A Vancouver food truck is staying put after an application for a scooter station in its regular parking spot was retracted on Thursday, Jan. 30.
Within hours of posting a plea on social media, Thank You Pizza said Lime reached out to explain it had been "bombarded" with emails in support of the small business and are now looking for other options.
Owner Devon Towler stated in an Instagram video that Lime had been approved for a scooter station where Thank You Pizza's vehicle is parked — outside Hunnybee Bruncheonette at 789 Gore Ave.
In a follow-up video, Towler said Lime rescinded its application.
"I can't believe you guys did that...really, really appreciate and love everyone," he said.
"Again, not making this, like, an attack on Lime. I'm going to subscribe to their premium service. You'll see me ripping around all summer long on those [scooters]."
A Lime spokesperson confirmed in an email to V.I.A. that there was "never a done deal" on the station application and the company was still vying for community input.
Sonia Kandola, director of government relations at Lime, said connecting with Vancouver small businesses and the general public is part of its long-term goal to operate and expand on its 27 scooter stations.
"We conduct thorough community outreach before selecting any parking station location and feedback like this is exactly why we do so," she said.
"Since our initial engagement in this area, new information has come to light that was not previously shared with us and we are working with Thank You Pizza and the City to find an appropriate solution that works for everyone.”
Suggested spaces for scooter station
Thank You Pizza's first video was posted in the early afternoon on Thursday. The update video was published almost four hours — and hundreds of emails — later.
Towler's original video suggested that Lime could use the motorcycle parking area across the street along Gore Avenue "that no one uses," or another space halfway up the block by the city's bike share program.
Lime said the city deemed those spots as unacceptable and unsafe. The suggested Gore Avenue and Union Street location is also becoming a fire hall.
"We will keep working to find an appropriate solution," the company added in its statement.
Towler specified he had no quarrel with Lime as a whole, but simply wanted to know why Thank You Pizza's spot was the only one in the local vicinity that was considered for the scooter station.
While he understood the parking spot doesn't belong to the food truck, he explained the space is crucial to ensure the business runs smoothly.
"I understand that this is just a regular spot that anyone has the right to park in," Towler remarked.
"We run power from the [Hunnybee] restaurant and we need it for the truck....'Why not just park on Gore Street?' That doesn't really work either. The truck blows smoke out the top and then goes into Ceramic Studio and we just can't have that."
Thank You Pizza serves up sourdough wood-fired pizza, wine and beer, in-person and by delivery, Wednesdays to Saturdays from 5 to 9:30 p.m.
