Some hot dog and food truck vendors in Cleveland feel like they’re being driven out of downtown as the Republican National Convention nears.
Those mobile vendors thrive on foot traffic, but the busiest sidewalks immediately adjacent to the Quicken Loans Arena will be off limits from July 16 to July 24, including during the RNC.
Temporary rules put in place have mobile street vendors grouped into specific areas downtown, outlined on a map provided by the city. Hot dog carts and food trucks can locate themselves in the warehouse district or further east, past about E. 14th, away from thousands of potential customers flooding the convention.
At a recent press conference, the city said sidewalks near The Q will be too crowded.
“And if people want to buy food, or other retail objects, it will be a very short walk to go to these vending areas,” Cleveland Chief Corporate Counsel Richard Horvath said.
But David Walker, the self-proclaimed “Hot Dog Guy,” who often operates his cart at the corner of Prospect and Ontario, said heavy foot traffic is essential to making money.
“If they stop that, it kind of defeats the point of having the Republicans here,” he said.
Vendors must fill out an application because the city said there were limited spaces in those designated zones.
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