Khan, a halal food cart owner who works 52 weekends a year, estimates that he’s going to be out at least $2,000 in a few days.
He is one of the dozens of perennial, license-holding street vendors in Center City to recently receive this notice from the city, which bans vendors from operating at their usual locations Friday through Monday for the Pope’s visit.
The prevailing message since August has been that vendors with valid licenses could operate inside the traffic box, according to the Department of Commerce. They just couldn’t drive their vehicles in and out. But things have changed. Now only the Aramark-approved vendors will be allowed to operate within the security zone.
Local businesses of all kinds are just going to be revenue free this weekend.