Asian food vendors allowed to return to River Park, as center prepares to review all vendors

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Asian food vendors who were suddenly banned by River Park last weekend are now being allowed back.

The video above is from previous coverage and will be updated as soon as new video is available.

River Park announced the decision in a statement on Friday morning, reinstating the banned vendors while also announcing plans to review all vendors at the center.

“In the coming weeks, we will be establishing a long overdue process for reviewing all participants with the ‘product mix’ being top of mind,” River Park said in the statement. “This is the next step in a truly collaborative process between our organizations with the aim of showcasing small mobile businesses, including food trucks and food stands which complement River Park’s brick-and-mortar tenants.”

Vendors say last Saturday, an organizer from Fresno Street Eats sent a text saying, “I just got a call from River Park that because of complaints from restaurants on site, we’ll have to eliminate all Asian food from our events effective immediately.”

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Vendors selling Asian food banned from River Park farmer’s market and street eats

River Park initially said it banned the Asian food vendors due to competition with existing storefronts and its “commitment to its tenants that it must keep and honor.”

The center said that it wanted vendors that complement tenants, not directly compete with them.

A group of Asian food vendors and their supporters gathered in downtown Fresno on Wednesday, asking for an apology from River Park.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Asian food vendors ask for apology after being banned from River Park

That apology came in Friday’s statement, “We deeply regret the hurt that others have genuinely expressed on social media, news outlets, and in our direct communications with those involved. […] We sincerely apologize for these communication missteps and going forward are developing a process responsive to the concerns raised.”

The ban would’ve affected dozens of businesses, spanning eight different cultures, from Hmong to Japanese.

Organizers say vendors who sold pizza, hamburgers, and sushi have also been excluded in the past.

It remains unclear which business filed the complaint to River Park.

FULL STATEMENT:

River Park, Fresno Street Eats, and California Fresh Farmers Market Association are happy to announce the reinstatement of several participants of the River Park farmers market following an initial preliminary review of their product offerings, including those offering a variety of Asian cuisine.

In the coming weeks, we will be establishing a long overdue process for reviewing all participants with the ‘product mix’ being top of mind. This is the next step in a truly collaborative process between our organizations with the aim of showcasing small mobile businesses, including food trucks and food stands which complement River Park’s brick-and-mortar tenants. The process will analyze participant offerings and any competitive impacts, to ensure that River Park is meeting its commitments to those tenants, whose contributions make events like the River Park farmers market possible. In turn, the River Park farmers market has become an important incubator for small, family-owned businesses.

Importantly, the reassessment of the participants at the market should have been handled better and communicated differently, with greater sensitivity for long-standing market participants. It understandably caused confusion and frustration for many.

We heard the concerns raised by the mobile food vendors and the broader community. We deeply regret the hurt that others have genuinely expressed on social media, news outlets, and in our direct communications with those involved. While the intent was to ensure a long overdue review of offerings consistent with River Park’s obligations to its tenants, this intent does not erase the impact others have felt and conveyed to us. We sincerely apologize for these communication missteps and going forward are developing a process responsive to the concerns raised.

We are committed to creating a space that reflects the full richness of our multi-cultural communities.