Street food vendors who didn't win one of 17 coveted spots in the city's lottery wish the city had a more rigorous application and selection process. They also hope the city will allow them to operate on private property in the near future.

Jenn Willoughby is grateful the city's allowing a broader array of food than hot dogs to be sold on city streets, but the frustration in her voice is unmistakable. Willoughby and Dana Whaley's fledgling Off the Wagon taco trailer didn't win one of the sidewalk and curbside spots.

"We didn't have our hopes and dreams pinned on it, by any means, so we weren't really disappointed in not winning the lottery, we were just disappointed in how the lottery was conducted," said Willoughby, who appeared with Whaley on the cover of the Courier in April.

The two young entrepreneurs spent more than a year and upward of $50,000 outfitting a food trailer and a truck to haul it.

The city picked 17 winners and 17 alternates from a barrel of 815 applications submitted by 400 different applicants, some applying for more than one location, July 9. Vendors are expected to begin operating by July 31 with approval from Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) and proper insurance.

Key application requirements were picture identification and a non-refundable $50 fee. Willoughby argues the city should have considered applicants' concepts, business plans, and whether they even had a vending cart, to ensure a diversity of fare and prepared vendors for its pilot program.

But the city, which expected 50 to 100 applications for 17 spots, believed it could leave diversity to chance, said Grant Woff, acting manager of streets administration in the city's engineering department.

Dim sum, burrito, southern barbecue, pizza, Korean and Japanese food vendors were among those who won the mostly downtown spots.

Jason Apple, director of the Roaming Dragon pan-Asian food truck and Gourmet Syndicate, a company set up to help others start street vending operations, says the vendors it's received calls from prior to the lottery weren't the lucky ones. "We've been fielding a lot of phone calls from people who have applied for the lottery or are looking at getting into street food and I don't know that they know what they're getting into," he said.

Ideally, Apple said, the next phase of the program would see vendors setting up on private property, such as unused parking lots, where landlords would charge more than $1,100 a year--the street food vending permit cost from the city--so only "serious players" would apply.

The city is exploring the idea, which would require a bylaw change.

Apple and Jory Simkin's slick red truck could end up slinging pan-Asian fare developed by chef Don Letendre at a curbside location as their uncle won an alternate spot. Roaming Dragon has been operating at the Richmond night market since June 11 and Apple said its business plan includes catering and special events.

Willoughby and Whaley are still looking to rent hours in a commercial kitchen so Off the Wagon can get approval from VCH to serve at festivals and events, even though Willoughby said the company's trailer can operate as a full commercial kitchen. They had secured a kitchen but the deal fell through.

crossi@vancourier.com