The Kicking Horse Country Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a “Let’s do Coffee-Golden Café” event at the Bugaboo Cafe in the Kicking Horse River Lodge on October 30. The event will be starting at 8 and running until 9:30 a.m. There will be coffee and muffins.
The topic for the event will be dealing with mobile vendors in Golden.
“Mobile vendors are extremely popular in other communities and at this time there is no policy in place in the Town of Golden licensing to govern mobile vendors,” said Manager of the Chamber Ruth Hamilton. “There is a business opportunity for entrepreneurs to become retail and specialized food mobile venders in the community but we need to ensure it is on a ‘level playing field’ with the existing business community. Recognizing this, the Town of Golden has approached the Chamber to help garner the input of the business community and ensure an inclusive community discussion about this matter.”
Hamilton shared some of the positive and negative aspects which you may have heard surrounding this topic.
She explained that on the positive side mobile vendors could lead to more animation of events, street fairs and be a tourism attraction. She added there could be additional business opportunities for entrepreneurs which are very popular in other communities, and that this type of business could provide late night food eateries in Golden.
On the negative side of the issue Hamilton said, “without strong guide lines of fees, locations, times, it could be perceived as unfair competition to ‘brick & mortar’ businesses in the community because they will not have the same costs associated with established businesses who pay property taxes, water, and sewer.”
The event is a joint initiative of the Town of Golden, Kicking Horse Country Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Golden and Golden Area Initiatives with a goal to participate in a universal discussion about this business segment in the community.
“The Kicking Horse Country Chamber of Commerce represents over 200 varied businesses in the community, and on topics of importance like the mobile vending licensing, we need to hear from the membership to give a fair representation of all businesses,” Hamilton said.
As for why it would be beneficial for people to come out to the event Hamilton said, “The Town of Golden has given the Kicking Horse Country Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Golden memberships and Golden Area Initiatives an opportunity to give guidance and feedback on an issue before a policy is drafted.”
She added that the “Golden Café” will be small group round table discussions based on four questions supplied by the participating organizations.
“These deliberations will be documented and presented to the Town of Golden. Participating and voicing your views at the ‘Golden Café’ may possibly influence the style, the locations, frequencies of parking, the license fees and hours of operation for the mobile venders licensing.”
