By Nathan Skid


Detroit's current ordinances prohibit food trucks and stationary vendors from selling in both the central business district and the cultural center -- eliminating potential lunch hubs like Campus Martius, Midtown, the museum district and the stadiums.

Kristyn Koth, owner of Pink FlaminGo!, a fledgling food truck based out of Corktown, said she has had trouble obtaining a proper vending license in the city, so instead of collecting more violation tickets, she's transformed Pink FlaminGo! into a private catering company until the regulations are eased.

"All last year we were out on the streets, but we were given three warnings and a ticket," Koth said. "I never wanted to run illegally, and I didn't want to be a guerrilla-style restaurant."
Koth says she has several friends running successful food trucks in New York who want to bring their operations to Detroit but are concerned about the lack of cooperation by the city government.

Stationary food vendors and mobile food carts are also typically restricted to selling a limited number of items, including hot dogs, ice cream, fresh fruit and nonalcoholic beverages like coffee and soda.

Vendors are not allowed to sell within 100 feet of a business that sells similar goods, nor can they sell their products between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., cutting out potential sales from post-bar crowds.
"Our established retail base is so fragile that it would hurt the restaurants that are already here," Gulock said. "The vending ordinances have been in place since the 1940s."
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