February 13, 2024

Episode 72 Getting Street Smart About Street Vendors

18 minutes

California’s vibrant food cultures and many days of sunshine means you have probably seen an individual selling food and goods from a sidewalk or street cart. However, this entrepreneurship led to many debates about whether certain neighborhoods should be off-limits to street (or sidewalk) vendors, how many to allow, and whether brick-and-mortar businesses needed to give permission for these carts to operate nearby. Thanks to new laws enacted in the past five years, local governments now have some answers on how they can and can’t limit these activities. Lozano Smith attorneys Matthew M. Lear and Jack Jackson II join co-host Josh Whiteside as they cover the new laws and consider practical ways for local municipalities to interact with these vibrant vendors.

Show Notes & References

1:13 – What is a street (sidewalk) vendor?

2:47 – Senate Bill (SB) 946 and the Safe Sidewalk Vending Act

4:01 – Restrictions on regulating vendors

4:37 – City of Los Angeles lawsuit (Community Power Collective, et al. v. City of Los Angeles (22STCP04289))

5:34 – Health and safety inspections

7:01 – Penalties for unpermitted vendors

12:50 – Where to submit complaints

14:32 – California Retail Food Code (Health & Safety Code § 113700, et seq.)

15:21 – Compact mobile food operations (SB 972)

For more information on the topics discussed in this podcast, please visit our website at: www.lozanosmith.com/podcast.

Disclaimer: As the information contained herein is necessarily general, its application to a particular set of facts and circumstances may vary. For this reason, this podcast episode does not constitute legal advice. We recommend that you consult with your counsel prior to acting on the information contained herein.

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