"With his signature American flag durag and toothy grin, Howard Gibbins has been a familiar fixture at Santa Clara's Great America Transit station for more than two decades now. Known as the "The Hot Dog Dude" - a moniker given to him by Santa Clara University students that he wears with pride - Gibbins was feeding hungry commuters long before Levi's Stadium was erected next door."
"The Big Game will be held in Santa Clara for a second time on Feb. 8, and with it comes a plethora of rules and regulations imposed on the city by its kingmaker, the NFL. That includes the adoption of a "clean zone," which serves as a security perimeter for law enforcement and aims to regulate and restrict advertising and commercial activities in the area leading up to and during the game."
Howard Gibbins has sold hot dogs, sausages and other fare at Santa Clara's Great America Transit station for more than two decades. He began in the food truck scene 25 years ago with a painted "roach coach" and later moved to a cart near the train tracks. His main customers are commuters, and he aims to provide food and warmth. The COVID-19 pandemic drastically reduced commuter traffic over the last five years. Santa Clara approved a more than 4-square-mile clean zone that prohibits most outdoor food and beverage sales, outdoor merchandise sales, advertising and promotional giveaways. Those restrictions threaten sidewalk vendors' ability to operate during Super Bowl LX.
Read at The Mercury News
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