Toronto food trucker Zane Caplansky: “People who go in parks are unemployed people”
Toronto food trucker Zane Caplansky: “People who go in parks are unemployed people”
—Zane Caplansky, the outspoken deli owner and food trucker, explaining to the Star why last summer’s attempt to turn Toronto parks into food truck hubs wasn’t successful. Caplansky is one of several food truck owners refusing to pay an equal share of the $50,000 fee owed to the city as a result of the pilot program (Caplansky says he only participated in the program for a few days). According to the Star, organizer Suresh Doss and his website Spotlight Toronto are on the hook for the outstanding $36,000 debt.
Sounds like Caplansky is a really classy guy.
There are so many variables as to why it may not have been a hit. Marketing, food quality, hours of operation….but yeah – blame the people.
Get over yourself Caplansky. Just because it wasn’t as lucrative for yourself, doesn’t mean you can opt out of paying. Real world doesn’t work like that. Parks aren’t as bad as you are making them out either. Nice to generalize park goers too jackass.
Why did the participants not have to pay money up front? I was in Caplansky’s Deli on the weekend. It didn’t live up to the hype.
That’s right. Unemployed people are to blame for everthing, aren’t they?y
Time to boycott Caplansky.
Yeah, he’s outspoken again but you guys are getting distracted by the ranting nature of the quote and forgetting that the city of Toronto, again, when given an opportunity to be part of something they could help be successful, chooses to make it impossible to be successful. Why does this city drown every opportunity and make sure that nothing can succeed when it comes to things like this?
If I remember, the City decided 2 Food Trucks could be stationed at 5 parks from Aug 1st 2013 to Oct 1st 2013. Apparantly the City wanted a $50K fee for this. Mathematically that’s around $400 a day for each truck. My guess is Caplansky’s tried it out for a few days and it sucked, not enough sales. Looks like the City still wants to collect even if the trucks were not making any sales? Guess it was not a pilot project per se, but a cash grab for the city?
Who knows…But sure if the trucks were there. selling, they owe fee’s, but if they were not, should they still pay a fee? Just asking…
And the city isn’t to blame for the multi-year multi-‘new plan’ failure of something as simple as food trucks. It’s funny how something can be SO successful in so many cities but not in the “world class city” of Toronto. Maybe the city could focus more on the bike rental business and less on the food truck business they seem to want to kill. It’s funny that the only truly effective area of city government is the one that extracts and collects money from citizens and taxpayers. Everything else is a jumbled mess of bureaucracy and red tape and problems and dead ends… but not the money collecting departments. They run smooth as silk.
Ever think that the quality of the product from the trucks themselves might be the problem?? Everyone wants to blame the city. If the trucks produce a mediocre product, people will try it once and that’s it, onto the next okay truck and so on. Not saying all are not good but it’s like restaurants, not everyone on the street will be good or even great for that matter. And when 1 is shit, most will associate that with the rest.
So what you’re saying is they ALL have to be good? Your quote: “when 1 is shit, most will associate that with the rest.”. You’re saying that ‘most people’ aren’t smart enough to figure out that not ALL of the food trucks might be of the same quality? Wow, what a high opinion you have of Torontonians. The answer to your question: Yes, I considered the quality might be the problem but the fact is, I’ve never had anything bad. Sure, I’m more discerning and know that certain ones aren’t going to be as ambitious as others. But really, honestly “me”…. are you trying to say it’s more about the quality of the food from the trucks than it is the obscene amount of money and ridiculous series of hoops that they have to jump through for the city, and then the inane and convoluted rules they have to follow. “Don’t be near a restaurant-even if it’s closed, don’t be near a school where an overweight kid might overeat, make sure your truck is always facing Mecca…”
I previously had respect for Caplansky concerning his stance against the bureaucrats in city hall. His comment about the kind of people who hang out in parks does not offend me.
What offends me is his narcississtic belief that since his part in a venture wasn’t profitable, he shouldn’t have to pay his share. That is not the behaviour of an entrepreneur, that is the behaviour of a spoiled child.
Imagine if one of the patrons at Caplansky’s restaurant claimed his dish was ‘too salty and not hot enough’ and refused to pay? What do you think would happen?
Exactly…Caplansky would likely be besides himself with rage and call the police.
Business is just as much about losing as it is succeeding, Mr. Caplansky. Now be a man and pay your share.
Caplansky’s is a pretty bad place to eat – save the dough and get some real smoked meat.
And – that guy is pretty douche for welshing –