Gyro Stand Expansion Halted on Toilet Talk

A planned expansion of a gyro stand is on hold while city officials decide whether the mobile food vendor should build restrooms for customers.

The City of Ames has asked a judge to order the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals to specify whether vendor Matthew Goodman must provide an adequate number of approved toilets and hand washing facilities as required by Iowa law.

Gyros are Greek-style sandwiches of sliced lamb or beef stuffed into pita bread.

“We need to know by official declaration that the policy of the department is that we do not have to require a vendor to provide toilet and hand washing areas,” said City Attorney John Klaus. “It’s foreseeable that this issue will come up again.”

The Department of Inspections and Appeals gives the city the responsibility for food establishment regulations, Klaus said.

The city received a letter from a department employee in February stating that bathrooms are required only when there are “mass gatherings,” but city officials would like the state to go further.

The city decided to act after Goodman applied to open a third food stand. Last November, the owner a sandwich shop asked the city to revoke Goodman’s vending license because of a lack of bathrooms.

The city didn’t revoke Goodman’s license after Goodman and Kum & Go presented city officials with an agreement that gyro stand customers could use the convenience store’s restrooms.

Steven Young, Department of Inspections and Appeals director, said Ames has already requested and received sufficient clarification.