Hot dog vendors won’t be selling their goods when Bay Street closes for Super Bowl weekend. Vendors have to clear the area by 5 p.m. Friday unless they purchased the $3,000 licensing fee so they can work in designated areas for Super Bowl weekend.
“I’m happy we’ve got the Super Bowl coming to Jacksonville,” said Evander Collier, a hot dog vendor that works on Bay and Market streets “It will boost our economy, it’s good for business, and good for the city of Jacksonville and the state of Florida.”
Collier took two weeks off his bailiff job at the county courthouse to run his vendor operation. He expects a lot of business and is trying to find out where he can stage his area outside the blocked-off zones.
Some vendors in the area will be relocating to designated SuperFest vendor spots in the city if they purchased the permit starting at $3,000. Those who stay in the area without a special permit can be fined.
Vendors can also set up operations on private property outside zoning areas, but some managers of those properties are asking up to 40 percent of the vendor’s profits.
That is why hot dog vendor Michelle Young won’t be setting up her business for the weekend. She figures that it’s a lose-lose situation, sharing profits with private property owners or paying the licensing fee which also contends that vendors comply with specific regulations such as uniform tents.
Young planned on renting out one of her vending stands to a casino boat, but that deal may fall through because she is unclear whether the ship will be allowed to be in the area during the Super Bowl.
“I’m really excited about the Super Bowl in Jacksonville,” Collier said. “I hope Jacksonville residents will continue to keep the city beautiful because Jacksonville is a beautiful city.”
-by Carrie Resch