Food truck operators warring outside University of Toronto library

A food fight has erupted among the meal trucks that park outside the University of Toronto's busy John Robarts Research Library.

The owners of the trucks say tens of thousands of dollars in damage has been done since the scrap broke out at the beginning of the year, and — they maintain — police are ignoring their calls for help.

"Since the day we started our business in Toronto, we have been systematically subjected to threats, sabotage, and vandalism," Emel Arslan, owner of the Meal Queen truck wrote to CBC Toronto. "I feel alone."

The brouhaha involves the owners of at least three trucks, all of which park on the west side of St. George Street, between Sussex Avenue and Harbord Street, and all of which sell Middle Eastern-style foods.

Arslan and her son, Erem Yucel, say their family's problems began on their first day operating on St. George, on Jan. 29. Sometime that night, Yucel says, someone slashed the tires on the truck.

The following night, someone broke open the truck's exterior metal cabinets and stole their propane tanks and generator — equipment most food truck operators use to run kitchen appliances, as well as heating, cooling and ventilation systems.

"As a new female entrepreneur, I feel my safety is at risk," Arslan wrote in her online police report. "I do not know any of the other food truck operators in the area, which adds to my sense of vulnerability."

Within days of those incidents, another food truck operator, 20-year-old Karim Zinalddin, moved his truck, Levantine, into the space on St. George directly behind Meal Queen. 

Ten days later, he too was being victimized. Zinalddin says he arrived at work Feb. 12 to find his propane lines cut and his generator inoperable. He believes someone poured sugar or sand into the fuel tank.

That same day, Yucel says, his truck was hit again — this time, his propane fuel lines were cut.

Yucel and Zinalddin say they reported the incidents to police but have not heard from investigators since.

Another operator on the block, who didn't want to give his name, said he too had had his vehicle damaged. It was keyed several months ago. But he blamed anonymous vandals, not bad blood among his competitors, for the damage.

Finally, on March 31, Yucel said someone climbed up on top of his truck in the night and damaged his heating and ventilation system.

"This time, we did not even bother calling the police," Arslan wrote in her letter to CBC Toronto.

"I'm very frustrated," Zinalddin said. "I've saved up; I've poured tens of thousands of dollars into this business."

Both Zinalddin and Yucel say they're confident they know who's behind the vandalism: rival food truck operators.

A few metres down the block sits the Pita Express truck, operated by owner Ghada Shoka, who says she's occupied the same spot since 2016.

She says relations between her truck and other operators are "not very good," but she denies harming anyone else's operation.

In fact, she maintains that she too has been victimized by the mystery vandals. Shoka says that in 2023 someone poured sugar into her generator's fuel tank, leaving it inoperable, and keyed her private car, while it was parked behind her truck.

Shoka says other operators have asked her to move so they could temporarily use her spot, directly in front of one of the library's busiest entrances, and she has refused.

"Some people are jealous," Shoka said of the other food truck operators on the block.

Since then, Shoka acknowledges relations between her and some of the other operators on the block have deteriorated. "I tried to talk to them nicely, but they are very rude," she said.

She claims other food truck operators are badmouthing her to the students who use the food trucks — an accusation that Yucel denies. He also says his family has no interest in Pita Express's spot.

"If you believe in your food, you can sell any place," he said.

A spokesperson for the university wouldn't comment on the tensions. City staff said little can be done until a complaint is registered through 311.

Toronto police declined an interview, but a spokesperson confirmed in an email to CBC Toronto that complaints from the food truck operators have been looked into.

"No further investigations will be carried out, unless further information comes to light that provides us with the evidence required to continue," the spokesperson said. "We encourage the public to contact us with any further information."