Richmond vendor program promises street merchants a new start

RICHMOND — The warm aromas of pupusas, burgers, and more wafted into the air Thursday as city and county officials celebrated the grand opening of a program that aims to give food vendors the support they need to flourish amid an environment of high costs and complaints from brick-and-mortar business owners.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on the corner of Macdonald Avenue and Marina Way, where a parking lot will be home to a new food vendor initiative from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every Thursday and Saturday. Surrounding the location are government offices, the Richmond BART station and the Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center – all busy facilities city and Contra Costa County staff hope will frequent the twice-weekly event.

“This is going to be successful if we all contribute, so please spread the word,” said Vice Mayor Claudia Jimenez.

Referred to as the Mobile Vendor Plaza Program, a total of 33 vendors have registered so far, said Richmond Certified Farmers’ Market founder Tom Cloman. As part of the program and with support from city and county health departments, the vendors are now up to code, following complaints from traditional business owners that some were operating in Richmond without proper permitting and licenses.

In the second phase of the program, Cloman said vendors will receive support building the back end of their businesses, including marketing strategies and financing plans.

“The growth is going forward,” Cloman said Thursday, noting more vendors will fill in the lot soon. “We know this is going to be great because it started out great.”

Some street vendors see the program as a saving grace after struggling to operate in the city.

Elizabeth Mijango has been selling pupusas and tacos in Richmond for the past eight years. She emigrated from El Salvador in 1973 when she was just 18 and worked as a nanny for decades before retiring in her early 60s. The now 70-year-old began a street vendor business as a way of supporting herself through retirement.

Running her small operation hasn’t always been easy. Mijango was regularly approached by city officials inquiring into whether she had obtained the proper permits and licenses. Slim profit margins made seeking those documents challenging and the sudden death of her 50-year-old daughter Siomara compounded her troubles.

“It was hard. (Licenses and permits) cost money and I didn’t have any money,” Mijango said.

Now, Mijango said she feels good about the future of her business.

The Mobile Vendor Plaza Program was proposed earlier this year as a way to balance the needs of street vendors with those of brick-and-mortar business owners that were frustrated by the double standard under which some vendors were operating.

While some street vendors were taking up public space, blocking sidewalks, leaving messes behind and operating without proper paperwork seemingly without any oversight or repercussions, according to frustrated merchants and residents, businesses operating within buildings were subject to inspections, fines and possible closures, not to mention exuberant overhead costs.

Heeding those concerns, the Richmond City Council adopted a street vendor policy in July meant to legitimize those businesses by bringing them into compliance with health and safety laws.

Vendors that once blocked sidewalks must now be in areas that allow for a 4-foot clearance for pedestrians. They also must be at least 5 feet away from the entrance of a brick-and-mortar business. Tables and chairs for dining are prohibited. Setting up in parking spaces, often a vital need for patrons, is also prohibited.

Permitted vendors who fail to comply with the ordinance risk being fined $100 for their first infraction, $200 on the second and $500 for every following violation. Those without permits face fines of $250 for the first violation, $500 for the second and $1,000 for each subsequent violation.

Due to Senate Bill 946, a 2018 law decriminalizing street vending, jurisdictions are permitted to adopt regulations but outright bans are in violation of state law. The city’s ordinance doesn’t call for confiscating equipment from vendors who violate the city’s policy, but the Contra Costa County Health and Human Services Department could still do so if public safety is at risk.

The Mobile Vendor Plaza Program was meant to act as a carrot, enticing small businesses to cooperate with the new policy in exchange for assistance with filing paperwork and paying associated fees. It also allows access to a designated lot and other city-backed resources like tables, restrooms and lighting multiple times a week.

Richmond Councilmember Cesar Zepeda said he hopes the program will continue to evolve and grow by potentially expanding into a daily event with live music. As of now, those visiting the designated site can expect to find booths offering jerk chicken, burgers, Asian fusion, pupusas, funnel cakes, waffles and other options.

“A lot of people saw the challenges of having vendors on the street,” Zepeda said Thursday. “We turned those challenges into a great, yummy opportunity.”