West Seattle restaurants: Rancho Bravo proprietor’s ‘new concept’

It’s been more than 2 years since Rancho Bravo Tacos proprietor Freddy Rivas announced he had leased a spot in The Triangle and planned to bring one of his stands there. The plan then went on hold for so long, we stopped checking with him. Then this morning, driving along Fauntleroy Way, we spotted a Rancho Bravo trailer parked way in back of the old West Seattle Motors site (4518 Fauntleroy Way). So we detoured to investigate.

On the site, we found not only the trailer, but Rivas himself. He says he really has been leasing the site all this time – and is now considering opening a sit-down restaurant there. He didn’t want to elaborate on what kind of restaurant – he says it’s a “new concept” he hopes to open first in Wallingford, and then bring to West Seattle. Timetable? Most likely next spring. And if all works well, he might have a Rancho Bravo trailer on the site as well as his “new concept” TBA sit-down restaurant.

While we talked, he brought up another issue: You might be surprised to hear that Rivas has been active in lobbying the City Council regarding proposed rule changes to allow more street-food trucks. He’s not FOR the proposal, but AGAINST it. He says (as he had argued in this PubliCola pro-con) it would enable trucks to take street space at a ridiculously low rate, putting nearby sit-down restaurants at a disadvantage – and also potentially jeopardizing non-restaurant businesses whom, he says, could have line-of-sight blocked by trucks. He’s not against opening the streets to more trucks, he says, but he suggests spaces be made available to the highest bidder. (Read more about the city’s proposed rule changes here.)

Bob Loblaw June 14, 2011 (11:33 am)

Carne Asada Is Not A Crime! Salva Las Trocas!

http://saveourtacotrucks.org/

Christopher Boffoli June 14, 2011 (11:44 am)

I support what the City is doing to encourage more food trucks on Seattle streets and hope it will get us closer to the wonderful diversity of street food that our neighbors in Portland enjoy. I’ve done my own research on this issue and have discovered that street food generally does not take business away from nearby brick and mortar restaurants. In fact, it increases foot traffic in neighborhoods which not only improves the number of potential customers for existing businesses but lowers crime by increasing pedestrians on the street at all hours. It is my understanding that the changes under discussion include buffer zones so that street food vehicles will not block line-of-sight. I would encourage Mr. Rivas to compete by way of the quality of his food, not by preventing other would-be entrepreneurs from having access to one of the best ways to enter the food business without the huge capital outlays required for a bricks and mortar restaurant.

Steph in WS June 14, 2011 (11:53 am)

It won’t put the restaurants at a disadvantage. They are just fine down in SF. If it works somewhere else, it can work here.

Bring on the yummi food trucks!

Jeremiah June 14, 2011 (12:11 pm)

Please let this happen! I looooove Rancho Bravo!

dawsonct June 14, 2011 (5:52 pm)

BS Rivera! We have had too much of the “pull up the ladder after reaching the top” mind-set in this Nation for far too long now, much to most of our detriment.
The city’s ONLY roll in food trucks should be health dept. (really K.C.) and community zoning standards. Any truck, trailer, or cart should be allowed to operate anywhere in the city, and citing should be an issue only between the landlord and the prostpective tennent.
The argument of taking business from B&M restaurants doesn’t even rise to the level of specious. I doubt if the Spady family has noticed any dent in their receipts at the Wallingford Dick’s, despite the dreaded presence of Mr. Rivas’ interloping establishment, located less than a hundred yeards from their parking lot.
—
Personally, I’d rather see the truck at W. Sea. Produce expand their hours and meat selection (lengua, cabeza). They have a much better product there as it is.

dawsonct June 14, 2011 (5:54 pm)

‘Yeards’ translates in English to yards.

westseattledood June 14, 2011 (10:48 pm)

Christopher and dawsonct –

Valient, passionate foodies that you are, I SALUTE you!

Bring on the trucks, carts and wagons. But first lets have them encircle Rancho Bravo’s truck in a parking lot for a couple of days.

KT June 16, 2011 (9:59 am)

As pointed out, this guy was saying he was bringing a truck to West Seattle for a couple of years now. Is it open? Believe this when you see it. Seems a lot of talk and little action.

Sorry, comment time is over.