Long Beach has continued to crack down on street vendors who lack permits since it began enforcing its new rules earlier this year, according to recent data from the city’s Health Department.
Numbers released on Sept. 15 showed city staff seized food from unpermitted vendors 41 times this year and impounded their equipment 39 times. That’s up from just 18 times each as of early May.
Since the start of the year, the city has also issued 161 cease-and-desist letters and written 74 administrative citations to unpermitted vendors, the data shows.
The continued enforcement contrasts with the County of Los Angeles, which announced last week that it was temporarily halting penalties on unpermitted street vending because of recent federal immigration operations throughout Southern California.
A spokesperson for the Long Beach Health Department did not say whether the department has considered a similar pause.
Long Beach says it targets enforcement based on complaints. The city has not disclosed exactly where it’s taken action, but it is planning to publish an online map showing “where and how enforcement efforts have been carried out across the city.”
Street vendors previously told the Long Beach Post that complying with the city’s rules can be arduous, expensive and confusing.
Through mid-September, fewer than 14% of vendors who have applied for a business license have been approved to legally serve food on sidewalks throughout Long Beach.
Since rolling out its sidewalk vending ordinance in February 2024, the city has put together a 32-page guide on proper protocols, including minimum handwashing and cooking temperatures to serve perishable food.
It also published an online map showing where approved vendors can set up. The city has also offered to waive application fees and give out 40 free carts to qualified applicants.
As of Sept. 15, the city has received 113 applications for the free cart and given out 10.
Despite efforts to crack down on vendors who aren’t in compliance, complaints over potential health code violations have rolled in at a steady pace.
Through the first four months of the year, the Health Department received 564. At the eight-and-a-half-month mark, that number reached 822.
Some restaurant owners have also complained directly to top city officials, saying they’re not doing enough to crack down, according to emails reviewed by the Post.
The city says its enforcement strategy is a delicate balancing act.
“Some stakeholders feel the city is doing too much, while others believe we’re not doing enough,” Deputy City Manager Grace Yoon said at a May City Council meeting.