支持小企業 吳弭踏進Bon Me充當臨時服務員

吳弭親上食物餐車服務。(周菊子攝)

               (Boston Orange周菊子綜合報導) 波士頓市長參選人吳弭(Michelle Wu)在8月5日這天中午，踏進停在Dewey廣場的食物卡車，在紫色Bon Me上親自為食客送上餐點，聊以表達她的支持小企業心意。

左起，Patrick Lynch和鄺樂怡夫婦創辦的Bon Me系列，全從吳弭當年
在波士頓市府推動的餐車計畫開始。(周菊子攝)

              可惜的是，這天早上下雨，中午也還飄著雨絲，Dewey廣場上不單只過往行人稀少，連攤位也只有三檔。吳弭在食物卡車上逗留了大半小時，也只給三名食客奉上越南式麵包三明治等食品。其中一人是劍橋市居民，獲悉拿食物給他的人可能是波士頓未來市長，笑得十分開心，直言自己雖然不能投票給吳弭，但支持吳弭的交通政策。

              2010年，吳弭在萬寧路(Tom Menino)政府內擔任政策學者時，研議簡化餐飲業牌照申請，還推動了食物餐車項目，為許多人創造了開辦小企業，提供工作岡位的機會。吳弭表示，當年她在芝加哥，為照顧家人開過茶館，對小企業和政府打交道，可能面對哪些經營困難，十分有感。

吳弭(左)在Bon Me餐車上服務，支持小企業。(周菊子攝)

              Bon Me的創辦人鄺樂怡和丈夫Patrick Lynch，當年就是參加了吳弭餐車計畫後的波士頓市第一批食物餐車經營者之一。那時候網際網路還不流行，申請經營牌照，取得衛生許可，和政府打交道，一切都不容易。如今他們憑藉努力，在波士頓市和劍橋市開有7家實體店面，還保留了3輛餐車在不同地點服務。

                          鄺樂怡透露，Bon Me和波士頓華埠社區中心(BCNC)合作，她們經營的餐飲業，有不少員工來自與BCNC的就業培訓項目。

Patrick Lynch根據他最近一次在2018年申請經營牌照等的親身體驗直言，劍橋市府的工作人員更加熱心，手續更為簡便，希望將來波士頓市也能有所改善。

Michelle Wu Serves at Bon Me in Support of Small Businesses 

 

Boston, MA—  Michelle Wu, who originally helped bring food trucks to Boston when she worked in the Menino administration, worked a lunch shift in the Bon Me truck at Dewey Square to urge support for Boston’s small businesses throughout the pandemic and recovery. 

Michelle helped bring food trucks to Boston in 2010 when she served as a Policy Fellow in Mayor Menino’s office and launched Boston’s food truck challenge. Now she is calling for greater investments and supports in food businesses, including more opportunities for food trucks to serve at farmers markets and other venues, and transforming our food purchasing through the City of Boston and through anchor institutions such as hospitals and universities, investing in small food businesses. 

“Ali and I met Michelle when she was working for Mayor Menino on starting the city of Boston's food truck challenge. We wouldn't have started our business without the opportunity she created. Michelle has been a strong supporter of local business for as long as we have been in business, and we would be excited to have her continue that work as mayor,” said Bon Me co-founder Patrick Lynch.

“I was so excited to join Patrick, Ali and the Bon Me family to serve customers today and call for investments in our small businesses and food industry that have been so hard hit by this pandemic. Our city thrives when we break down barriers and red tape, invest in our small businesses, and bring good jobs to Boston. City Hall needs to create opportunities so that many more businesses can grow from a great idea to a successful business like Bon Me did,” said Michelle Wu.

Before she ran for City Council, Michelle Wu opened a small tea shop to help support her family through a crisis, and became frustrated by the red tape she encountered. This led her to run for office to fight for other families in situations like hers. (From Michelle Wu’s campaign team.)