Nosy Neighbor: Why is there another food truck in Bogardus Plaza?

June 23, 2026 Parks, Restaurant/Bar News

This is my own Nosy Neighbor, and I first asked the Friends of Bogardus about it: “Why is there a new food truck in Bogardus Plaza? Isn’t that competing with the concession that the Department of Transportation built to support the plaza? They are right next to each other!”

The Friends is mystified as well, so I got in touch with the Department of Health, which regulates food trucks. They said there are no rules that specifically prohibit a mobile vendor from setting up near a DOT concession. But it sure doesn’t make sense — at least not if the concessionaire hopes to have any luck there.

The DOT said they have not received any complaints, but they did inspect the truck and noted that it was vending less than 10 feet from the crosswalk. The vendor corrected the violation after being served the summons.

(They also issued three summonses to another food cart in the immediate area, one each for vending less than 10 feet from crosswalk, vending less than 20 feet from an subway entrance/exit, and vending from a bus stop.)

Here are some other rules:

  • Food vending is prohibited on several streets across the city, and you can see a map of those streets here. (In short, Tribeca is fair game.)
  • Pushcarts must be on a sidewalk that is at least 12 feet wide.
  • Unit must be within 6-12 inches of the curb.
  • Unit must be at least 10 feet from any crosswalk, driveway or subway entrance/exit.
  • Unit must be at least 20 feet from a building’s entrance or exit.
  • Unit may not be in a bus stop or hospital “No Standing” zone.
 
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2 Comments

  1. Jay
    June 23, 2026 • 1:02 pm

    I feel I’m as concerned for our fellow “man” as I can be – I also hear the complaints of how retail “can’t make it”, or “the streets are dirty”, “why can’t our public spaces be kept up.”

    Bogardus Plaza spends our donations, and funds they receive in rent from their vendor, to maintain the plaza for us – chairs and tables, flowers, trash removal. They hold events for us and our children – dog shows, concerts, etc. Yet there are two carts just outside the plaza – who do not pay rent, take customers away from the retail stores, leave trash for the sanitation department to pick up (free for them), etc., etc. Yet no action from our community representatives, or outcry from us.

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  2. Jay
    June 23, 2026 • 5:06 pm

    I’m all for the struggling folks in our City trying to get by and raise their families up the economic ladder. But these vendors pay no rent (except a nominal license fee – which I’m sure the current administration wants to eliminate), no trash fees – as they leave their daily refuse in the nearest public container, and maybe taxes. Yet our retail establishments suffer. The cookie stores, Zucker’s Bagels, etc. etc. AND Bogardus Plaza suffers. A large source of their income is jeopardized – the kiosk pays rent and trash pick fees. Bogardus provides a great service to our community – tables and chairs for an afternoon break, flowers in their garden, a clean plaza, not to mention the concerts AND the Dog Show. So where are our elected representatives, our collective “outrage”?

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