I hate to ask, but are there any organizations that could have helped? (And maybe still can) Maybe some church or homeless shelter that you could donate to that would use your donations bring free breakfasts for day laborers a few blocks away?
I'm not sure how to solve the problem for your city, but it would help them out and solve your problem without anyone getting locked up. Not to mention providing a little bit of PR for doing an honest favor to the working poor. Combine that with something like city harvest (end of day food that would usually get tossed out is picked up and distributed to hungry people) and I'd go out of my way to eat at your cafe.
The answer is no. Nobody gives a shit but the local business owners. Sure, someone will give them food... and they'll gather at that spot for more.
This is a really common situation: local business owners are put in a position of being the bad guy and using the police against the homeless, because the rest of society chooses not to care for these people.
This is how and why the 'bum bot' was created. http://www.oterrills.com/bumbot.htm Its a terrible thing, and yet Rufus is not a villain. Society's burden was placed on his doorstep. He responded with a squirt gun robot. That neighborhood is very, very dangerous because of the shelters. It sucks.
I'm not sure how to solve the problem for your city, but it would help them out and solve your problem without anyone getting locked up. Not to mention providing a little bit of PR for doing an honest favor to the working poor. Combine that with something like city harvest (end of day food that would usually get tossed out is picked up and distributed to hungry people) and I'd go out of my way to eat at your cafe.