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Insomnia Cookies ceases on-site vending operations
Under ordinance, truck deemed too large for Madison
NIKKI TAYLOR/Herald photo
Insomnia Cookies has been operating illegally in The Towers parking lot.
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Insomnia Cookies has indefinately ceased it’s ground level vending operations according to the downtown alder as its vending truck is considered too large under a Madison city ordinance that limits the size of late night vending vehicles.
While Insomnia Cookies is not operating out of it’s truck, Insomnia Cookies CEO Seth Berkowitz said the company is still operating in a delivery capacity.
According to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, a member of the city’s vending oversight committee, Insomnia Cookies has had long running issues with the city such as the prohibitive size and noise level of its truck and some of the locations at which Insomnia Cookies has attempted to operate its business.
The maximum footprint a vending cart can have on the street is 10 by 12 feet, according to the ordinance. The cookie truck exceeds this footprint.
According to an internal e-mail from Warren Hansen, the city’s vending coordinator, Insomnia does not have a basic vending license for the city.
However, Madison ordinance dictates there is no size restriction in city parks or for special events. Given the upcoming winter weather when the options are limited, Hansen said he does not foresee the business operating in this capacity.
Verveer also said Insomnia Cookies has been moving around from location to location. Insomnia Cookies was recently operating illegally in the parking area at The Towers on State Street.
This action violates city ordinance prohibiting any vending sales occurring on private property, for which no vending license can be issued.
According to Verveer, the city’s building inspector office sent an official notice to The Towers telling them they could no longer have the cookie truck operate on their premises.
Insomnia Cookies has not received any official notice from the city regarding this instance, according to Verveer.
“The bottom line is it’s too large, and you have to abide by the rules,” Verveer said.
Verveer said nothing could prevent Insomnia Cookies from reentering the late-night vending scene and continuing to operate its business, so long as they have an appropriately sized truck and abide by city ordinances.
He also said one possibility is for Insomnia Cookies to operate with a small push vending cart, like seen with the small late night hot dog venders on Francis Street. However, Verveer admitted he did not know the feasibility of this operation given his limited knowledge of how this could work with baking.
Late night vending has recently been in the spotlight of the city, with continuing problems of finding permanent, suitable places for the businesses to operate.
“Overall, I think vending is a nice amenity to have. The problem over the years is finding the right locations. It all comes down to location, location, location,” Verveer said.
In an upcoming special meeting of the vending oversight committee in December, potential solutions and vending issues will be discussed.
One potential idea would be for other locations to be offered as viable vending sights, such as campus locations — including near the Kohl Center and south of University Avenue — that would serve the student population during lunchtime, Verveer said.
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IP hash: d354479b
They would run their motor for hours. The exhaust and carbon monoxide was so poisonous and nobody ever said anything. I’m glad they’re shut down. Businesses that don’t care about the negative affects they have on the greater good should be shut down, large or small.
IP hash: 9bba8b5d
So, how big is the truck? Seems like an important detail. Then again, it’s hardly an important story.
IP hash: 21771a4c
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! i love insomnia
IP hash: b7807e73
How much damage did the exhaust and carbon monoxide do? Who was negatively affected by this? It was in an alleyway, no one on state was affected by this at all.
As for how big the truck is… who cares? So what if its a few feet longer than the other trucks? I don’t see what the problem is.
IP hash: a537258e
Another way that government limits the free enterprise of individuals.
IP hash: 5667d24e
The headline of the web version of this story doesn’t seem to apply to the story as well as the one in print. The story isn’t about them operating illegally, it’s about them ceasing operating because they were operating illegally.
IP hash: 2f45579b
I don’t think pollution has anything to do with the insomnia cookie cart. All other businesses are using natural gas, just because you cant smell them doesn’t mean its not there. What a sham, I can’t believe im getting used to the government taking such reckless control of independent business’s. No one seems to care about the people losing their jobs over a couple feet?
IP hash: 2321edc6
LOl self ownt for operating illegallyz
IP hash: 4388f6b0
Seriously, does no one proofread these articles? “It’s” instead of “its” in the FIRST LINE and “indefinately” instead of “indefinitely”—something SPELLCHECK catches, if you would just run it before submitting.
I realize that articles are written quickly, but really, something that can be found via spellcheck has no excuse remaining in print.
IP hash: 01ea6756
ur gay
IP hash: 326638a5
I agree - these kind of simple and silly proofreading mistakes would never fly in a real newspaper. They don’t even have to aim for WSJ/New York Times-quality - first try meeting the standards of the Wisconsin State Journal or USA Today.
I worked for my campus newspaper back in college (now a grad student) and I’m appalled by the quality of this paper. I frequently wonder what is going on in their newsroom? How do their editors even qualify for the job?
I don’t mean to be harsh, but seriously, these are the kinds of mistakes that make a publication look bad. No other way to put it.
IP hash: 2f45579b
by the way, they still deliver, so if you need your fix www.insomniacookies.com
IP hash: 2f45579b
well they wont allow them to be in any areas, in 05 they forced all vendors to move to state street, and now forcing them away from there? talk about being tossed around by a bunch of big heads
IP hash: 905a1585
where’s francis street?
IP hash: 49951457
The government’s always interfering and preventing the people from eating cookies! Goddammit, a cookie is as american as the apple pie and war…we shouldn’t stand for this! Bring the cookie back!
IP hash: 82586981
I need those cookies.
We should start a petition.
IP hash: 1439fd8a
Internal e-mails? I applaud the reportage, but can we get the same commitment in a boring but actually important story, like, say, that commuter rail line that (pun alert) never seems to get anywhere?
IP hash: 1d0ec198
insomnia cookies at lunchtime?! no way…
IP hash: 326638a5
I miss the cookies (insomniacookies.com isn’t working for me), but I have to say I understand the concerns of the city, especially in terms of the truck parking illegally in the Towers parking lot. Isn’t that where fire trucks pull in for emergencies? They can’t do that if there’s a cookie truck there…