A Regina Beach truck vendor claims he’s being driven out of town, after he says he was told by a town councillor on Canada Day he couldn’t operate his food truck there.
“They came over here on Canada Day, it was my first day being here, yelling and screaming at me that I can’t be here” said Scott Mickel, owner of Scotty’s Hot Diggity Dogs. “I did my research. I can.”
You do not need a business licence to operate in Regina Beach; however you do need to be located on commercially zoned property. Mickel’s food truck is located on commercial property he rents from a landlord.
“There’s nothing on books saying a vending cart cannot be here,” said Mickel.
The owner of the Bluebird Café, which is located down the street from Mickel’s food truck, said he isn’t opposed to vendors operating in Regina Beach, he just wants it to be a level playing field.
“Competition is competition. We don’t really care if people come in. It’s just that we want it to be a fair battle, that they’re paying exactly what we’re paying,” said Glenn Lucas, owner of the Bluebird Café.
Lucas said he pays the town $6,000 a year in property taxes, which is a higher property tax rate due to the fact that businesses do not have to pay for a business license.
“We just want it to be fair. We pay taxes, and we expect that whatever food trucks that come in, there’s some sort of a licensing fee that will cause them to have to pay something towards it,” said Glenn Lucas, owner of the Bluebird Café.
CTV News has reached out to the Town of Regina Beach for comment. The town is holding a special meeting of council on Tuesday night, where councillors and residents will discuss the operation of street vendors and food trucks.
The town is holding a special meeting of council on Tuesday night, where councillors and residents will discuss the operation of street vendors and food trucks.
