Brian Ly/Staff

Dojo Dog, one of the three food trucks forced to vacate their operations at the intersection of Bancroft Way and Telegraph Avenue last December because of construction on campus, opened at a new location at Bancroft Way and College Avenue Thursday.

Dojo Dog owners Michael Koh, a UC Berkeley alumnus,  and Jason Chou said they felt comfortable opening at the new location following a July 24 report by the Berkeley city manager stating that all three vendors may reapply for permits for their original locations once construction concludes.

“Just having that chance, instead of being shut out completely, we felt like we got what we wanted, so we just thought we would open up,” Chou said.

Although the report says that all three vendors can reapply for their old locations, it states that reconstruction of the MLK Jr. Student Union and the AC Transit stop at the intersection will cause major changes to pedestrian traffic, requiring city staff members to re-evaluate the area before they make any final food truck decisions.

Dojo Dog has also lowered its prices since moving, but Chou said that was something they were planning on doing prior to being shut down.

“Definitely, being shut down impacted us negatively, with eight months of having to still pay a bulk of our costs just to stay legal,” Chou said. “We still had to pay a commissary fee, we still had to pay insurance, we had to throw out all our inventory.”

Chou said that while the new location does not seem to have as much foot traffic as the old location, he is excited for the school year to begin and more people to be on campus so they can enjoy delicious food at a fair price.

“We got into this business because we love this community, and a lot of our staff are part of this school community in particular,” Chou said. “We wanted to start this kind of a food truck because we thought it was something that would bring a lot of joy to people.”

Contact Chase Schweitzer at cschweitzer@dailycal.org and follow him on Twitter @ChaseSchweitz.

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But this new location might not be sustainable in the long run.

For one, the new Bancroft and College location is a low-traffic area compared to Bancroft and Telegraph. Healthy Heavenly Foods owner Ann Vu has said she expects to get less business from the new location than she did at Sproul Plaza, where she saw two to three times as many people pass through the area each day. Vu cannot afford this, as she has already lost money in dislocation costs — including damaged food and the cost of parking her truck elsewhere while a new location was settled.

Because some of these food trucks are not part of the popular Off the Grid food truck event — which hosts food trucks gatherings around the Bay Area on a semiweekly basis — they rely on having a specific location in the city where they have built a following and base.

The city and the campus have known that the Lower Sproul project has been in the works for years. The city should have better prepared to support the food trucks by negotiating new locations for them before construction began. The city has not yet notified Vu or her fellow food truck owners about how long or under what the terms they will be able to stay at Bancroft and College. There is also no guarantee that the food trucks will be able to return to their original location in front of Lower Sproul once construction is completed in two years — something the food trucks were originally promised.

The past success of food trucks in the city has shown that they are wanted by students and city residents alike. But if food trucks are considered unlike other city businesses and are not provided with clear terms for and fair contracts in the event of their dislocation, we will prevent them from serving Berkeley’s community and being successful.

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Andrew Kuo/Senior Staff

Healthy Heavenly Foods, one of three food trucks formerly located in front of Sproul Plaza, reopened on Bancroft Way and College Avenue on Monday after being shut down for seven months due to construction on Lower Sproul Plaza, which started in December.

The other two food trucks, Kettle Corn Star and Dojo Dog, are still negotiating with the city about the new terms that the city has presented them with in order to operate at the new location.

Some owners of the food trucks, as well as Councilmember Kriss Worthington, claim that the terms of the contract have changed since their original date, because they say they are no longer promised a return to their original location at Telegraph Avenue and Bancroft Way in two years’ time. Instead, owners say the trucks are to stay at the new location for two and a half years.

Ann Vu, owner of Healthy Heavenly Foods, said that the original location of her truck brought her business more profit than her new location does — she estimates two to three times the number of people would pass by the Sproul Plaza area. Despite this issue, Vu said she is OK with the location but wants an extended contract.

“I’m still worried because the terms (of the contract) are not nice,” Vu said. “The other trucks are negotiating with the city, but I had to sign because I need the money. I have to work.”

Jack Huynh, the owner of Kettle Corn Star, wants to be able to operate at the new location but return to Sproul Plaza when the construction is completed.

“We aren’t asking for compensation from the city but only for them to allow us to work and operate at our original location,” Huynh said. “We want them to work with us so that we can have the best conditions for a food enterprise.”

During the hiatus, when her business was shut down, Vu said she lost money paying to park the truck in a parking house, paying for a permit license and having to throw food away. She said she lost many of her employees and income and stayed at home during the seven months.

Huynh said that he and other food truck owners were presented with new terms in May that allowed them to stay at UC Berkeley — but only at the Bancroft Way and College Avenue location and only for two and a half years.

“I was upset when (the trucks) got moved because (Vu) used to have her store inside a building,” said Berkeley resident Sabine Mackey. “Then she got moved outside, and now she has gotten moved out here. There was a huge time period during which she lost all of her money.”

Contact Sasha Costello at newsdesk@dailycal.org.

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Andrew Kuo/File

After months of controversy and negotiations, the three food trucks previously located in front of Sproul Plaza have found a new location.

The three food trucks will be able to reopen at Bancroft Way and College Avenue in April, according to Councilmember Kriss Worthington. Worthington and Mayor Tom Bates have both been personally involved in advocating for the food trucks’ return in recent weeks. The food trucks were asked to leave campus in December following construction on Lower Sproul.

Ann Vu and Jack Huynh, respective owners of Healthy Heavenly Foods and Kettle Corn Star, plan on reopening as soon as the city completes necessary preparations, like new signage and street markings. Michael Koh, owner of Dojo Dog, anticipates that it will take longer for Dojo Dog to return.

“(Reopening) will take time,” Koh said. “On the operations side, we have to restock inventory. I had no hope of coming back, so I was not prepared.”

He plans to open briefly in the summer and make a full return in the fall.

Koh, Vu and Huynh were notified Tuesday of the new location, Huynh said.

Huynh cited media coverage and pressure from Worthington as reasons the issue came to the forefront of the City Council’s busy agenda. Though the owners are appreciative of action that has been taken, they are still anticipating what the future will bring.

Vu said, however, that the new spot “is a little far, with less business — I can tell this for sure.”

“We’re satisfied in the sense that we get to go back to work,” Huynh said. “As for how that new location will work out, only time will tell. We’re taking it one step at a time and are grateful.”

Contact Christine Tyler at ctyler@dailycal.org.

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Brenna Alexander/File

City Councilmember Kriss Worthington has asked the city to assist the owners of the food trucks previously located in front of Sproul Plaza in finding new locations.

At its March 19 meeting, Berkeley City Council will consider a referral submitted by Worthington requesting the city manager to assist Michael Koh, Ann Vu and Jack Huynh, the respective owners of Dojo Dog, Healthy Heavenly Foods and Kettle Corn Star, in relocating their businesses. The move comes more than two months after the vendors were asked to vacate the property in December due to Lower Sproul construction.

Mayor Tom Bates has also called upon the city manager to look into finding alternative locations for the vendors.

Worthington characterized the vendors’ notice to vacate two days before the beginning of construction as “offensive and outrageous.” Usually, authorized businesses are notified one to two months in advance if they need to vacate for construction purposes, he said.

“This construction project has been planned for five years,” Worthington said. “It’s not like some emergency that just sprung up.”

Worthington said he hopes his referral will prompt the city to consider alternatives for the vendors more seriously in the future.

The owners, who invested in the trucks last year under a four-year permit program with the city, are reaching out for either alternative locations or compensation from the city because they cannot afford to keep paying the trucks’ parking permits or insurance.

The vendors say Worthington’s action may bring them the help they need to earn their livelihoods again.

“It’s kind of like when you’re drowning and someone throws you a rope,” said Koh, a UC Berkeley senior. “The city was pretty much going to avoid us. Because of (Worthington), they will start to reinvestigate and put in some serious effort.”

Vu has also been trying to reach out to UC Berkeley students on Lower Sproul for help in further gaining attention from the city.

“I went there last Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to reach out to students,” Vu said. “The people support me.”

The vendors said their previous locations near Lower Sproul were ideal but that they are willing to operate anywhere the city allows as long as they will receive business.

Worthington said he hopes the city can come to an agreement with the vendors in the next two weeks, before Berkeley City Council is set to discuss the request.

Aly Neumann covers city government. Contact her at aneumann@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @AlyNeumann.

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While the city has said it is under no legal obligation to relocate the trucks or compensate the owners, it has a moral obligation to do so. First of all, Berkeley has fostered a commercial climate friendly to small businesses, as is apparent by the relatively high number of mom-and-pop stores in town. These trucks, at least one of which is student-run, fit that mold and deserve all the support Berkeley can provide.

The city should also feel compelled to help because it could have avoided the situation entirely. Plans for major construction to renovate Lower Sproul have been in the works for several years — the city should have been able to anticipate a conflict with the trucks’ location. Knowing that the location could eventually become problematic, the city, not the truck owners, should have been able to devise a solution in advance or limit the length of the permits.

UC Berkeley students are heavily impacted by the trucks’ disappearance. Coupled with the loss of vendors in Lower Sproul — also due to the construction — the lack of food trucks on Bancroft Way and Telegraph Avenue has diminished eating options near campus. The trucks provided a cheap, easy option as well as an alternative to campus-sponsored dining. Due to the closure of other campus eateries, they are needed now more than ever.

Because of this, the campus should also be more proactive in accommodating the trucks. An administrator told The Daily Californian that alternate spots were unfeasible due to concerns about visibility and emergency vehicle access, but it’s hard to believe that, on a campus as large as ours, there are no legitimate options. Given the trucks’ importance to students, the ASUC should advocate for an on-campus spot for the trucks to set up shop.

The truck owners cannot continue to struggle without assistance from either the city or the campus. Furthermore, the current campus dining climate proves there is a need for the trucks if they are able to find a suitable location to conduct business. Ensuring their speedy relocation will benefit students, other residents and the local business climate alike.

The post Help the food truck owners appeared first on The Daily Californian.

After being asked to vacate in December, the owners of the food trucks previously located in front of Sproul Plaza find themselves still rapidly losing money with nowhere to go. The city notified Michael Koh, Ann Vu and Jack Huynh, respective owners of Dojo Dog, Healthy Heavenly Foods and Kettle Corn Star, to move off the property in December to make room for Lower Sproul construction. The vendors are now saying that they will have to take legal action if the city does not find them alternative locations or compensate them for their business losses. Read more here.

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On Tuesday, the city notified the food trucks Dojo Dog, Healthy Heavenly Foods and Kettle Corn Star that they had three days to move off the property in order to allow for upcoming construction on Lower Sproul.

Ann Vu, owner of Healthy Heavenly Foods, said that this was the first notification she and the other food truck owners had received and that the trucks will have to stay off the site for at least two years.

“It was too short notice — I have no plan,” Vu said. “It’s very horrible for my business. I need the income for my family.”

The construction — a part of the Lower Sproul Redevelopment Project — is scheduled to begin next week, and the sidewalks, as well as part of the street, will be closed off, said Christine Shaff, communications director of the campus Facilities Services Department.

Even though the construction will be managed by the university, the property on which the food trucks operate remains under the purview of the city, according to Shaff.

“Food trucks are regulated by the city of Berkeley — they are there via whatever permissions the city gives,” Shaff said. “We’ve done our best to let local business owners know when construction is coming up … as far as having any authority to talk them about their location — that’s the city.”

Vu said that the city officials she spoke with encouraged her to scout the area surrounding the campus to look for potential relocation sites. But the odds of finding a location that belongs to the city and attracts as much foot traffic as Sproul Plaza are low, she said.

“There’s a lot on the line — I’ve invested a lot of time and money in this … these trucks don’t come cheap,” said Michael Koh, owner of Dojo Dog and a UC Berkeley senior. “We were expecting a four-year plan and have only been here for eight or nine months.”

Koh said that he and the other owners are scheduled to meet with city officials to negotiate on Friday to work towards some sort of resolution.

“It’s very tough having finals and dealing with things like this,” Koh said. “I’m supposed to be studying, but I just can’t when my business is getting screwed.”

Sara Khan covers academics and administration. Contact her at skhan@dailycal.org.

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Derek Remsburg/Senior Staff

Like a colorful cornucopia, Sproul Plaza was laden with sustainable food organizations, cooks and activists who gathered for Food Day Wednesday.

The campus celebrated the national event founded by the Center for Science in the Public Interest for the second year in a row, though it was organized locally by Cal Dining’s Sustainability Team for the first time.

According to Monica Harnoto, a Cal Dining sustainability intern and event organizer, the purpose of the event was to promote healthy and sustainable food and provide a platform where students could learn about how to participate in the local food movement.

“We got a lot of our inspiration for the event from the Eat Real Festival in Jack London Square in Oakland,” said Nicole Won, another sustainability intern. “Aside from just awareness, the action part of today is signing the food pledge and having students engage with the organizations here who share our message.”

The campus community enjoyed food samples from Dojo Dog, Ritual Coffee, Purity Organic and Annie’s Homegrown. Also in attendance were food-justice and sustainability advocates, such as the Berkeley Student Food Collective, Oxfam America Club at Berkeley, the Residential Sustainability Program and BareAbundance.

BareAbundance, a student-run nonprofit that works to collect excess food from Cal Dining and other local vendors and distribute it to low-income individuals, held a raffle for a basket of cereal, peanut butter and other foods that weighed one pound each.

“The goal is to show how precious food really is,” said sophomore Chloe Tsang. “The raffle is meant to show how much food we actually throw away — the average American eats four to five pounds per day and throws away one pound per day.”

The $1,500 cost of the event was paid for with a grant from the ASUC Auxiliary’s The Green Initiative Fund. Katherine Walsh, the initiative fund’s coordinator, said most of the funding went to setup, fliers and the cost of food, tables and supplies.

Junior Nadia Tsado said the event was “a good use of funds” and that she thought it was a good idea to bring in outside vendors because doing so showed that sustainable food was growing.

Contact Levon Minassian at lminassian@dailycal.org.

Correction(s):
A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the cost of the event was $3,875. In fact, the cost was $1,500. It also incorrectly stated that The Green Initiative Fund is under the ASUC. In fact it is under the ASUC
Auxiliary.

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