We love El Tonayense's taco trucks -- we gave them our Best Burrito award in our 2007 Best of SF issue, and wrote about them in our 2008 cover story "State of the Cart", where they made our Top Ten street food list -- but some people apparently don't.
Or, rather, they don't want the alluring burritos and tacos available within 1500 feet of John O'Connell High School. An ordinance banning catering trucks within that distance was adopted by the city in 2007. And parents convinced that it was contributing to their childrens' obesity have forced the Board of Supervisors to broker a
"compromise" wherein El Tonayense has to find another location than its 19th and Harrison one near the school (but can stay there until June).
Cooler heads, who pointed out that (1) El Tonayense had signs up stating that they would not sell to anyone under 18 between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m., (2) Only seniors are allowed to eat off-campus, (3) There are two storefront taquerias closer to the school's entrance, (4) El Tonayense makes excellent fresh food from good ingredients, as compared to the school's own menu, which features such commercially-made processed items as bagel dogs and "pizza dippers," whatever the hell those are, did not prevail.
(Interestingly, the ban does not apply to elementary schools, which explains the mysterious appearance of ice cream trucks when the school bell rings. SF blog
Burrito Justice drew up a clever
map showing the 1500-foot limit encircling Mission schools.)
