By Dan Murphy
A plan to bring a number of Food Truck’s into the Town of Yorktown has been met with opposition, and a petition is circulating and has been signed by several hundred Yorktown residents who want to support and preserve the restaurants and dining establishments that have survived COVID, and are still in business.
Several restaurants including the Yorktown Diner and Maria’s Pizza, and other food establishments like 7-Eleven and local delis, started the petition and are are opposed to adding any food trucks to town. At least five food trucks are already in business in town; next to Town Hall, next to the town track -old 6th grade school, and three at the JV Mall.
Both the Yorktown Diner and Maria’s Pizza are dining landmarks in town. New residents, and those of us who grew up in Yorktown enjoy having these longtime businesses around and are happy to support them with our business. But after a year of COVID, both business are worried that a number of food trucks in and around town will hurt their longtime dining landmarks.
The petition reads—In Opposition to Licensing Food Truck Vendors in the Town of Yorktown
We the undersigned, hereby state our opposition to allowing the issuance of permits or otherwise licensing food truck vendors from operating within the Town of Yorktown. The practice of permitting or licensing food truck vendors is detrimental to both the established tax paying food establishments, the appearance of the community and ultimately the Yorktown taxpayers. The tax paying food establishments have already suffered significant damage from the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, and will suffer further damage from food truck vendors who would siphon off customers from an already diminished customer base. Should the said food establishments be compelled to shutter their doors and not be in existence once the pandemic and its restrictions have passed on, this could result in diminished services and lost tax revenues to the detriment of the Town and Yorktown tax payers. Further, such food trucks would bring about more litter on the streets of Yorktown. For the foregoing reasons, we, the undersigned, hereby request that actions be taken to prohibit the issuance of such permits and licenses and the repeal of any laws and regulations would allow the issuance of such licenses and permits for food truck vendors to operate within the Town of Yorktown.
Nick Karkambasis, owner of the Yorktown Diner, said, “I have 35 employees and pay more than $50,000 in taxes per year. The Town should be working to protect small businesses who made it through the last year. Bringing in more food trucks will hurt my business and others in town. We have joined together to collect signatures and make the residents in town and our loyal customers to become aware of this.”
Like many businesses and most restaurants, 2020 was a horrible year for the Yorktown Diner. “Last year we were basically closed for 4 months and only had takeout. We tried to stay open so that our workers didn’t have to go on unemployment, and to stay open for our loyal customers. I think to have to go through COVID and now have to fight against Food Truck is ridiculous,” said Karkambasis. “We stayed open during the Hurricanes, and we thank our loyal customers who have supported us all of this year with take out. This is not Manhattan, this is about a local business fighting to survive.”
Karkambasis bought the Yorktown Diner in 1995. For those of us who grew up and lived in Yorktown in the 1980’s, the Yorktown Diner is a landmark, and we are happy to see it open and continuing to serve great food and hospitality.
Nick said that he was also disappointed in the lack of support—no support coming from the Yorktown Chamber of Commerce. “I was a member but I won’t be renewing. They should be protecting me.”
Last year, the Town Board passed a resolution to begin a pilot program with Best Food Trucks, the nation’s largest food truck booking and ordering platform. This is the companies first foray into Westchester.
Current or possible locations include on Front Street, at Sparkle Lake and at Railroad Park. Karkambasis said that there is already a food truck on Front Street near the diner a concession stand next to the old Yorktown Railroad and railcar also near the diner. He asked Yorktown residents to come to the Diner and sign his petition, and let Town officials know that they want taxpayers like the Yorktown Diner to stay in business.
