Houston Food Trucks

United We Roll

I tried to leave comments on this post, "Let's keep the regulations on food trucks in the city", yesterday, but I have yet to receive my email confirmation allowing me to leave a comment.

Instead, I'll blog about it :)

In reply to the above post with some information taken from the blog post titled, "Terrorist Attacks, Drugs and Danger: Why City Council Doesn't Want Food Trucks Downtown", and some common sense.

These are the 4, yes only FOUR, things food trucks are asking for:

• Allow food trucks with propane tanks to operate downtown and in the Medical Center, as long as those propane tanks are less than 40 pounds.
• Eliminate the minimum required space between food trucks, allowing them to park closer than 60 feet away from each other (remember how obnoxious it was to have so many food trucks spread out at Haute Wheels?).
• Require that four or more food trucks parked in close proximity to one another have a fire safety officer on hand, for propane safety reasons.
• Allow food trucks to provide three tables and six chairs outside of their units, as long as the seating is removed before the truck leaves.

Everything in quotes below is directly from the article "Let's keep the regulations on food trucks in the city" linked above.

"This code requires that food trucks not park within 60 feet of each other and that a member of the fire department be on site."

Why is this needed?
Supposedly because of the propane tanks. Walk to some of the restaurants with a patio downtown and I guarantee you'll find an outside heater that runs on those very same propane tanks. Usually several on a patio and certainly closer than 60 feet. Ridiculous.

"The city of Houston has two inspectors and one supervisor for these 939 units. Many of these trucks operate around the clock or during off hours, while the inspectors primarily work normal business hours. With only two inspectors, it is not possible for the city to enforce the existing regulations, much less loosened regulations."

How is this different than a regular restaurant again? Ever been to a 24 hour diner?
In addition, there are actually more inspectors per food truck than there are inspectors per restaurant: The ratio is 313 to 1 for food trucks and 413 to 1 for restaurants.

"The existing regulations adequately protect consumers while allowing the trucks to thrive."

Here Coachman pretends to be concerned about the consumer. Coachman, who's Coachman? Oh he's the president of the Greater Houston Restaurant Association. Well no wonder he doesn't want to change the regulations. The food trucks are supposedly direct competition.

The 4 things requested from the Food Trucks all seem reasonable to me. The reasons City Council have rejected them are weak and OBVIOUSLY opinions from their favorite lobbyists.

Please support our Food Trucks and sign this petition. Follow along on twitter -  https://twitter.com/MFUHouston and/or Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MFUHouston'

Thanks!!!

LinkedIn Today - Jan 26 2012

This is the LinkedIn Today. It is an email I get about once a week that contains trending and helpful articles and topics. Here is my summary and semi-analysis of some of the articles.

If You're An Average Worker, You're Going Straight To The Bottom

Seth Godin talks about the death of the Industrial Age and the average worker. 

I've read two of his books, Tribes and Linchpin. I connected with Linchpin more as it spoke to the individual. It highlighted various linchpins in various industries, how to recognize linchpins, and also suggests ways you can become a linchpin (if you're not already). Both of these books are a good read and both speak on the transition from the Industrial Age to the Technological Age and how it affects both the employee and employer.

Why Your Culture is Way More Important Than Your Strategy

An excellent read on why a culture should be nurtured, it's purpose, and most importantly how to create and maintain a successful culture. 

The culture of your company should be based on the company's mission. Do you know what your company's mission is? What is your company's purpose and value system? 

"Think about the Marines: the few, the proud. They have a connected community that is second to none, and it comes from the early indoctrination of every member of the Corps and the clear communication of their purpose and value system. It is completely clear that they are privileged to be joining an elite community that is committed to improvising, adapting, and overcoming in the face of any adversity." 

Why Being a Nicer Boss is a Smart Business Move 

An article about "Why Appreciation Matters So Much". I think the only thing missing in this article is that it should go both ways, not just supervisor to employee but the other way around too. 

"The single highest driver of engagement, according to a worldwide study conducted by Towers Watson, is whether or not workers feel their managers are genuinely interested in their wellbeing. Less than 40 percent of workers felt so engaged." 

"Feeling genuinely appreciated lifts people up. At the most basic level, it makes us feel safe, which is what frees us to do our best work. It's also energizing. When our value feels at risk, as it so often does, that worry becomes preoccupying, which drains and diverts our energy from creating value."