Buns is set to go before the city council tonight (April 26). The co-owners say they will continue to keep the community updated on the process and outcome.
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