Grab Your Popcorn and Learn How to Avoid Amarillo Drama
At least it is probably reassuring to know that drama is all around us. We try to avoid it as much as possible. Then there are times you just want to grab your popcorn and enjoy the show.
That is how I felt when I was following along with some drama happening around us. There was a whole lot going on in the location of 34th and Osage. You know where there is an M&R Liquor and now a La Bella's Pizza.
From what I was following along with this was also a great location for food trucks in Amarillo. I mean it makes sense. There is a liquor store and you will want to bring home some food as well. So it is a smart move.
I talked with Charles Leard owner of M&R Liquor and he told me the food trucks were just supposed to be temporary:
When I bought this corner, and we started building and got all that worked out, I said at the time, because someone came and asked (about having food trucks) and I said, okay, yeah, we'll do food trucks, but only for a limited amount of time. Because once I get businesses open up here, we're just not gonna have the room. You're not gonna be able to do it. So I said, I won't charge anybody anything. Just come out and it's fine until we get all the businesses open.
Then La Bella's moved in. I thought at first maybe the issue was a little competition if that was it I understand because let's face it, they were the ones paying rent to be a business there. So they were totally in the right. That was not the issue.
I talked to La Bella's owner, Brandon Long, and he assured me he was not worried about the food competition at all. In fact, he is a fan of the food trucks:
I like all these food trucks. We ate here the whole time we were doing construction.
The issue was more or less safety and room:
The problem is all the people and there's no organized parking. So it's really hard to get in and out of this parking lot. And even Great Clips were having issues. Their customers are having to park way over here and walk over to their place.
That is when the food truck owners were told they needed to find a new location. That is when it went to social media and you know how that goes. It becomes a whole bigger issue. Nobody was happy even though them being at 34th and Osage was supposed to only be temporary. But that was not the end of it.
Just to put this out there. You know how drama goes when it hits social media. The drama was never between the property owner, La Bella's, or the food truck owners. The drama sort of blew up a bit from the people in the community.
There was a way to work it all out. Charles Leard went back to the drawing board.
I talked to the tenants here and we figured out that we can do two food trucks over here over in the far corner. And just so we stay out of each other's way. And then next to me there is a lot but he is going to be building soon. But until then, it's gonna kind of go back and forth. Again, what's gonna be available there because once he starts doing dirt work and laying concrete, it will change, you know? So, for a while, they'll be able to go over there and do as many food trucks as they want to go. So, that's kind of how it came about. It was, like I said, anything on social media just gets kind of blown out of proportion.
The land owner and tenants came together for the better of the community. Everyone decided to just make it work.
The agreement was that two food trucks could then park in the 34th and Osage parking lot and up to eight could park behind M&R Liquor. So plenty of room for plenty of food. The agreement included daily and weekly rates to park at the location. So that fixed the issue with who was paying rent.
Each food truck would have to make sure they had the receipt that they paid and their letter of permission. I am glad it all worked out. I am glad that the drama there ended. Now on to the next show.
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