According to an article in the Wisconsin State Journal, Madison is considering requiring all food cart vendors to offer “vegetarian menu items.” Madison currently licenses 48 food carts, many of which set up shop on or near Capitol Square to cater to the large number of people who work in that immediate vicinity.
We certainly agree with Madison “vending coordinator” Warren Hansen that it’s probably a good business decision to include vegetarian options on most menus. But we don’t think government should be limiting the freedom of food cart vendors by mandating any particular menu items. Let business owners choose what products they want to offer. As one commenter to the article points out, should vendors who are vegetarian-only be required to offer a meat option?
Also noted in the article, Madison hires 20 people to go around and give ratings to food carts based on food, apparatus, and originality. And they are considering adding a “green” rating category. Yes, Madison has food police.
If you want to tell Madison just what you think of these proposals there will be a meeting of the Vending Oversight Committee (of course there’s a committee) at 5 p.m. Wednesday in Room 313 of the Madison Municipal Building, 215 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.