‘Ice Creamcycle Dude’ urges city to ease up on vendors
Before James Karagiannis gained local notice as the “Ice Creamcycle Dude,” the North Buffalo entrepreneur feared his toughest task might be finding enough people to buy cold treats from a bike-pedaling vendor.
But building a customer base has been easy compared with navigating Buffalo’s cumbersome permit system, Karagiannis said Thursday.
He has launched a campaign to make it easier for roving vendors to hawk their wares throughout the city without having to obtain multiple permits or face restrictions that prevent vendors from selling similar products in close proximity to other businesses.
Under the current system, people can obtain a peddler’s license for under $50 that lets them sell wares in neighborhoods throughout the city. But downtown is a different story. Vendors must obtain $315 permits from Buffalo Place to sell products in the central business district.
Want to sell stuff in city parks? There’s a separate permit issued by the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy that costs $500 a year, plus 5 percent of monthly sales. The money is used to maintain and improve the parks system.
That’s a lot of fees and red tape for someone who sells fruit bars, Creamsicles and ice cream sandwiches for $1 or $2, Karagiannis lamented. Buffalo needs one universal permit that would give mobile vendors more flexibility, he said.
“The city is your oyster. You should be able to go wherever you want. That’s what we need in Buffalo,” he said.
The city should encourage entrepreneurialism, Karagiannis added.
Now in his third season, he has added two more bikes that are manned by Andrew Schmidt and Matthew Ball. Karagiannis hopes to have five bikes soon, then plans to expand into Rochester.
It’s not unusual for each cyclist to pedal more than 20 miles a day and sell a couple hundred ice cream products, Schmidt and Ball said.
“Everyone who drives or walks by loves us,” Karagiannis said. “We add a color and fabric to the street.”
Thanks to Internet blogs, social networking sites and sidewalk lobbying, Karagiannis has collected more than 1,000 signatures from people urging leaders to make it easier for roving vendors to earn a living.
Mayor Byron W. Brown, who has bought snacks from the “Creamcycle Dude” in the past, called Karagiannis on Wednesday after learning about the controversy. Brown stopped short of promising any changes in permit policies, but he vowed to promote dialogue.
“I’m trying to facilitate a meeting with various parties and this young man so we can look at the issue,” Brown said.
There are currently 55 mobile vendors licensed by the city, including some ice cream trucks and vendors that sell nonfood items. Karagiannis has one of these permits, but it does not give him the right to sell his goods downtown.
Buffalo Place Executive Director Michael Schmand said his entity last year devised a model to deal with mobile vendors that he thought would address Karagiannis’ concerns. But the agreement still had restrictions preventing the ice cream sales from occurring too close to other merchants who have similar products.
“You can’t just forget about the other vendors and the businesses that are paying rent in buildings,” said Schmand.
Regulations also bar downtown vendors from being within 100 feet of special events unless event coordinators have sanctioned their presence.
“You can come in the district, but we can’t encroach on someone else’s turf,” said Debra L. Chernoff, Buffalo Place’s planning manager.
Karagiannis cannot sell ice cream at the Erie Canal Harbor Central Wharf even with a permit, because the company that runs the facility already sells it.
“This is America. Competition shouldn’t be a big thing,” Karagiannis said, adding that spirited competition might even improve the array of products offered.
Karagiannis said he was pleasantly surprised to receive a call from the mayor.
“I really think he’s supportive,” the vendor said. “I just hope some changes are made.”
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