Business Owners Pick A Food-Truck Fight Along Hollywood Boulevard

HOLLYWOOD (CBSLA.com) — Food truck worker Reina Estrada says she's just trying to make a living.

"I'm just trying to take care of my family. I don't want to take welfare," Estrada said.

The food truck she operates on Hollywood Boulevard gets a lot of business but her shop owner neighbors say what's good for her is bad for them.

"The smoke from food makes our clothes smell, she blocks my business, takes up parking in front of my store," Mike Zadeh, owner of Hot Rock clothing store said.

The war of words goes back and forth.

"They smoke cigarettes in the store, they get smoke on their own clothes. It smells more like cigarettes than hot dogs," Estrada said.

The battle between the food trucks and brick-and-mortar stores has been brewing since September, when the food trucks were forced to move from their spot down the street after businesses there petitioned the city to make the curb a red zone.

"They park in these meters that are only supposed to be two hours. But they just get the ticket and keep selling," Zadeh said.

Estrada admits the owner of the food truck, which is parked here three to four times a week, pays the daily tickets without further fines or punishment.

Reina says the owner pays $24,000 a year to the city.

Zadeh says he and at least 50 other business owners along Hollywood Boulevard have signed a petition to ask the city council to stiffen the law and get the trucks towed if they violate the two-hour time limit.