Free Food Carts Available for Altadena Street Vendors Under New $2.8 Million County Program

Street food vendors operating in Altadena and other unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County can now apply to receive a free, health-code-compliant vending cart through a $2.8 million program launched January 12 by LA County and the City of Los Angeles.

The Sidewalk Vending Cart Program will distribute more than 280 carts to eligible vendors at no cost, according to a press release from the LA County Department of Economic Opportunity. The initiative addresses a significant barrier many low-income vendors face: the cost of equipment that meets state health standards, which can run into thousands of dollars.

Altadena, as an unincorporated community, falls under LA County’s jurisdiction and is eligible for the program. Vendors operating within the City of Pasadena are not eligible, as Pasadena has its own public health department with separate permitting requirements.

“This program is about more than equipment, it is about economic equity,” Kelly LoBianco, director of the LA County Department of Economic Opportunity, said in a statement. “Sidewalk vendors are vital to our communities, culture, and local economies.”

To qualify, applicants must be at least 18 years old, live in LA County, be self-employed as a sidewalk vendor, earn less than $75,000 annually from vending, and operate in unincorporated County areas or the City of LA. Vendors must obtain all required permits before receiving a cart, including a Compact Mobile Food Operation certificate from the LA County Department of Public Health.

The County has procured 281 carts from three local manufacturers, with 180 designated for unincorporated County areas and 101 for City of LA neighborhoods. Four cart types are available: hot-holding, cold-holding, cut-fruit, and integrated grill models. Currently, 50 hot-holding and 30 cold-holding carts are ready for distribution, with 40 integrated grill carts in production.

Applications are reviewed monthly, prioritized based on compliance readiness and need according to the County’s Equity Explorer Map, and selected by lottery. The process can take up to 12 weeks from application to cart delivery.

The program follows LA County’s adoption of a Sidewalk Vending Ordinance in August 2024, which established formal requirements for vendors in unincorporated areas. State legislation — Senate Bill 946 in 2018 and Senate Bill 972 in 2022 — decriminalized sidewalk vending and created new permit categories for mobile food operations.

“Through the launch of the Sidewalk Vending Cart Program, the County is making sure working families have greater access to opportunity, while ensuring a permitted pathway towards micro entrepreneurship and formal economy,” said LA County Board Chair Hilda L. Solis in a statement.

Additional financial support is available. The County has waived the $604 Sidewalk Vending Registration Certificate fee for the first two years and reduced it to $100 in the third year. A 75 percent subsidy is offered for health permit fees, and grants of up to $5,000 are available through the Small Business Mobility Fund.

Partner organizations Inclusive Action for the City and ICON Community Development Corporation provide permitting navigation and business support in English, Spanish, and other languages.

The $2.8 million program is funded through federal American Rescue Plan Act funds and local allocations, according to the County.

Applications and information are available at opportunity.lacounty.gov/sidewalkvendingcarts. No local vendor perspectives were available for this report.