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Fresno city representatives are pledging to collaborate with county agencies in rolling out information and equipment for mobile food vendors that not only complies with California law but also with Fresno County permit and health standards.
Mobile food vendors gathered with city and community leaders at the unveiling of a prototype cart that meets the county’s Department of Public Health’s standards last week at City Hall.
Besides presenting the food cart prototype, elected officials and community-based organizations’ members spoke about the $500,000 the city of Fresno invested to help mobile vendors’ businesses.
“Not only do we have this prototype now,” said Dora Westerlund, president and CEO of the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation, “but city councilmembers have also invested funds for vendors to purchase these carts”.
Where did the $500K come from?
The city disbursed $500,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funds, split in half between Cultiva La Salud and the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation.
Cultiva La Salud is helping vendors get security cameras. The county-approved prototype food cart presented at City Hall included one.
Twenty have been installed and Cultiva La Salud has 30 more to go, said Genoveva Islas, the organization’s program director. She said Cultiva La Salud’s share of the funding pays for the 50 cameras and four years of use.
Orlando Gonzalez, right, of Cali Food Truck & Trailer Corp. gets help from a food vendor in pushing a new food cart prototype that Gonzalez’s company produced and meets permitting standards of the Fresno County Health Department during an unveiling event at Fresno City Hall on Thursday, March 9, 2023. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
While assisting with the cameras, Cultiva La Salud also is helping vendors get into food management training and information sessions.
The Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation is helping vendors navigate the licensing, permitting and equipment-buying processes. The foundation offers micro-loans, finance classes, advisory sessions and ARPA-funded business grants for different business types, including mobile food vendors.
Food carts, trailers and trucks can vary anywhere between $5,000 to $100,000 depending on the quality, equipment and amenities the food-vending vehicle has.
The prototype food cart model, built by Cali Food Truck and Trailer Corp., is estimated to cost vendors between $9,000 and $12,000 depending if they prefer the basic or luxury model, said Jay Dale, the company’s owner.
“I’m trying to get into people’s budgets,” Dale said. Knowing that one food cart doesn’t satisfy all mobile vendors, he’s working on different prototypes that comply with the county’s requirements, such as a fruit cart with more refrigeration and a cooking trailer with more kitchen-style amenities.
David Preciado, director of community outreach and services at the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation, said there are dozens of vendors interested in acquiring a food cart like the one presented at City Hall.
Vendors also can modify their existing carts or purchase new ones to comply with county health regulations. In any case, they may apply for ARPA-funded grants through the Hispanic Foundation to help cover the costs.
Fresno City council members Miguel Arias, center, and Luis Chavez get information about a new food cart prototype that meets permitting standards from the Fresno County Health Department during an unveiling event at Fresno City Hall on Thursday, March 9, 2023. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
Correcting past wrongs
Though the new prototype cart can represent an unplanned investment for mobile food vendors, those like Rafael Garcia are willing to update their businesses to abide by the law.
Garcia sells roasted or grilled chicken in the city and said he sells directly from his grill.
“I think new equipment will have a higher cost,” he said in Spanish. “But let everything I do be in order to follow the law and do things well.”
Like many vendors across Fresno city and county, he said he has had a hard time navigating the permitting and licensing processes. But, he understands the need to get it done: Garcia said city and county representatives approached him about a month ago and tossed his products in the trash because he didn’t have the paperwork he needs.
Councilmember Miguel Arias is well aware of these situations where either Fresno city’s Code Enforcement or the county’s Department of Public Health approach vendors to inquire about their licenses and permits while monitoring vending practices.
With the new county-approved prototype, city and community leaders expect negative interactions between mobile vendors and code enforcement agencies to diminish.
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How are Fresno city and county working together?
Different to past updates on rules and regulations for Fresno’s mobile food vendors, the city and county have now partnered to create the cart prototype that complies with Fresno County’s Department of Public Health.
The cart presented on Thursday morning allows vendors to have a hot, cold and wash or water section (with a proper sink) on one side and space to attend customers on the other, aiming to reduce potential cross-contamination from the elements that can surround mobile businesses.
Carmela Flores, right center, of the Asociación de Vendedores Ambulantes de Fresno gives information to area food vendors on a new food cart prototype that meets permitting standards of the Fresno County Health Department during an unveiling event at Fresno City Hall on Thursday, March 9, 2023. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
The carts were built with vendor feedback, councilmember Luis Chávez said in Spanish, and in partnership with the county and a local ironworkers union.
“We know that there are more than 200 mobile street vendors in Fresno,” Chávez said. “Previously, they had to go out in fear of either the city, county or police.”
But this prototype can help reduce, even eliminate, that fear since it’s health and business code compliant, he said.
“As a community, I believe it is important to be conscious that small businesses include mobile street vendors,” Islas said, “who also deserve to be invested on and respected.”
How to learn more
Cultiva La Salud: 2409 Merced St., Fresno; 559-498-0870, cultivalasalud.org
Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation: 1444 Fulton St., Fresno; 559-222-8705, fresnoahf.org
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This story was originally published March 14, 2023 at 8:46 AM.
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Laura S. Diaz is the engagement reporter for The Fresno Bee’s Education Lab. She previously was The Bee’s COLAB Latino communities reporter. Before working in Fresno, Laura covered social justice, local government and accountability issues for The Stockton Record, and began her career working for CBS News and the Associated Press Elections Center in New York City. She grew up in Mexico and graduated from New York University with a B.S. in media communications and journalism.
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