I’ve written several times here about how the DC lunch scene has been greatly improved by opening up the market to new street vendors. Spicy bulgogi, delicious tacos, and tasty empanadas are among the new options I can enjoy for a low price and a short walk. It’s good news for everyone. Well, almost everyone. The people who’ve made their living selling hot dogs and chips in a protected market are not happy about the competition. Neither is the multi-million dollar company that supplies their goods. So are they improving their products? Expanding their selection? Hiring attorneys and lobbying the city? If you guessed the latter, you’re correct!
Tucked away in a Northwest Washington alley is a junk food paradise. WG Food Distributors has everything that anyone craving street-vendor fare could want: mountains of Lemonheads and Red Hots, Utz potato chips, Diet Coke, Sprite and Oreos. And packages and packages of the company’s bread and butter: hot dogs, plus buns.
Many of the city’s vendors have been buying their supplies from the family that owns WG for more than 20 years. Now, the owners fear their days as major suppliers of food on the go could be in jeopardy. They might not be right — the city says it has no interest in destroying their business. But they might not be wrong, either — over the next few months, the city will embark on an effort to rewrite vending rules that could bring them more competition…
For decades, Washington has been a partner in the street-food industry, creating laws that require vendors to store their carts in depots, away from rodents and in areas where the carts can be properly cleaned. Under those regulations, businesses such as WG could offer vendors a place to store their carts while encouraging them to buy supplies from the company.
The WG brothers aren’t surrendering without a fight. They have hired a lawyer, and the issue has fueled a feud with newer vendors. Name-calling has flown from both sides. The fear, the brothers say, is that chains such as Starbucks could take over the vending.
WG has enjoyed 10 years of laws forbidding any new entrants into the street vendor industry, giving them a decade of profits selling hot dogs in a city that’s becoming more epicurean every year. They’ve also benefited from cozy regulations leading to a profitable cart storage business on the side. Favoritism or not, the current changes are a form of deregulation that’s long overdue. The WG brothers’ opposition reeks of hypocrisy and steamy sausage. Out with the half-smokes, in with the kimchi!
Previously:
DC cart watch: Rocklands Barbeque
DC cart watch: On the Fly tacos
Hot dogs and beyond
Jacob Grier is a freelance writer, barista, mixologist, and magician in Portland, OR. He writes, eats, and drinks a lot. His articles have appeared in The Washington Post, Reason Online, The Oregonian, and other publications.
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What’s wrong with the hot dogs we got? They eat pretty good, don’t they?