We're the only Cal Anderson vendor this summer, Wandering Wieners says

One of my favorite CHS discussions ever stemmed from our recent posting about the debut of Wandering Wieners in Cal Anderson Park.

With Capitol Hill's still-not-fully-met desire for more affordable, down to earth food options as backdrop, neighbor Scott S asked some tough questions:

I'm not sure how I feel about food vendor(s) in the park. What is the park department's plan? Only one vendor? What was the selection criteria? What other vendors were considered and, possibly, rejected? And what will this do to the trash in the park?

I'm following up with Seattle Parks to ask more about this process but, in the meantime, looks like we've heard directly from one of WW's owners.

Here's what WW had to say:

As one of the owners of Wandering Wieners, I just want to let everyone know how excited we are to be welcomed into the Capital Hill [sic] community. We also appreciate every bit of input that we receive, good and bad, and we invite anyone to let us know how we are doing! We are all familiar with the amazing people that live and work here and that's why we were thrilled to find out that Cal Anderson was still available for the summer permit contract.

I assure you, there is a process to follow with the Parks Department each year, and they only allow one vendor to work in each of the larger parks in Seattle. We do not know if there were other vendors "rejected" in the application process, but we do know that we are honored to enjoy the park, the sun, and the people this summer.

We take pride in our business and the neighborhood, working hard to maintain a friendly, fun, yet professional atmosphere. We take walks around the park, and if we see any of "our" trash, we'll pick it up. We understand how much work has gone into making Cal Anderson one of the best parks in Seattle (we all lived here when it wasn't so great), and we will work hard to keep it that way!

We hope to see you soon! Please, come enjoy a hot dog and the beautiful park!

Scott, if you're out there, can I buy you a hot dog now? I liked your question (yeah, a few people didn't) and I like hot dogs. Let me know when you're free. In the meantime, Wandering Wieners is on Facebook (of course they are!).