Applications opened Friday for an expanded Los Angeles County sidewalk vending program offering free food carts capable of cooking raw ingredients, along with grants and assistance to help vendors obtain permits and cover operating costs.
The county Department of Economic Opportunity announced Friday that 30 additional food vendors will have access to the new raw-to-cooked carts, which are designed to safely store, handle and cook raw ingredients on-site.
The expansion brings the total number of carts available through the program to 341 for permitted vendors in Los Angeles County and the city of Los Angeles.
The new carts join existing models designed for prepackaged ice cream, cut fruit, hot-holding and integrated grilling.
Officials said carts are provided at no cost to qualified vendors, who must complete program requirements and obtain applicable permits before taking ownership. Recipients of the new raw-to-cooked carts are also eligible for a small grant to help cover permitting and operating expenses.
All menus and food operations must be approved by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
Food vendors in unincorporated areas of the county who are conditionally awarded certain other cart models — including fruit, hot-holding, cold-holding and integrated grill carts — will also be screened for a $5,000 grant to help cover operating expenses and permitting fees, according to the county.
The grants can be used for expenses such as obtaining a Sidewalk Vending Registration Certificate, a Compact Mobile Food Operator health permit, commissary space and equipment. The new raw-to-cooked carts are excluded from the $5,000 grant program.
“Until today, vendors who cook from raw ingredients couldn’t get a health permit because there was no approved cart for them to use. This new cart fixes that,” county Supervisor Holly Mitchell said. “It gives our vendor entrepreneurs a way to operate legally, and with these carts and one-on-one help from DEO and Inclusive Action, a path to economic mobility.”
The county is partnering with Inclusive Action for the City to provide applicants with individual assistance navigating permitting and business requirements.
The assistance includes food handler training, access to a 75% subsidy for Compact Mobile Food Operator permits, help locating commissary space and guidance on applying for a Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation permit.
“A cart alone does not address every barrier a sidewalk vendor faces,” DEO Director Kelly LoBianco said. “By connecting equipment, financial assistance and hands-on guidance, DEO and its partners are helping entrepreneurs take the steps needed to operate safely, meet requirements and grow their businesses.”
The county is also offering grants of up to $500 to merchandise vendors who sell goods, but not food or beverages, in unincorporated areas. Those vendors can receive technical assistance through DEO’s Office of Small Business and Inclusive Action for the City.
Applicants for the merchandise grants must complete screening, submit required documentation and sign a grant agreement before receiving funding, according to the county.
According to the county, the Sidewalk Vending Cart Program and available food and merchandise grants serve current sidewalk vendors operating in unincorporated Los Angeles County who have been in business for at least 12 months at the time of application.
Applicants must be at least 18 years old, live in Los Angeles County, be the sole owner of their sidewalk vending business and have a gross annual household income of $75,000 or less. Additional requirements apply, and each household is limited to one cart, officials said.
Applications will remain open while supplies last, with cart inventory and grant funding limited.
Food vendors can review eligibility requirements and apply at opportunity.lacounty.gov/sidewalkvendingcarts.
Merchandise vendors can review grant requirements and apply at opportunity.lacounty.gov/small-business-mobility-fund.