FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — It all started when street vendors selling Asian food received a text message telling them they could no longer sell at the River Park Shopping Center.

They were told the reason had to do with complaints from onsite businesses, leaving some vendors looking for a new source of income.

“I was very taken aback. I was speechless, and I just had a moment to process. Is this right? Can they do that?” said Natalie Sakkakhanaune-Simmavong with Sticky Rice on Wheels.

Natalie and her family have owned Sticky Rice on Wheels for about five years, selling mainly at the River Park Shopping Center on Tuesdays during the Farmers Market or on Saturdays during Fresno Street Eats.

Last Saturday was their last time because they received a text from organizers saying, “I just got a call from River Park that because of complaints from restaurants on site, we’ll have to eliminate all Asian food from our events effective immediately.”

“It made me feel really disgusted. I was really hurt initially, more of disappointment because I thought we were better than this,” said Sakkakhanaune-Simmavong.

The farmer’s market has won the Best in Central California eight years in a row.

This move would eliminate about a dozen of its vendors, spanning eight different cultures, from Hmong to Japanese.

“I don’t know why you’d get rid of such great food,” said Elliot Nuss, a River Park customer.

“They should fight it. They should see where this is coming from because this is unusual, especially in our community,” said Tina Griffith, another customer.

In a statement, Riverpark said it has a “commitment to its tenants that it must keep and honor with integrity.”

They go on to say that vendors should complement the tenants, not directly compete with them.

This is not the first time certain food items or goods have been banned from the markets, according to organizers.

Things like pizza, hamburgers and sushi are on the list of things that are not to be sold due to competition with existing storefronts.

“I understand if it’s a ban on whole food vendors because they’re taking away business from all over, I get it, but we’re a small business and this is a ban specifically on all Asian food trucks and all Asian vendors,” said Sakkakhanaune-Simmavong.

It’s unclear which business filed the complaint, but the group that owns Spicy J’s, J-Pot and O-iza at River Park has spoken out, saying, “We have no involvement in this decision and were not consulted on the matter.”

River Park, along with Fresno Street Eats and the farmer’s market, said they will “be engaging collaboratively to review all participants and their individual offerings, regardless of background.”

We did reach out to River Park for further comment but have not heard back.

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