Regino Soriano

Regino Soriano owns a popular food truck named El Bandolero.  He offers customers Zacatecas cuisine with tortas, burritos, quesadillas, and tacos.  His food has become very popular.  For the past eight years, he has leased space in the parking lot of an HEB grocery store and vends during the evening and night hours.  Soon after opening for business, a city of San Antonio inspector told him to shut down or face daily fines.  Regino was told to get written and notarized permission slips from the nearby McDonald’s restaurant and also the HEB grocery store, even though he already had a signed lease with them.  Regino did just that.

Although he was able to reopen, he operates in the 300-foot rule’s long shadow.  First, Regino worries that a new restaurant will open nearby.  This would force him to shut down El Bandolero and possibly leave even though he has a lease with HEB.  Second, McDonald’s could revoke their permission at any time which would also force him to shut down his vending business.  Third, his plans to expand his business and vend in other locations around the city have been significantly restricted by the city’s 300-foot rule.  Good locations that are beyond the rule’s reach are hard to find.