A new “streamlined process” for street food vendors and home cooks in Los Angeles County to get permits goes into effect in November, officials announced Tuesday.
The Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations (MEHKOs) was unanimously approved by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors Tuesday.
Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell introduced the motion last year in hopes of making it easier for the more than 50,000 sidewalk vendors and home cooks in the county to become permitted to make “safe and regulated food for the public,” according to county news release.
In addition, the nearly $600 application fee will be waived for 1,000 eligible MEHKO applicants.
“Sidewalk vendors and home cooks are part of the cultural and culinary fabric of our neighborhoods – many times being a primary source of affordable and quality food for residents while providing an opportunity for families to earn a steady income,” Mitchell said.
According to a statewide survey by the nonprofit COOK Alliance, 84% of sidewalk vendors and home cooks in the “informal economy” are women and 48% identify as Black, LatinX or multiracial.
“MEHKOs represent an important economic vehicle for entrepreneurial County residents – especially women, immigrants, and communities of color – to create new opportunities in the formal economy,” Supervisor Solis said.
With the passing of the ordinance, L.A. County becomes the 15th jurisdiction in the state MEHKO, which advocates say will create guardrails that benefit residents and brick and mortar businesses, while providing a financial boost to underrepresented residents, including undocumented residents, who face greater challenges in operating a business locally.
The Los Angeles County Department of Health will administer the MEHKO permits.
More information about the ordinance can be found here.