Toronto food vendors speak out after city-run program ends in eviction [5210 Yonge St, North York]
Toronto food vendors speak out after city-run program ends in eviction [5210 Yonge St, North York]
by Tangerine2016
10 Comments
Tangerine2016
Saw this on BlogTO. I have never tried any of these vendors but the way the city is managing it sounds like typical city operations… a non-profit will be running it going forward but according to one vendor they are trying to switch out current vendors for new vendors..
PleaseMeBae
Wow, I’ve been in that area a few times and didn’t realize there were mom & pop food vendors there.
The article is right, it’s hard to spot, the signage is difficult to see and there isn’t enough foot traffic.
This reminds me of how the city botched the food cart program years ago.
Millions of dollars at their disposal and the City doesn’t seem to care to actually help small business owners to succeed. Shameful and this is why people don’t trust so easily. Just half assed plans that ruin people financially.
whelphereiam12
Brutal. The city is essentially incompetent when it comes to fostering small businesses and entrepreneurs. Think of the cafe TO program, or the infamous a la carte program. The city needs to step out if it’s own way.
TestFixation
What a shame. This is the exact kind of government program I support. An initiative to get POC-owned businesses get off the ground. The city did cover a huge part of their rent, which is what I guess they meant by an “incubation program”. I assume the city thought covering rent would help these business owners focus on their product, advertising, whatnot.
And the business owners thought “incubation program” meant, you know, an actual incubation program. Seems like a terrible lack of communication from the beginning, and then to just have the lease end and kicking these people out is just awful. Terrible shame. Teta’s Kitchen banged. Liked Da Ends as well
Canadave
The space is terribly designed, as all these food vendors are facing a dead-end pedestrian walkway next to a construction site, rather than Yonge Street. On top of that, to actually get in to the food hall, you have to go in through the lobby of the main building, which is labeled “Office Entrance” in big letters. It’s no wonder there’s no foot traffic, it’s not intuitive in the slightest.
richiesuperbear
I walked by a lot and always wondered what it was but somehow thought it didn’t open yet.
Ill_Gas8697
Tetas kitchen was bomb but they got rid of their Beef Rendang.
haoareyoudoing
I’ve walked by a few times and thought that this was a ghost kitchen
aceBing
The food is good there. The only time these vendors ever got any recognition was when they had a stall at Mel Lastman Square. Unfortunately they don’t do half as well as the North York City Centre food court during lunch. So shitty. I really liked the Chic Peas place.
asiantorontonian88
If the tenants want Lily Cheng’s attention, they’ll need to do something that will scare her nimby constituents, like proposing they offer free food that will flood the area with lower income folks.
10 Comments
Saw this on BlogTO. I have never tried any of these vendors but the way the city is managing it sounds like typical city operations… a non-profit will be running it going forward but according to one vendor they are trying to switch out current vendors for new vendors..
Wow, I’ve been in that area a few times and didn’t realize there were mom & pop food vendors there.
The article is right, it’s hard to spot, the signage is difficult to see and there isn’t enough foot traffic.
This reminds me of how the city botched the food cart program years ago.
Millions of dollars at their disposal and the City doesn’t seem to care to actually help small business owners to succeed. Shameful and this is why people don’t trust so easily. Just half assed plans that ruin people financially.
Brutal. The city is essentially incompetent when it comes to fostering small businesses and entrepreneurs. Think of the cafe TO program, or the infamous a la carte program. The city needs to step out if it’s own way.
What a shame. This is the exact kind of government program I support. An initiative to get POC-owned businesses get off the ground. The city did cover a huge part of their rent, which is what I guess they meant by an “incubation program”. I assume the city thought covering rent would help these business owners focus on their product, advertising, whatnot.
And the business owners thought “incubation program” meant, you know, an actual incubation program. Seems like a terrible lack of communication from the beginning, and then to just have the lease end and kicking these people out is just awful. Terrible shame. Teta’s Kitchen banged. Liked Da Ends as well
The space is terribly designed, as all these food vendors are facing a dead-end pedestrian walkway next to a construction site, rather than Yonge Street. On top of that, to actually get in to the food hall, you have to go in through the lobby of the main building, which is labeled “Office Entrance” in big letters. It’s no wonder there’s no foot traffic, it’s not intuitive in the slightest.
I walked by a lot and always wondered what it was but somehow thought it didn’t open yet.
Tetas kitchen was bomb but they got rid of their Beef Rendang.
I’ve walked by a few times and thought that this was a ghost kitchen
The food is good there. The only time these vendors ever got any recognition was when they had a stall at Mel Lastman Square. Unfortunately they don’t do half as well as the North York City Centre food court during lunch. So shitty. I really liked the Chic Peas place.
If the tenants want Lily Cheng’s attention, they’ll need to do something that will scare her nimby constituents, like proposing they offer free food that will flood the area with lower income folks.