(Image: CloudKitchens)

Those are storm clouds gathering over 13th Ave at Cap Hill Kitchens, the latest location in the nationwide CloudKitchens network of delivery-focused food prep facilities. One local food and drink concept is already bailing on the project after its owner says CloudKitchens unhooked his restaurant start-up from the system and shut him down for raising issues about the company created by ex-Uber CEO Travis Kalanick.

Pablo Vazquez of TJ’s Street Tacos says he was shut down by CloudKitchens after raising issues publicly about his dispute with the Los Angeles-based company over rent and what he says was its failure to get necessary permits in place on the schedule promised by the company. Vazquez says the services and systems restaurant concepts like his pay for also have fallen short as the CloudKitchens technology and apps “fail frequently causing money and food loss.”

Those complaints echo with those from other restaurants having poor and costly experiences at CloudKitchens facilities around the country.

“There are other businesses that need our help! I will not be silenced!,” Vazquez writes.

Meanwhile, other aspects of the CloudKitchens arrival on Capitol Hill are leaving a bad taste in neighborhood mouths as dinnertime rush hour on 13th Ave has become a parade of stuck and illegally parked delivery cars. Continue reading →