Ralphs Grocery Co. has filed new court papers formally seeking a preliminary injunction against multiple food truck operators who the grocer maintains are creating a nuisance with congestion, trash generation and rudeness by their customers to Ralphs employees at the Pacific Palisades store.
The filing Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court comes in the wake of a lawsuit brought Dec. 11 against Gracias Senor Los Angeles, Glenda’s Catering, Rocky’s Tacos and the other vendors.
“The illegal food vendors turn Ralphs family grocery store into a food bedlam,” the new Ralph’s court papers state. “Over the past months and increasingly since October … illegal food vendors abuse Ralphs facilities and parking lot, siphoning business and creating disruptive and dangerous situations.”
The grocery store is asking Judge Richard L. Fruin to prevent the food trucks from entering the premises owned, operated or controlled by Ralphs located at 15120 Sunset Blvd., including sidewalks and parking areas, and from coming within 200 feet of the location for conducting business. A hearing is scheduled Jan. 24.
In a sworn declaration, Karlyn Takahara, manager of the Ralph’s store, says she has seen many disputes between customers of the vendors, including construction workers who drive large vehicles to the location to buy food from the trucks. In one case, one construction driver attacked another with a lead pipe, but the vendors did nothing and the police did not respond until about 90 minute later, according to Takahara, who further says other vendor customers diffused the situation.
Takahara further says she has gotten no cooperation from the city and that the LAPD told her they would not respond because the City Council supports small businesses, “especially those run by immigrants.”
“I believe the refusal of the police to remove illegal food vendors emboldens them,” Takahara says. “Illegal food vendors and their customers have become increasingly hostile to my employees and believe the refusal of the police to remove illegal food vendors emboldens them.”
A parking enforcement officer who responded to the scene issued no citations and took food from one of the vendors, according to Takahara.
Due to the vendors’ rude patrons, many of the Allied Security guards contracted to work at the Ralphs store have left and Takahara has had to replace nine of them in the past two years, she says.
All of the seven vendors have parked for business on Sunset Boulevard between La Cruz Drive and Carey Street and Alma Real Drive between Toyopa Drive and La Cruz Drive, according to the suit, which further states that the problem began in August.
The trucks inhibit the view of Ralphs customers and employees entering and leaving the parking lot, creating a dangerous condition, the suit states. Ralphs also has had to buy containers because of the trash generated by the vendors, the suit states.
“On many occasions, store customers have been exposed to (the vendors’) customers yelling profanities and driving recklessly,” the suit states.
The vendors have not agreed to move to different locations, the suit further states.