Pret a Manger & Bistro Milano Call Cops on New Street Sweets Truck
It sounds like 55th Street btw. 5+6th has been nothing but trouble for the brand new Street Sweets Truck since they popped up last week. On Monday, they complained that “politics” forced them to move to a different spot. Commenter “bm2e” seemed pretty pissed: “This is BULLSHIT. The carts on the block at 55th and 6th are a standard hot dog cart (pretty good, reasonable prices) and a mediocre halal cart that isn’t even there every day. Add to this poor showing the fact that the crap Italian restaurant in the first floor of 1350 6th Ave actually went and rented a U-Haul to prevent the truck from parking.” (I got confirmation that Bistro Milano, the Italian restaurant inside 1350, did indeed rent a UHaul and put it in the spot to prevent them from parking there on Monday.)
Well, it looks like it all came to a head yesterday when I noticed the scene above in front of the truck just before Noon. I asked one of the cops what was going on and he seemed all too excited to tell me.
“You want to know what is going on?”, he said. “I’ll tell you exactly what’s going. That place right there (pointed to Bistro Milano) and that place right there (pointed to Pret a Manger) are both pissed because they pay all this rent to this building and now this truck is selling food right outside their door.” And naturally, because it’s the same kind of food they’re angry. “That’s the thing!”, he continued. “It’s completely different! That restaurant right there is fancy, and doesn’t even open until lunch. What do they care if these guys are serving coffee and muffins in the morning. This truck is following all the laws. They’re doing nothing wrong. You don’t want them to park in front of your business… you know what? Too bad. This is America!”
He obviously wasn’t speaking as an official spokesperson for the NYPD, but seemed genuinely annoyed that they had to waste their time coming out to take care of this nonsense. In addition to the cops, the Fire Department and HAZMAT (the guys who handle hazardous material!?!) were both called to the scene by the owner of 1350 6th Ave. (the building that houses both Bistro Milano & Pret).
The landlord has complained directly to the Street Sweets truck a number of times before yesterday. The initial complaint was about the noisy muffler that disturbs the diners eating outside the restaurant on the sidewalk. So Street Sweets spent almost $2000 ordering a silent muffler which will arrive next week. But that wasn’t enough. The building then complained about the smell of diesel, but the truck’s engine is off during most of the day, running on propane generators (and when the truck is running, it runs on bio-diesel.) So, they switched to complaining about the smell of grease and oil- but Street Sweets does no frying on the truck, so there is no oil or grease.
Clearly the building just wants them gone, but according to the Fire Captain on the scene the truck is breaking no rules. They have the legal amount of propane on the truck and are parked in a completely legal spot. As long as they can withstand the complaints and harassment from the building, they can stay there.
The problem is, they’re not just getting it from the building. The other street vendors in the area are unhappy as well- most notably the morning coffee cart. Street Sweets, in an effort to be a good neighbor and to show they’re not interested in stealing business that other carts have worked years to build up, agreed to not sell regular, American coffee before 11am. Only espresso and cappuccino, which in theory wouldn’t infringe on the sales of the coffee cart. Not sure if that will be enough to satisfy, but we’ll see.
Either way, Pret still wants them gone. According to the owner of the Street Sweet Truck, one of the managers of Pret complained to him yesterday that the truck was “destroying our morning business.” The truck’s owners find that hard to believe since they took in less than $100 (if even that.) But in this economy every bit counts, and (while this may surprise you) I do see the other perspective.
Pret and Bistro Milano pay a lot of money in rent, and their competition was clearly defined before they moved in. There are a limited number of places to rent space. If we allowed *direct* competitors to just set up on the sidewalk in front of every business in the city, it would be pretty bad for business across the board. To top it off, there is no question that al fresco dining is a big part of Bistro Milano’s business, and having a truck parked so close to their sidewalk area is no doubt annoying.
On the other hand, 55th street is zoned to accept street carts and trucks, and if the truck is breaking no law they should be allowed to stay. And they’re not the only truck that parks there. The street is jam packed with idling delivery trucks all day long. Is Bistro Milano going to go after UPS?
I’ve always been quick to criticize street carts who bully other street carts that are not competition. Halal vendors should not bully a cart selling Mexican food or Korean food, and Mister Softee shouldn’t bully a lady selling cookies and brownies. It’s not direct competition. But what about when a new truck shows up that clearly does effect your bottom line. There is no question the Street Sweets truck will negatively effect the businesses in question. Most directly, Pret and the Coffee Cart- and indirectly, they will effect Bistro Milano by making their outdoor dining slightly less pleasant.
So what’s the answer? My gut says “bring on the trucks, and let the strong survive!” But that system would benefit some at the expense of a lot of hard working people who have spent years building up their business. It’s easy to say “Screw Pret”, but a little harder to say “Screw that guy making $15,000 a year selling coffee and doughnuts.” You can’t have it both ways. No matter what concessions they make, the Street Sweets Truck parking on 55th will hurt the coffee vendor too. In a lot of ways, the surrounding businesses are lucky that Street Sweets are at least trying to be good neighbors (ordering the muffler, not serving coffee before 11am, etc.) They aren’t legally obligated to do any of those things.
I’m not sure I know the solution, but I do know this: As more and more of these new-school trucks and carts start popping up in Midtown, the problem is just going to get worse. And bullying and intimidation tactics are not the answer. Whether it is direct threats from another vendor, or a restaurant calling the cops.
According to their Twitter, the Street Sweets Truck is back today on the SE Corner of 55th & 6th.
Related:
Halal Vendors Chase Happy Well Being Cart
Rafiqi’s Tries To Intimidate New Mexican Cart From 49th Street
The Treats Truck Will Try Her Luck at 45th St. Today
Posted: 8:30 am, June 12th, 2009 under Street Sweets, Street Vendor Issues.
79 Comments | RSS comments feed for this post
ADVERTISEMENT
79 Comments
-
-
Because of this article, I’m buying treats from Street Sweets for the whole office today!
-
The only person i can really understand is the coffee cart. But honestly there is a coffee cart on almost every block often in eye shot of each other. If that’s ok why isn’t another slightly different competitor ?
-
I stopped by yesterday for a mid afternoon snack, and had a nice little chat with the main owner of the truck. They are really putting the screws to him. He even had a shish kebab guy try to put intimidation tactics on him. I hope he endures the nonsense.
BTW had croissant with praline preserves creme filling. Croissant was standard fanfare, but the filling was excellent. Was very subtle, not overly sweet at all, and added a nice flavoring to the pastry. -
Very enjoyable and informative post. I agree it’s a tough issue all around, but the bleeding heart liberal in me totally routes for the upstart/underdog Streets Sweets truck. Pret’s a chain. Also, this is NYC – “If you can’t handle the heat, get out of the kitchen.”
-
55th & 6th toxic to outdoor dining as it is. Bistro has nothing to complain about. This truck is distinctly different from Pret and Bistro Milano. Also, the truck is going to get more attention over the first couple of weeks and then it will settle. Pret should just live with it.
If anyone in the neighborhood is going to be affected it’s the Dessert Truck. They are more similar to Street Sweets and only a few blocks away.
-
Hmm… I have to disagree a little with you Zach. I think the truck is completely in the right, and it is “Screw Pret!” It’s not because I don’t like Pret or anything like that. In fact, their food is ok (when it’s free).
But the main problem is that as a business, you’re kind of a p*ssy if you complain about not factoring better competition into your business plan. Yea, there’s lower barrier to entry for food trucks than there are for brick and mortar restaurants. Guess what people?! That’s how it works! I think it’s a serious mistake when we start to say, “We should protect some businesses because they were there first!”
That said, I think the uhaul truck thing is brilliant. Since those trucks charge you per mile driven, and just 20 dollars a day or something, it makes sense for you to get a truck for 35 bucks and thwart competition.
-
Let the strong survive! That’s capitalism. The coffee truck won’t have a problem if they serve better coffee at a fair price. Protecting them would come at the cost of the consumer, forcing us to worse/more expensive options. This is how markets work. The coffee truck can figure out how to compete or they can fall by the wayside but in either scenario what will remain is the best food option around (for the general public, maybe not for my/our tastes).
-
Hey Zack, great longer-form piece on this issue. And yeah I’m pissed! My office is in 1350, and Bistro Milano is notorious here for having slow service that results in mediocre food at ridiculous prices. But the point is, as the patrolman told you, it’s competing for a completely different customer than the Street Sweets guys.
I have to admit that I’d previously kind of forgotten about the coffee cart guy because I don’t go to him. But it seems like Street Sweets is doing the right thing by him, even though I’m suffering because I can’t get my delicious Cafe Americano from them in the morning now.
It seems to me the business on the block that should have a legitimate gripe is Dunkin’ Donuts on the north side of 55th. I wonder if they’ve said anything? As to Pret, the less said about that shop and its mayonnaise-laden sandwiches the better.
-
Street Sweets Truck – I for one, salute you. This is capitalism at its finest.
-
@demigodh – Just to play devil’s advocate… there is one problem with the “capitalism rules” system. Eventually every brick and mortar Midtown Lunch we love will be replaced by a McDonald’s or something similar. You can blame it on the consumer for eating at those places, but in the end the large companies are the only ones that can survive on small profit margins- allowing them to undercut the mom and pop store, who might be putting out a better, but slightly more expensive product.
And it works the same way down the line. Completely unregulated capitalism will not necessarily leave us with “the best food option”.
-
This article only gives me more motivation to support sweet treats.
I loved this post. Before ever finding this site (when I wasnt LIVING – lol) I would have never even thought about the way the street vendors deal with eachother.
I hope the truck stands up to them! -
As the cop says, this is F’ing America! Capitalism for all! If you don’t like stiff competition, go somewhere else…No street vendor “owns” their parking spot. That’s why they pay no rent….If they paid rent on the spot, it would be different. As to businesses who are paying rent, lower your prices at certain times of the day and be more competitive and you will take out these carts—
-
A very well balanced summary of the issues with a quote from NYC Police – not easy to do these days. As for the debate, not to get all ‘free market will solve everything’ but isn’t competition what drives better service and hopefully tastier food? I mean, if you took Pret’s actions even further why not just complain about every business for 2 blocks that competes with them or offers what they sell for less? I mean Pret is the one with a giant $.99 coffee advertisement in their window obviously aimed at stealing business from Starbuck’s by undercutting them by 70% – that said I think either side can do what they can within the law (like rent a U-haul hitch ) but they better be careful – the publicity war is being won by Sweets Truck based on their conciliatory actions and if Pret or anyone else is too much of a jackass it may backfire.
-
If the Sweet Treats truck sells better coffee and pastries than Pret or the coffee cart who cares how they feel? We should be concerned with getting a great product at a reasonable price. Besides, there will always be people that want shitty coffee and a shitty pastry on the cheap for the cart guy.
As far as Bistro Milano goes, fuck them. First of their name is an oxymoron. Second of all, 55th isn’t exactly the Champs Elysees. If the truck wasn’t there the view isn’t going to get any better.
And as an aside on the truck, I bought 4 brownies there yesterday, after a brief talk with Zach who was there checking the scene out. The brownies are delicious and my coworkers liked them a lot, but the truck’s rewards card is a sham. 4 brownies = one stamp?! If I went four separate times they would give me stamp each time, but if I buy four things I get one only. I demand justice Zach!
-
I’m not that big of a sweets person, but I have to say this is making me want to support the truck by giving them my business. I can understand the coffee cart not loving the idea, but it seems like the sweets truck is making an active effort to be a good neighbor and not mess with anyone. They even agreed not to serve regular coffee first thing in the am! I mean come on, thats a huge gesture. And there are a million coffee carts that could be this guys competition, and I bet none of them would make that same gesture if they were in the sweet carts position. If Pret cannot adapt to the new cart sensation then their business won’t survive in the city as a whole, not just on that block.
I hope this and all the other new carts can stick it out. Damn the man. Save the empire.
-
PS- I love that cop and kudos to Zach for showing both sides to the story. Nice little debate to ponder.
-
[...] too happy with the Street Sweets Truck’s midtown parking spot. Check out the great coverage here on Midtown Lunch. But Street Sweets is undeterred and is back at the same location [...]
-
The coffee cart guy will do fine and I think Street Sweets should respectfully backpedal on their admittedly gracious decision to not sell regular coffee in the morning. Their small coffee is $1.95, while the coffee cart guy’s is only a $1. You’re getting very different coffees, and they’re going after two different markets.
If you haven’t tried it yet, Street Sweets’ coffee is great – and its sourced from a micro-roaster in Tarrytown, NY. It’s deliciously smooth like Dunkin Donuts but complex enough for coffee snobs.
The owners are really nice people, ex-corporate types who have decided to take the plunge and work for themselves.
I’m boycotting the a-holes at Bistro Milano and visiting Pret less often. And if SL Green (the landlord of 1350) is involved in intimidating Sweet Treats, then shame on them….
-
F the love-in and philosophical debate; not only am I going to buy from the truck, I’m going to write letters to these businesses and their corporate partners condemning these practices (and if I didn’t have a full time job I’d be out there distributing flyers to embarrass the sh#t out of them for being scared little p#ssies).
-
support the trucks!!!
-
@Zach Brooks – I’m not sure MLers would tolerate all of our favorites being replaced by corporate chain. As evidenced by the wide adoption and praise (Kudos!) of your site by those who need to eat lunch in Midtown, there is a strong desire to find food prepared by people who take pride in their product, sell it at a fair price and work hard day in day out to do the best they can.
To push your assumption to the limit, imagine if all the ML favorites were replaced by Pret, Panera, Europa Cafe, McDs, etc…
The lunch consumers of midtown would not stand for it (since they’re used to the product options we have now), and someone willing to take the risk of making good food at a fair price, even if they had to open up a place in a loading dock/elevator lobby, would be greatly rewarded. More entrepreneurs would jump in and I think we would return to the balance we have now. This return of great food at a fair price would be accelerated by websites like your’s.
I fully agree with demigodh. Have more faith in Midtown Lunchers, Zach! This isn’t midtown Indiana, we won’t settle for overpriced food, especially after reading your website!
-
Too bad for them! AWWwww someone is doing good business nearby, make them stop!!! WAAAHHHH!!! It’s a free market! Ya know what? I like Pret’s food, but I like cart food better….until I hear they stop being a pain in the ass, I’m boycotting Pret! I say all the trucks should line up right in front of them one day and show some support!!! Thundercarts!!! HOOOOOOOO!!!!!
-
One more thing…..Capitalism works because of the freedom of the seller and buyer. We the people choose to go here and there to buy our lunch. If the cart on the street wants my money, make something yummy. If some crappy deli fails because they have roaches in their food or it tastes like poo, well I’m not gonna go. If Pret fails because they have same 4 sandwiches and maybe I’m bored so we go elsewhere, well maybe they should ADJUST their business model and try to win me over! So, don’t fear big chains “taking over”. If they do, it’s only because they have something people want…same as the carts.
-
Where were all you free market types last November when we needed you? Damn lazy food blog reading slackers
Zach’s inner torment is hilarious… he’s a chubby blogger at the top of the slippery slope, about to roll down… trying to find a solution that makes everybody happy in the end always just screws everyone instead
I foresee a career for you in government, blog man
-
@Zach,, your comment that capitalism results in chains taking over mom-and-pops is incorrect. In fact, SME’s (small and medium enterprises, ie, mom-and-pops) generally have significantly better profit margins that large corporations and thus tend to thrive in open, competitive environments. By definition, SME’s have lower overhead which is a key advantage in most industries, especially food – where the cost of the food is a small component of overall cost. Don’t worry – Trucks Will Triumph!
-
i hate sweets, but i think i’m going to buy something from there today
-
indirect/substitute competition is just as bad. consider 1) coke vs pepsi (colas) and 2) coke vs every other beverage choice imaginable (including tap water!). it’s a huge threat that needs to be nipped in the bud. kudos to street sweets for being very diplomatic but you need to be more cutthroat when it’s versus corporations. they make too much money to realize their shortcomings and then when the shit hits the fan all they know is “raise prices and let the big profits cover up our mistakes.”
-
great article, zach!
im headed over to the truck in a few. any recommendations? -
When I first read about cart-on-cart intimidation on this blog, my first thought was, “How ridiculous that cart vendors are so territorial when they have absolutely no legitimate claim on their parking spaces? If anyone is going to be bitching, I would expect it to be the brick-and-mortar places who are paying huge rents for these prime locations, only to have carts pull up and pay nothing for the same location.”
I guess the brick-and-mortar places bitch, too.
If the official complaints against Sweets Truck are completely without merit, they should consider threatening legal action against their enemies. Unfortunately, getting sued is the only language that greedy bastards understand.
-
What is “intimidation” actually actually comprised of? What can these other cart owners do to carts that are new to their “territory”, which they don’t have any legal right to?
-
I like Pret’s food but not really liking their pricing anyway. If the sweets truck is better, than may the better business win! I have to try their coffee sometime. Pret’s organic coffee isn’t anything to boast about. I’ve only been getitng it when it’s 99 cents for the small. Haha.
-
@Zach – it is easy so I do say “Screw Pret”, I was thinking about getting a sandwich from that actual store for the first time in over 8 months, but now hello Street Sweets Truck!! Pret can kiss my #SS!
As for the coffee vendor, I completely agree w/@rufus – different price points, different products .. also the Sweets is being very generous and accomodating by not selling regular coffee before 11.
Lastly, Sweets is not breaking any laws so both Bistro Milano & Pret can just keep on “Cry(in’) me a River”
-
This is incredible. Pret is one of my current go-to, I like their sandwiches, but they should not be threatened by the Sweets as the menus are different enough to support customers for both. They might even bring in customers-if I were to go get a cookie specifically from the truck, I may get a salad from Pret for balance. Then again, I would love for Sweets to move around a little, but that’s for my own selfish reasons.
-
@dougiec — Apparently they were threatened with having their truck torched. That’d qualify as intimidation in my book! Hell, the idiots at the craptacular Bistro Milano calling the cops and FDNY on them is pretty much intimidation, too.
I hope some other restaurant calls the FDNY on some other truck the same day that Bistro Milano’s kitchen catches fire.
Oh that reminds me, hey Zach, any updates on the rebirth of Le Bonne Soupe?
-
There are so many people would never think of buying anything from a cart or truck. The brick and mortar businesses have nothing to worry about — they’ll always have customers if they have decent food….sadly, they’ll even have customers if they have crappy food…
However, these businesses look out the window and see lines at the new carts/trucks parked out front and think that these customers would normally be in their shop. The reality is that the customers would probably never frequent their establishments and are driven to the carts/trucks via blog/web postings and good food.
-
You anchor a boycott Pret and Bistro Milano at the top of your page until they quit their ridiculous bitching.
Pret serves overpriced organic crap. They appeal to a particular organic loving market, who I’m guessing isn’t going to get swayed by croissants sold out of a truck window. Plus Pret’s dessert options are terrible. They put oats and dried craisins in every damn product, cause thats what kids want in their dessert… fruit.
-
BTW… What excuse did they use to call the cops and FDNY? The PD and FDNY should invoice those two dumps of a restaurant for their time.
-
After buying treats for my office, I would not suggest the brownies or chocolate chip cookies as they managed to both be incredibly dry even on a day with 100% humidity. The croissants are fine if uneventful, and the ginger cookie is adequate. If they are to survive (regardless of hostile neighbors), they will need to step it up a notch as they can’t hold their own with the Treats Truck or Dessert Truck.
-
@tex – that might be true in other markets, but not in Midtown where rents are super high and competition over pricing is fierce. I’ve talked to many Midown restaurant owners who confirm the economics of Manhattan: the more locations you have, the cheaper your food overhead is for each location. I’m guessing it has something to do with delivering anything into the city. It is the same price for a single truck to deliver to one restaurant in Midtown as it is to deliver to 10. It’s why chains like Chipotle and Qdoba have come into the market with such force, and other popular chains (like Chick Fil A) have been more hesitant. They know the only way for their business model to work in Manhattan is to open multiple locations.
It’s not a coincidence that the majority of mom and pop places who have closed in Midtown lately (because of increased rent) are being replaced by the same five chains.
-
stephen1192: I haven’t had anything from the Street Sweet truck, but Pret makes a mean Chocolate Chip cookie. Sounds like they(Pret) has nothing to worry about in that department. We order them fresh by the dozens periodically for the office.
-
At first I thought Danny was calling Zach a p*ssy! Haha. But kidding aside, I say leave the truck along. Competition is what makes food in NY so good. If they are losing business, the restaurants need to step up their game.
-
Adding Bistro Milano to my ‘avoid’ list. I like how they call themselves ‘Authentic Northern Italian’, yet they have french fries, creme brulee, and Apple pie on the menu.
Also, if you want to get technical, Spaghetti chitarra is from Abruzzo (middle Italy) and spaghetti alle vongole is usually found in Southern Italy, typically associated with the Amalfi/Napoli region.
All around failure as a concept, a restaurant, and as human beings.
-
Dear Bistor Milano – have you ever thought to listen to the NOISE coming out of the vents by your kitchen? The exhaust fan noise and heat is far worse than that coming from the truck that you think it threatening your business. You deserve to waste money on the U-Haul everyday and I hope you are rewarded with a parking ticket from some stupid underpaid ticketmaid. Even if the ticket won’t stand in court – someone will have to go waste their time to fight it. Why don’t you try to create some advertising campaign that would be rewarding to capture business. Offer free dessert to people who have drinks or food? In the mean time – stop trying to grab for straws.
Dear Pret – are you kidding? You are worried about this truck? Everything you sell is prepackaged.
Dear Street Vendors – get a life…period.
All those who feel threatened have just made me want to encourage everyone I know to walk past those who are being stupid to patronize the sweet truck.
Kudos to the sweet truck for trying to be a good neighbor.
The strong will survive!
-
Its amazing how untruthfull and totally bogus this story is!!!!!. I work at the building and the only problem is the annoying, unbearable sound that is coming from the truck. Nobody can work or enjoy their food while dining at the restaurant. According to the sergents onsite, there have been 150 calls to the 19th precinct by people on the block complaining about the continuous droning sound from the truck from morning to night. People across the street posted flyers in complaint about the truck’s exhaust. The decible level from the exhaust pipe angled straight at the buildings is too loud and mind numbing for people to enjoy their food with the doors open, but because the truck has a permit he is allowed to be as disruptive and disrespectful as he wants. The notion that Bistro is in any competition with this truck is completely moronic. They just want the sound from the exhaust minimized so their patrons don’t complain. I eat there all the time and its obvious if you walk by!!
-
IT’s all very involved.
But i really dont give a flying fuck.
-
Mobb Deep: ’survival of the fittest, only the strong survive.’
-
@535Madison right on, brother! My buddies and I walked by Bistro Milano on the way out to get lunch today and noticed the din coming out their kitchen door. Compared to that, the low puttering noise from the Street Sweets truck is nothing! God, those guys suck. (Although Bistro, if you’re reading this, and I suspect you are, the new awning/umbrellas are very nice looking; too bad I’m boycotting you.)
@Bistro2009 ROFLMAO @ this Bistro Milano shill! At least pick a more subtle screen name.
-
I will agree with the previous commentary in which complaining about the endless sound of a mobile truck parked in front of established businesses has nothing to do with the curtailment of the right to access free competition in our country. This is not about the big fish telling off to the little fish; it is about common sense in the business world. Vending trucks have the right to sell just as much as long as they do not infringe upon others vendors’ rights. The fact that they sell coffee after 11.00 o clock and try to differentiate their menu from other establishments and vendors is highly respectable and a great example of fair competition. The nobility of such act, however, is not enough to justify their presence in a vending capacity in front of an establishment such as Bistro Milano that captures its attention and delivers its image through a seated patio which is inevitably compromised by such predicament. If someone parks in front of a an art piece (not wanting to refer to Bistro Milano Bistro as an “art piece”) to sell postcards, and obstructs a certain prospective and light from the viewers, it would, at the end, infringe upon the rights of the ones that would like to benefit from such a view, especially if they pay for it. The patrons dining in the patio of Bistro Milano have the right not only to be served within the parameters of the designated patio but also they are entitled to enjoy the surroundings and every other element which makes their experience rewarding. Such right extends and not solely to the right to have the street sounds at a reasonable level without the augmentation of unnecessary ones, such a mobile truck making constantly noises through their ears. Obviously, the city cannot shut off and we know that sound levels in New York are not compatible with the ones of “Green Rapids”, for example. However, measures should be taken by the City of New York to protect the rights of the establishments that have integrated as part of their business concept an outside space and for which they pay for and whose integrity ends up being violated by the presence of external elements such as vending trucks or other paraphernalia directly or indirectly limiting such potential. Vending trucks should not have a problem in locating in a different area still lucrative and business viable, assuming that their price point is, needless to say way more convenient than the more expensive establishment they compete with.
-
By saying bistro 2009 works in the building and eats there all the time, they clearly forgot to add that they do because they work at Bistro Milano. Retarded shill can’t even help putting the word bistro in his/her name.
By the way I work at the building too and truck is quiet as a church mouse.
-
I was just there 5 minutes and the truck was closing up shop. The guy said that Bistro Milano was somehow able to force them to move. There was another midtown luncher there the same exact time. I saw the BM people gleefully watching the sweets truck close.
I saw where the truck is parked. It’s nowhere near the BM. There was actually a huge Utz (or something like that) truck closer to BM than the sweets truck. The sweets truck had no effect on BM.
This sucks. Fuck Bistro Milano. I will never step foot in that place again and I will encourage others to boycott it too. And you can also express your displeasure through ratings…
-
If the Bistro people want to complain about noise, we should give them something to complain about. Maybe we should have a little protest tonight during dinner time. Say 6:30… I wonder what they will think about “the noise” then.
-
chitarraapedali, holy shit you Bistro Milano shills are fucking hilarious!
Why don’t you get back to running your restaurant instead of posting specious diatribes here? You do know that the service at your joint is a little slow right?
I’ve eaten there several times, again I work at 1350, and won’t be doing so again. Why? Because you’re fucking with my options. I want the option to go to the Sweet Treats truck just as much as I want the option to go to your place. Well, as much as USED to want to go your place.
-
6:30 is a little late for a Friday in June. I’ll voice some anger a little earlier though.
-
i stopped by and chatted with the owner also. he said, as zach’s article pointed out, that he has an attachment to silence the muffler on the way.
if this is the biggest concern for BM and Pret then they should just be a little patient. it seems like the SS truck is trying to do everything they can to be good neighbors. and i commend them for that.
also, i had one of their woopie cookies and a coconut macaroon. the woopie cookies was soft and sweet. i decided to be nice and offer the macaroon to my boss.
-
I second “Fuck Bistro Milano.”
I hope this truck does steal all their customers. -
sweet treats has built a better mousetrap. i applaud them.
-
Sorry to report, but I just took a long walk to the truck only to have the owner tell me that they were being forced to close. The window was open, but an employee was in the process of shuttering the mobile foodspot. I told the owner that I had read that the police declared the spot “legal”. He confirmed this, but added that the owners of Bistro Milano placed another call to the authorities and that this time they really had to go. His only advice was to check Twitter for updates because any new spot is undetermined, as far as I can tell. What a terrible disappointment when all I wanted to do was savor my Red Velvet Cupcake in front of BM.
-
@chitarraapedali
hahahaha. You’re dumb. Seriously? That’s like the first person who built a tall building saying, “yo, everyone else, you gotta respect my right for my skyline view. so no one build a taller building. ok?!?!”
this is new york. why don’t you grow up?
the fact is that business with a brick and mortar presence should figure out how to get a truck going. it’s that simple. so what if a few Prets or a few generic coffee carts go out of business? You know, someone else will be willing to move into that space in the building, and if no one else moves in at the given rent rate, then the building will lower the rate until someone rents the space out.
it all works out in the end. what is disgusting is that a brick and mortar business sees the competitive advantage of a food truck, and takes these bush league tactics to try and survive. srsly?
Zach can’t actually say stuff like this because he needs to be as fair and impartial as possible.
But I don’t give a fuck. Let’s all boycott Pret and Bistro Milano.
-
Yep!! I’m boycotting Pret and Bistro Milano!!!
-
I was at the truck today and whatever “noise” coming from it is hardly anything compared to the standard horn honking, yelling cabbies, cell phone yakers and basic drone of NYC. Lame excuse.
-
You all finish work soon….go down there and tell them what twats they are.
Pitch forks and torches!!!
-
LOL Lou…was thinking the same thing.. moaning about noise in manhattan is like paris hilton complaining her tampon won’t stay in.
-
@ all Bistro Milano shills: I have regular client lunches where we do not wish to travel far from the office. Rest assured that Benoit and, when it reopens, La Bonne Soupe will get all my business. I note again, I work in 1350 in an office of 100, most of whom are professionals with direct client relationships, and will be encouraging my colleagues to boycott your establishment unless and until you find a way to work with the truck.
-
I know I should leave well enough alone, but:
@chitarraapedali: “The patrons dining in the patio of Bistro Milano have the right not only to be served within the parameters of the designated patio but also they are entitled to enjoy the surroundings and every other element which makes their experience rewarding.”
ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME? West 55th Street is one of the most highly-traveled crosstown arteries in Midtown! What “elements” of the “surroundings” are the BM patrons unable to “enjoy” because there is a gaily-colored food-service truck parked nearby?
-
@bm2e
That shill is insane. The part where he compares Bistro Milano to an “art piece” and simultaneously claims he is not doing so is hilarious.
They would be better served by just working in their restaurant and not on the internets.
-
@bistro 2009, @chitarraapedali & all other Bistro Milano, Pret shills – I stopped by the Sweets trucks for the first time today and your whining about noise from the truck is absolutely pathetic! Get a grip and a life!!
You may have forced the truck to move, but just remember that Karma is a Bitch & I truly hope you get Bitch Slapped Hard!!
-
All this talk leaves me wondering two things: where do I go to find the buffalo that Rudy is directing us all to, and where is Rhino Penis?
Even more importantly, WWRPD?
(ok, three. Sue me.)
-
I used to wish that Rudy McBagel would just go away, because his comments are always irrelevant and usually unfunny. But I have to give props when props are due:
@Rudy’s last comment: Bravo.
-
To hell with Pret, and double to hell with a restaurant that has outdoor seating on a busy street in Midtown and then complains about traffic noise.
-
Dan L, why thank you.
I found your college thesis ” Living with anal leakage” To be fascinating.
Your Dissapation “Felching: A Guide” was somewhat lacking.
-
Haha!! I love all you fucking morons who immediately believe whatever bullshit that someone writes and take on the cause. Do me a favor take your loser point of view and worthless conviction and jump off a fuckin bridge!! I work in the building and once again you are all wrong and the truth is as follows:
The building which is owned by SLGreen recieved countless requests from offices and apartments to have the sweets truck relocated. It was management that had its fill with the truck’s asshole owners lack of respect and the police issued the guy a summons because, and this is for all you fuckin shills (haha), the guy was in violation because you can’t park a food truck and serve out of it in a metered parking spot. Thats the law and the guy knew it and decided to park there anyway. BM had zero to do with it and backed off because the owner showed a reciept for a muffler that was going to quiet the exhaust. But you idiots keep believing what you want. Nobody cares untill this bullshit is parked infront of their place of buisness with its constant droning noise, spitting biodiesel stench on your customers. Then you care right. Bottom line, trucks like that are to be parked in a lot. But I applaud all your passion. Two for one Kettle One martinis at Bistro Milano rules!!!
-
Wow, I don’t know what the fuck crawled up bistro 2009’s ass? Maybe he’s been gang-banged at his office one too many times or something to that offense. No pity for an office whore like yourself. You go drown yourself in those martinis if it’ll ease the pain of your daily anal-reamings.
The Street Sweets truck was parked near my building last week on 51st/Park and there was no noise or horrendous fumes. Maybe you’re just hearing and smelling your own ass getting torn to shreds!
I don’t know how good that food at Bistro Milano is but I wouldn’t waste a dime on them if they serve losere like you! -
Bistro2009 = D’s older, dumber, and surlier brother?
-
Touchee T.C!! Your whore mother practically drowned in my load after a few of those martinis. Don’t waste the dime, give it to her so the two of us can gut her like a fish tonight!!
-
Wow, lowlife bistro has to drag moms into this nonsense? At least I have a real mom unlike bottomfeeding scum such as yourself. Do yourself a favor and donate your yearly salary to the orphanage that raised your dumbass.
-
Alright… enough of the back and forth. Don’t want to have to close this otherwise interesting thread of useful comments.
-
Ok Guys I really do not care about bistro milano and I certainly do not work there. It is a matter of justice and discussion. You migfht feel different about the issue and the truck has nothing to do with service at bistro Milano. Bottom line: save the “fucking’ profanities, none has insulted your opinions. Obviousely you do not belong in a forum and that is it.
-
[...] seen around parts of Brooklyn is Wafels & Dinges, a Belgian waffle vendor. And another one, Street Sweets, was seen as enough of a threat to nearby restaurants that they’ve done everything from hire [...]
Zach — This post is very interesting and the issue really well presented. Thanks for bringing the issue to our attention.