Tori Sutton
Staff Reporter

Two longtime food vendors are upset council is considering putting their downtown locations up for tender.

At the Feb. 8 council meeting, while sitting as the public works committee, council opted to renew lease agreements with Ken’s French Fries and Mr. Dog for 2010 only, and plans to consider opening up the process.

Currently, Mr. Dog – which sets up in the Memorial Gardens during the summer months – pays $2,000, while Cappleman Enterprises, which operates Ken’s French Fries, pays $2,200 annually for its Market Square location.

The owners of both companies submitted letters to council voicing opposition to the plan.

In a letter dated Feb. 19, Gerry Cappleman, of Ken’s French Fries, said he would not object to the creation of new spots for vendors, but was concerned about his space being leased to others.

“We are a local business and add a local flavour to the downtown,” wrote Cappleman.

“We have been written up numerous times in newspapers and magazines as a great place to get a treat.

“If you talk to customers in line on a Sunday afternoon, you’ll find many have come from out of town to specifically get our fries or make a special stop here on the way to or from the cottage.”

Ken’s French Fries has been around for 57 years and has only had a lease for five of those years. Cappleman – who has owned Ken’s for three decades – noted that the rent was raised and a lease signed five years ago, after the city set what it thought was fair value for the space.

The rent increases annually based on the consumer price index.

“We employ approximately nine people, of which six are full time,” wrote Cappleman. “These jobs are permanent and long term. One of our employees has worked (for Ken’s) for 24 years and several have worked for numerous years.

“Jobs get harder to provide with the Ontario government mandating a 35 per cent wage increase over the last five years.”

Michael McNeil, who has operated Mr. Dog for 20 years, submitted a letter on Feb. 22, in which he said he would close his business if his current location was put up for tender.

“If you don’t want a hot dog stand I will close. If you want multiple hot dog stands I will compete,” wrote McNeil. “If you ask me to bid on the business I created, I am not interested.”

He expressed concern that a new vendor in his spot may not have the same levels of customer service and food safety as he provides, something he fears could reflect on him personally.

“It appears that the main concern you have is that the present set-up is unfair, and that the city generates minimal revenue from Mr. Dog,” he wrote.

“I would encourage council to explore other proposals and options, however, it makes sense to me that you would look at each request individually, rather than open up a tender for what I feel is basically my business.

“That would open the door for businesses with some character and flare instead of strictly filling a spot where Mr. Dog was.”

In the past, there have been inquiries made to city hall by those interested in establishing food carts downtown, but a written request has never been received.