(WSVN) – Food truck owners often struggle to find a place to park their truck. Some people said they signed up with a company that promised to find them space, but the company took their money. 7’s Heather Walker investigates.
After years of working as a firefighter, Ronnie Holuitiner was excited to spend his retirement pursuing new dreams.
Former food truck owner Ronnie Holuitiner: “It took me years to make it happen, but finally someone talked me into doing it.”
In August 2023, he opened his own food truck called Mr. Chili 305.
Ronnie hired a company called Torcado to find a suitable location to sell his food. It claims to be an online platform where food truck operators can find and rent plots.
Ronnie got in touch with Torcad’s owner, Andrew Priestman.
Ronnie Holuitiner: “He talked about important games and a lot of commitments.”
Ronnie said he and several other food truck owners paid Priestman $3,100 in earnest money to rent the space in Wynwood. But just a few months after opening, the Miami Department of Law Enforcement shut them down.
Ronnie Holuitiner: “And they said, ‘No, you have until tomorrow morning to get the truck out of here or we’ll tow it away at your expense.’ We’ll shut you down, well.’
The violation notice states that the Wynwood parcel did not have a temporary use permit or a valid business tax receipt. Ronnie says Torcado should have looked into it.
Ronnie Holuitiner: “We found out he was renting the property from the actual owner, the owner. That’s when we realized this wasn’t good.”
According to Ronnie, shortly after the business closed, Priestman offered to return the deposit within 30 days, but then spirited him away.
Ronnie Holuitiner: “I haven’t heard from him. Until today.”
This was a huge blow to Ronnie’s business.
Ronnie Holuitiner: “He owes us a $3,100 deposit and at least one week or eight days of the month that we had already paid.”
Andrew Priestman declined to be interviewed, but claimed in an email: “The city sent us an approval and then revoked the permit after we were established and said they needed more information to reinstate this permit…therefore” forcing us to close. I no longer get it. ”
However, the City of Miami told 7 Investigates that the property did not have proper paperwork in place, “no temporary use permit has been issued” and “there is no valid certificate of use.”
Ronnie Holuitiner: “At the end of the day, he was doing this. We’re not the first or the last.”
Priestman also set up another food truck parking lot in Fort Lauderdale, according to court records. In March, the city cited Torcado for “never applying for a permit” to operate a food truck parking lot.
Meghan Browning: “It’s disgusting. There are people just like us who are working hard and need money and need a paycheck and need to know what’s going on.”
Meghan Browning and Alexander Ferzan were hired by Torcad to install and service portable toilets in food truck parking lots in Fort Lauderdale and Wynwood.
They filed a lawsuit alleging that Mr. Priestman failed to pay them.
Alexander Ferzan: “So he owes us just under $10,000, which is a significant amount when you’re talking about a small, family-run business.”
They won the lawsuit a few weeks ago.
Meghan Browning: “So, for us, it was like, ‘Okay, we’re going to defend this.’ We’re going to be civil justice warriors on this, because we’re going to be civil justice warriors on this, because we’re going to defend people like that. Because I can’t handle it.”
But Ronnie said not everyone can afford to go to court, and losing that $3,100 ruined his business.
Ronnie Holuitiner: “How do I feel? I mean, I feel cheated and I’m angry.”
Even though it’s been almost a year, Priestman told 7 Investigates that he plans to return the food truck owner’s deposit.
But it’s already too late for Ronnie. He closed Mr. Chili 305 after being evicted from Wynwood. He wants Torcad to be shut down before someone’s dreams are destroyed.
Heather Walker, 7News.
Contact 7 investigates:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com
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