Asian food vendors allowed to return to River Park, as center prepares to review all vendors

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- River Park says it will be welcoming back vendors serving Asian cuisine after saying none would be allowed at its farmers market.

The shopping center announced the decision in a statement on Friday morning, reinstating the banned vendors while also announcing plans to review all vendors.

"In the coming weeks, we will be establishing a long overdue process for reviewing all participants with the 'product mix' being top of mind," River Park said in the statement.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Vendors selling Asian food banned from River Park farmer's market and street eats

"This is the next step in a truly collaborative process between our organizations with the aim of showcasing small mobile businesses, including food trucks and food stands which complement River Park's brick-and-mortar tenants."

Asian food vendors who participate in the River Park Farmer's Market are hopeful but hesitant about their return.

"It was great just to get that feedback that vendors are being reinstated," said Natalie Sakkakhanaune-Simmavong, who owns Sticky Rice on Wheels with her family.

"After reading that release, it still didn't really answer our questions as a business standpoint."

Last Saturday, vendors say they received a text from a Fresno Street Eats organizer 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."

River Park initially said it banned the Asian food vendors due to competition with existing storefronts and its "commitment to its tenants that it must keep and honor."

However, on Friday morning, River Park and Fresno Street Eats released a statement, partly reversing course and saying they would reinstate several participants.

"In the coming weeks, we will be establishing a long overdue process for reviewing all participants with the 'product mix' being top of mind," the statement read in part.

"This is the next step in a truly collaborative process between our organizations with the aim of showcasing small mobile businesses, including food trucks and food stands which complement River Park's brick-and-mortar tenants."

Sticky Rice on Wheels was one of the vendors initially banned and welcomed back.

Natalie says while she would like to return to River Park, where she's operated for nearly five years, she's not sure they can go back.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Asian food vendors ask for apology after being banned from River Park

"We just wanna get a little more clarification on what food to sell, what food not to sell, and we can move on from there," said Natalie.

A group of Asian food vendors and their supporters gathered in downtown Fresno on Wednesday, asking for an apology from River Park.

Regrets were included in Friday's statement from River Park and Fresno Street Eats, which read in part:

"We sincerely apologize for these communication missteps and going forward are developing a process responsive to the concerns raised."

In response, that same group of Asian vendors released a statement Friday saying it was not enough.

Saint Goods, which sells cookies, was not impacted by the ban.

However, they told Action News they would not be returning because of how poorly the situation was handled.

They said it isn't about race, it's more about principles and how they choose to do business.

Other vendors have said they're reviewing their involvement.

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