By Gage Miskimen
Contracts for food carts in downtown Iowa City are up for renewal.
Up to six permits are given to food vendors for a space on the Pedestrian Mall as well as the 100 block of Iowa Avenue. These contracts give the cart owners a right to that space for three years.
Iowa City Assistant City Manager Geoff Fruin said that typically, the city gets more applications than permits it has space to offer.
“We expect it to be competitive,” he said. “It recognizes from the business standpoint there is a commitment vendors have to make with their carts. It’s a longstanding practice Iowa City has, and right now, it’s going through renewal.”
Jann Ream, the code-enforcement specialist for Iowa City in the Neighborhood Development and Services Department, said the city has five active vendors and their contracts are set to expire in April.
Three out of the five have reapplied so far, but the application period doesn’t close until Jan. 31. She said she anticipates all of the previous vendors to reapply.
She added that so far, no new vendors have applied.
“In the past, there’s usually been two or three more applications than spots open, so we’ve had to make a decision,” she said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen this year.”
Ream said she hopes to see competition pick up during the application process.
“[Competition’s] always good,” she said. “It makes everyone better and makes people present themselves in a better light.”
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Ream said the original concept for the food carts in Iowa City was to bring a better ambiance and service to the general public.
Currently, Thursday night through Sunday mornings are the most successful hours for food carts downtown. Ream said she would like to see more activity during daytime hours and throughout the week.
“I don’t think it meets the original intentions as it has evolved,” she said. “Most of the presence is late-night, so the general population doesn’t get much of a presence. Operators say it’s difficult to make money during the day, and at night, it’s just easier to make money. Some vendors make an effort to be out there around lunchtime, though.”
Nancy Bird, the executive director of the Downtown District, said revisiting the standards and opening the door for new operators through the application process is helpful and important.
“Having quality and consistent mobile cart vendors downtown helps set the experience for many who enjoy the Pedestrian Mall,” she said.
Ream said she encourages vendors, especially those who would operate in the daytime, to apply for a permit. Applicants will be notified of their application status during the month of March and will be allowed to start operation May 1.
