First it was hot dogs. Today, (Sept. 6) fresh cut flower sales start. And soon another food outlet will plunk down temporary roots on the corner of No. 3 Road and Westminster Highway.
Spots in the city's street vending pilot project are filling up as the Richmond Hospice Society is scheduled to set out its long-awaited flower stand. And a second food cart is expected in the near future.
City of Richmond spokesman Ted Townsend said the total of three street vendors is not a disappointment given the project - which kicked off earlier this summer - is just a trial.
"We knew we were not going to be inundated with requests," said Townsend, who added a second request for interest issued about a month ago attracted two more businesses, one of which dropped out of the program, leaving just one new vendor.
"We would have loved to have gotten more (applicants). But this is a small, pilot project. We are talking about trying to find vendors for three specific street corners. It's the first time out of the box on top of this.
And we're happy with the way things are going."
Exactly what type of food the third vendor will offer and where it will set up shop street-side is not being disclosed yet, Townsend said.
"We're still working out the details," he said.
But all the details for the Richmond Hospice Association's flower stand have been covered and each Friday starting at 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. there will be bunches of locally sourced flowers for sale.
Sales will run until Thanksgiving, taking a break for the bad winter weather, and then returning on Valentine's Day next February.
"This is something we've had in the works for the past four years," said Pat Miller, the association's executive director, adding a survey conducted this past month showed good consumer demand for flowers in the area.
The stand will be located on the sidewalk of the south west corner of the intersection facing east, sharing the area with Japadog - the program's first street vendor which started sales earlier this summer - which fronts Westminster Highway.
