Long Beach’s new street vending law just went into effect. But do vendors know about it?
The city said it is taking an “education-first” approach, as some vendors have yet to learn about the new rules and permitting process.
Published in the Long Beach Post on Feb. 29, 2024.
Hungry customers wait in line down the street, inhaling the scent of sizzling meat from Tacos Kesly near El Dorado Park. Taqueros serve up fresh tacos al pastor, or marinated pork, scraped straight off the spit into warm tortillas.
But for Celes Martinez, a taquero at Tacos Kesly, changes are coming. A new ordinance technically kicked in Monday, though city officials said they plan to delay enforcement until summer. The ordinance includes a host of rules limiting where vendors can operate, and it requires them to pay fees and insurance that could add up to over $1,000 per year.
Martinez said it’s “not easy” for them to afford these fees.
Without proper permitting, street vendors risk having their equipment impounded. Already, the city has “taken everything from here twice (before),” Martinez said in Spanish.
“I didn’t know about this new ordinance,” wrote Leonel Pérez, of Tacos Lionydas near the Traffic Circle, via Instagram. “I think it will be more difficult because our style of street food is very far from having all the requirements requested in the new law.”
Martinez said he was aware of the ordinance but not of possible financial assistance — the city’s sidewalk vending support program will cover startup costs during the first year of the ordinance. And with more street vendors springing up across Long Beach in recent years, that could mean more outreach for the city as it launches its education campaign.
“We’ll be canvassing and proactively trying to talk to vendors about what the new ordinance entails and how to navigate the licensing process,” said Augusta Gudeman, a Business Services Bureau officer for the city of Long Beach.
“Even after enforcement begins, we will take an education-first approach whenever possible,” Gudeman later added by email. “Our goal is to help small businesses thrive, and we will make multiple attempts to educate sidewalk vendors on compliance with the ordinance before moving forward with an administrative citation.”
Gudeman said that the new ordinance addresses the legal “gray area” that allowed street vendors to obtain health permits, but not business licenses. With business licenses, vendors are eligible for financial support through the city’s small business resources. Vendors with sidewalk permits will also be reimbursed up to $450 for insurance if they submit a receipt within a year. Beyond 2024, the city is in a “wait and see mode” as far as continuing to cover fees, said Gudeman.
As of Monday, the city had processed four applications for street vending permits, according to Health Department spokesperson Jennifer Rice Epstein, who said the permitting team has “been very busy” handling people walking in or calling with questions.
In about six months, the city will evaluate the ordinance’s success, tracking data on compliance, when citations were issued versus education provided, reports of inspectors “harassed by sidewalk businesses or bystanders” and more, according to the City Council’s Jan. 16 meeting minutes.
The new rules come as more street vendors have set up shop across the city in recent years, which some say is part of a small business boom following COVID’s economic fallout.
“We saw a lot of people seizing the opportunity to dive into entrepreneurship as a way to achieve economic self-determination,” said Carolina Martinez, CEO of the California Association for Micro Enterprise Opportunity.
A large sector of Long Beach street vendors are undocumented Latino immigrants who make about $20,000 to $30,000 per year, according to her.
“Vendors are part of the fabric of their communities,” she said. “As we give them the opportunity to grow, they’ll be able to offer products and culture to their cities.”
The city has posted information on its new rules here.
