CINCINNATI — City leaders have made Over-the-Rhine Cincinnati's newest sidewalk vending district, where food and physical products can be bought and sold outside of brick-and-mortar buildings.
City council voted unanimously last week for the emergency ordinance to dedicate the area roughly between Elm Street and Sycamore Street and Liberty Street and Central Parkway as the city’s sixth sidewalk vending district.
According to city manager Sheryl Long, the emergency ordinance was brought up so “new vendors can apply and begin to operate in the preferred summer and fall months this year.”
Their goal is to allow OTR to receive “the economic and non-economic benefits associated with sidewalk vendors at the earliest possible time.”
It's a welcomed expansion for food truck owner Marvette Walker.
"I got laid off during COVID and I decided that I didn't want to go back to corporate America, I've been cooking my whole life," Walker told WCPO. "I decided to open up a food truck. Cities like Houston, Austin, ... Chicago, New York, like they're setting the trends for food trucks and I'm happy to see that Cincinnati is taking more of an interest of the small business owners and giving them those opportunities because it's very much needed."
While conducting business on Cincinnati sidewalks has been Walker's bread and butter the past few years, operating her Fat Katz food truck has come with its challenges.
"The cost of food is going up," Walker said. "It's slow right now. All of my food truck partners are going through it."
Kevin Hassey, OTR Community Council president, said they welcome the growth, but Hassey hopes officials can properly regulate potentially more foot traffic in an already busy part of town.
"It's here, it's done," Hassey said. "But is it a good thing? Bad thing? I hope it's a good thing."
For Walker, the expansion presents more options, but there's still a need for more visibility: "Marketing, letting people know they are starting this process."
Here is a list of the other sidewalk vending districts in the city:
- Short Vine Vending District
- University Hospital Vending District
- Liberty/Dalton Street Vending District
- FC Cincinnati Vending District
- Downtown Vending District
To apply, you can contact the city.
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