Halal Vendors Chase Happy Well Being Cart Back Downtown

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Terrible news hit the Midtown Lunch Forums last night. It looks like the Happy Well Being House Cart (on 50th btw. 6+7th) has permanently taken their fried fish and bulgogi goodness back Downtown.

“Hi, I’m a daughter of that vendor. sorry… midtown lunchers :( my mom and sister took cart to downtown. when my mom’s new cart was broken, they took downtown’s old cart to the midtown to serve you guys despite downtown customers look for us like midtown lunchers T_T. when they fixed the new cart they started to serve BF but I think they had a fight w/ halal vendors. halal vendors banned Happy well being house cart so they couldn’t stay there anymore. now mom and sisters are taking downtown spot. they are servng food in downtown.(varick st/ king st) same food same owner in downtown :)”

Of course this isn’t the first time an established vendor has intimidated a new vendor. In fact, it pretty much happens every time a new cart or truck sets up shop in Midtown. Kim from the Treats Truck got it from the Mr. Softee guy (luckily they were able to “work out a deal”), Rickshaw Dumpling deals with it all the time, and we think that Rafiqi’s scared that Udon cart away before setting their sights on El Rey Del Sabor. Thankfully the Mexican cart hasn’t been intimidated. Sadly, if we decide to boycott every cart that does this to another cart- there will be no street meat left for us to eat.

Related:
Happy Well Being House is Related to Downtown Korean BBQ Cart
If You’re Looking for the Downtown Bulgogi Cart… It’s in Midtown

29 Comments

  • Find out what cart intimidated her and we’ll boycott just that one. I know MLers have done it to Rafiqi’s, we can add another one to the list.

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    Why is it the Street Vendor Project gets all bent out of shape when a policeman hassles a vendor, but lets their own do it with impunity? I second the call for a boycott.

  • yes – please find this out – thanks.

  • Happy Well Being, what are you thinking?!?!?! Ceding territory to Halal extremists didn’t work in the Swat Valley and it won’t work here. You need to stand your ground and radio for an air strike from Midtown Lunch.

    I love the smell of white sauce in the morning… it smells like… victory

  • How could the halal carts “ban” anyone? Don’t these carts have permits for their spots?

  • @Formz: I’ve avoided Rafiqi’s since that story came out. Besides Rafiqi’s being wrong, I really like the El Ray Sabor guys.

  • @ Harry – Officially they can’t ban anybody. Each block is zoned to either house carts or not. If a block is zoned for carts, anybody can park there- but those carts who have parked in a certain space for years and years do their best to “discourage” other vendors from setting up on their block.

  • If I say its safe to surf this block Captain, then its safe to surf this block. I mean I’m not afraid to surf this place, I’ll surf this whole fucking place!

    Charlie don’t surf!

  • I don’t think it’s sad if we boycott certain carts and those carts go out of business.

    Let’s say my fantasy comes true and we quadruple the number of food carts in NYC, then only the best will be left standing. or, the ones who intimidate the fiercest?

    The people who resort to intimidation are scoundrels. Yes, everyone is a good person just trying to pay their bills, everyone respond to money. But they let their desire to pay theirs to affect other people’s desires. That’s wrong.

    If we boycott all the Rafiqi’s, they will be forced to respond. It really sucks if we essentially have to sort of reprimand them. But hey, if that’s what’s going to take for us to get delicious carts in Midtown, then I say we boycott. They either need to let me have my choices or they can go bankrupt.

  • Happy Well Being Cart workers Should Dress as US Marines…i can guarantee no problems from the one book bacon dodgers.

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    Hey Wade, the Street Vendor’s Project is an advocacy group that has a membership that’s less than 10% of the carts in the city. They’re not the teamsters.

  • Never get out of the cart. Absolutely goddamn right. Unless you were goin’ all the way.

  • Well, that sucks. Just because the 50th St. halal carts serve inferior food, they have to chase away anything new and interesting?

    I’ll be sure to scowl at them on my way to the sombrero cart from now on. That’ll learn ’em.

  • The sombrero cart rocks. I used to work at 50th/6th. Visit the sombrero cart for a “mexican salad” (chicken *and* beef), devour it at my desk, and wait for the food coma to set in for mid-afternoon.

  • @Harry I’m with you. I haven’t been to Rafiqi’s since and I work only a block away.

  • Wayne, just so you know, I laughed at all you references.

    BUT,

    ” the smell of white sauce in the morning”

    well, I’m speechless.

  • Um, mama … better not read the comment on the other falafel thread then.

    The horror…. the horror…..

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    I posted this on the forum, but just in case the Happy Well Being Cart guys don’t get to see it.. (sorry for the spam)

    안녕하세요… 저는 midtownlunch에 자주 들리지만, 사실 Happy Well Being Cart에서 먹어본적은 없습니다. 재가 일하는 장소랑 거리가 멀어서, 사실 점심시간에 가기엔 시간이 너무 빡빡해서 못갑니다. 그러나, 이런일이 이러난다니 너무나 안탁갑내요… 보시면 알다시피 이런일은 midtown에선 처음은 아닙니다. 이런 협박을 받은 사람들도 많고, 새로운 cart운영할대는 대부분 이런 ‘접대’를 받는답니다. 그러나, 그와중에 포기하는 사람들도 있지만, 자리를 단단히 스고, 협박속에서도 잘 견디는 사람들도 많답니다. 저는 말로만 하는 입장에서 아주 쉽겠지만, 포기하시지 않았으면 합니다. ê·¸ 사람들이 아무리 협박을해도, 폭력으로 나오지는 않을태고, 혹시 그런다해도 경찰이 깔린게 midtown아닙니까? 그쪽 사람들이 뭐라해도, 무시하고, 장사를 하셨으면 합니다. 그쪽에서 자기내들이 그쪽에게 협박 í•  입장이 안됩니다. 윗사람들이 말한듯이 ì–´ë–¤ cart인지 알려주시면, 여기있는 내티즌들이 Happy Well Being Cart를 support할거라 믿습니다. 포기하시지 말고, midtown으로 도라오세요! Midtown에서 사실 장사가 더 잘되는거 아닙니까? 행운을 빌어요!!!

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    @hcd (if that is your real name): I’m not calling for a mediation session and doubt one would work with goons like this. I’m simply pointing out that SVP makes legal resources available to vendors who have difficulty with law enforcement representatives. I’m not aware that the same resources can be tapped to stop what is almost certainly illegal harassment by one vendor of another. Intimidation of new vendors is a recurring theme on ML and probably one of the biggest problems they face.

  • We all can learn a lesson from 50 Cent. It’s a shame, but sometimes the loudest guy in the room wins the argument.

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