Another suggestion that'll never come into fruition

It wouldn’t be the best solution, but even just changing “hire vendor” to “ring bell for service” and making it free would be a huge improvement. Why would my sim hire a vendor and then pay that vendor again for a single hot dog? Why would my sim have to hire a vendor at all on a public lot? And if you’re afraid that people will take advantage with “free” service at home, disable it for residential lots; we’d still have to pay for the food anyway. Or go ahead and make me hire them, but then I better get the money every time anyone buys something, since it’s apparently my stand!

xdontblinkxx​ one way around this for now is to make the lot a Café or Bar lot type and then add the recreational items you want. So for example I made my bowling alley a bar and bar staff turned up, as did Sims. I've got a roller rink that's actually a café lot type and the barista turns up automatically and so do Sims. Otherwise like you said, you have to hire the staff yourself and the Sim you're visiting with has to pay the fee. Plus the staff are only there for a few hours. It is frustrating though that when it comes to food stalls you do have to hire the staff. I always add food stalls to my nightclubs and my shopping mall has a food court and I have to hire the staff for them myself.

I agree that espresso bars, bars and vendors should just function on any community lot type. It would make sense and give us the option to create the lots we want to have, rather than what the developers think she ought to want. 

I would also love it if the communal areas on residential rentals could be more communal. I would settle for seeing my neighbors and having them used properly. As it is, I rarely see them. The communal pool is empty, no one is washing laundry in the laundry room, or throwing trash in the composting room or using the grill in the yard. If I put up playground equipment no kids play there, even if there are plenty of families living in the building. At most I see the neighbors coming and going or meet them at the mailbox.