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Hot dog vendor upset he can’t operate in Duncan

City’s current bylaws do not permit food trucks or food carts
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Aaron Eskola, right, owner of the Under Dawgz mobile hot dog business, and investor Matt Kwialkowski are frustrated that the City of Duncan won’t give them a licence to operate. (Robert Barron/Citizen)

Aaron Eskola just wants to operate his hot dog cart in Duncan.

But the single father who is living on disability said government bureaucracy seems to be getting in the way of his making a living to support his family.

Eskola, who is the owner of Under Dawgz, a name he has given his hot dog business, said he has invested approximately $10,000 into the business so far.

He said he applied for a business licence from the City of Duncan about two months ago to set up his mobile hot dog cart on a location on private property at Young’s Auto Detail on Duncan Street, where he has permission from the owner to operate.

Eskola said he was told that the city is currently in the middle of developing draft bylaws that could cover food carts like his, but he would have to wait until those decisions are made and the new bylaws are in place.

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He said he’s frustrated and disappointed that his plans to bring other disabled people into the business and set them up with their own carts in a franchise arrangement have been waylaid.

“They can’t tell me when or if I can have a permit to operate.” he said.

“I have an 11- and a 17-year-old who are relying on me to support them and I’ve been ready to go for months.”

Talitha Soldera, Duncan’s director of finance, said the city’s current bylaws do not permit food trucks or food carts anywhere in Duncan, except in conjunction with the 39 Days of July Summer Festival through special application, the Farmers’ Market on Saturdays and some other special events put on by the Duncan Business Improvement Area.

“As I explained to Mr. Eskola, the city has a draft zoning bylaw which, if approved, may allow for mobile food vending on private property, but until that bylaw is adopted, I can’t provide him with a licence,” Soldera said.

“I did tell him that he should speak with North Cowichan, the Cowichan Valley Regional District and possibly Cowichan Tribes to look for opportunities outside of the city’s boundaries where he could possibly set up. I also suggested he contact the Farmers Market Society to see if they have any openings, and I offered to call him when and if the bylaw changes take effect.”

Soldera added that the city does not provide temporary business licences and, given that Duncan doesn’t currently permit mobile vending, the city does not have the necessary regulations with respect to food carts regarding where they might be permitted, how big they can be and other details.

Eskola said that while other neighbouring jurisdictions may allow food vending, he has a prearranged site already in Duncan where it’s much cheaper for him to operate.

“The city is also saying that food carts like mine are allowed in some situations, so there must be some guidelines already in place for their use,” he said.

“I have too much invested not to continue efforts to operate my cart in the city.”



robert.barron@cowichanvalleycitizen.com

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