Hot Dogs Vs. Handbags: The Battle For Robertson
We recently received an e-mail plea from a New Line staffer begging us to solicit support for beloved local Robertson Blvd. food cart vendor "Antonio the hot dog guy," whom the owner of a newly opened accessories store called Surly Girl is attempting to displace. Knowing every story has two sides, and being fans in equal measure of both fiery sausage and Swarovski-crystal-encrusted calculators alike (see their online catalog: "Very, very trendy and cool purses!" says Ryan Seacrest we shit you not), we stayed safely out of the matter. Today, Page Six stokes the flames:
[Surly Girl owner Alison] Muh retorts, "I am a small, new business trying to pay my astronomical rent. I cannot afford to lose a sale. Antonio was parked in front of my store and took up two parking spots all day ... He was paying off parking enforcement with free food, which is why they let him park in a two-hour metered zone for over six hours a day. On one day alone, I counted more than 20 shoppers who could not walk through [Antonio's] unruly line to get to my store. I begged my landlord to help me find a good solution for everyone. We finally approached Antonio directly and he yelled at us."
Sony Pictures staffer Leigha Lindsay sent Surly Girl staff an e-mail with a subtle threat: "Have you had a turkey dog? A burrito? A tuna sandwich? I ask that you take this into strong consideration as bad press is not beneficial to your store."
We must commend Muh, who could have easily replied to the angry industry luncher with a counter e-mail along the lines of, "Well, have you ever tried a Large Hamptons Hobo? A flower bangle? A Laguna Tote?!" Here's hoping the two businesses find a workable solution, and that life on the bustling boulevard gets back to normal soon. After all, there's really no reason why you shouldn't be able to pick up a couple kosher dogs with everything for you and your latest purchase, who probably hasn't been fed in days.