Hot Dog Joes update: SDOT releases citation details
We promised a followup on the hot-dog cart controversy: As reported here yesterday, we had learned that the Hot Dog Joes cart which set up outside Beveridge Place Pub in Morgan Junction in late February didn’t just go away because its trial period ran out, HDJ’s Joe Jeannot told WSB he’d been cited by the city twice and was having trouble working the situation out. Part of the problem is a city ordinance saying vendors aren’t allowed within 200 feet of parks, but as we noted yesterday, Jeannot acknowledged there was more to the story, though he declined to discuss details. Today, SDOT has some details in this statement sent to us by communications director Rick Sheridan:
The cart’s operator, Hot Dog Joes, was cited by SDOT for vending without a permit in the right of way. They did not have a health certificate or insurance to serve at that location. While cited for being within 200 feet of a park, the health and safety issues were the overriding reasons for the citations. The permit, health certificate and insurance are common requirements for food vendors, to prevent folks from getting sick or being injured, and can be easily obtained.
We tried to work with the cart operator so they would be in compliance with the law. Our Street Use inspector, who helps regulate right of way areas like sidewalks, warned the onsite vendor in person and sent a follow-up e-mail about the violations well before writing the citations.
Hot Dog Joes was aware of the requirements as they started the permit application process but never completed it. Given that they had received several warnings and refused to follow the law, the department was forced to write the citations. However, we are happy to work with Hot Dog Joes and help bring their hot dogs and bratwursts back to West Seattle.
So will they be able to work it out? Jeannot is a West Seattleite and told us in our initial conversation that whether it’s outside BPP or elsewhere, he would love to have a cart here. We’ll be contacting him for an update on whether there’s progress in working out the situation with the city. Meantime, we also contacted Councilmember Tom Rasmussen‘s office regarding the 200-foot rule, since he runs the Parks Committee, and he promised to look into the rationale for it, and to see if it might merit changing.
Joe is an affable, good guy. I think the City will work it out.
Check out Joe in action, ca. 2004. It was an audition tape he
did for “The Apprentice” – he very nearly made it – the last guy cut before the competition started. For those who don’t know Joe, I invite you to watch one of Seattle’s treasures: (paste it)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHH8NFMKTgo
While we all may have our opinions about how and why the city requires various permits the reality is its just one of the hoops you jump through to do business. “Just do it” might be a good mantra to keep in mind. If its not worth the hassle then just don’t set the cart up to do business. If its worthwhile business-wise then get the permit like other business owners do.
Thanks for the YouTube link. I had no idea he was a member of the Jeannot family. I grew up w/that family on Capitol Hill and think I remember the infamous Joey Jeannot from my childhood days now that I come to think of it. Hope it all works out for him!
I think the guy that runs the cart is a super cutie!
Hope to see Joe’s stands around more. I’d suggest one at Alki on Saturday and Sunday.
“Hot Dog Joes was aware of the requirements as they started the permit application process but never completed it.”
$10 says the city never processed it. When I rand a small business it took them nearly 6 months to get my business license to operate in city and ONLY after I called them multiple times on it.
Pot… meet Kettle.
SDOT controls the Right of way so you must obey the rules. What about moving onto private land?
But there is still the health saftey issue. If the permit is submitted I am sure it will be proccesed. If you can take the time to load, unload, prep and clean your cart you should have time to apply for the permit.
Just my thoughts…
Since the stand was at times infringing on newly-created interactive public art intended for children in a park is it too much to ask to get it legalized? If you want to live in a gen-x-centric but family-hostile space, there’s always Capital Hill, Denny Regrade ….or San Francisco.
BTW, health permits are not difficult to get in a city that is bending rules to become more like New York. E Coli dogs, anyone?