City dwellers might start to see more vendors selling their wares on the streets with the recent implementation of changes to concessionaire policy in East Lansing.
The policy formerly allowed vendors to apply for licenses and to operate in the community every day from 7 a.m. to midnight in specific locations, but only if their wares were not sold already by downtown businesses.
At the East Lansing City Council’s March 15 meeting at City Hall, 410 Abbot Road, council approved a resolution to allow vendors to sell merchandise offered in downtown businesses, said Lori Mullins, East Lansing’s community and economic development administrator.
Mullins said the current policy likely would attract more vendors because of lifted restrictions about what they can or can’t sell.
“(The former policy) eliminated a lot of options for vendors — we’ve taken that language out of the current policy,” Mullins said.
Vendors with approved concessionaire licenses would be able to set up shop at one of three locations in the downtown area — Fountain Square, the corner of Abbot Road and Albert Avenue, and a location east of University Place, Mullins said.
Seth Tompkins, co-owner of What Up, Dawg?, 317 M.A.C. Ave., said having vendors in the downtown would help improve the vitality of the city.
“Street food is important in almost every culture,” he said. “It’s a huge business, and there’s been none in East Lansing.”
Tompkins, who owns a hot dog cart himself, said he doesn’t mind the prospect of competing vendors in the area but said he would be displeased if the current rule for street vendors to close at midnight was changed.
He said he and other business owners in the area who rely on night and weekend business would be affected negatively if vendors on the street were allowed to sell similar products during those times.
Mullins said city officials have heard from some parties interested in operating vending carts, including those who would sell hot dogs, ice cream and sandwiches.
She said giving concessionaires a better opportunity to make their presence known in the community could increase the livelihood of the downtown area.
“It supports the entrepreneurial spirit of the community to have people try out starting a business in that way,” Mullins said.
Vendors in the area likely would be an interesting new option for students looking to purchase items on the go, preveterinary freshman Alexandra Kidd said. Kidd said the presence of concessionaires in downtown East Lansing would offer more things to do for people who frequent the downtown area.
“It’s kind of surprising (because) I didn’t even know it was a possibility,” Kidd said. “I don’t think there would be any negative effects — if anything, it’d bring more attractions to Grand River (Avenue).”
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