LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Exclusive video shows a crackdown on street food vendors outside EDC. Advocates say it’s hard for them to operate legally and are pushing for change.
To operate on the side of the road or outside of big events, street food vendors in Nevada need to pay fees, get a business license, and a health inspection.
Requirements also vary depending on jurisdiction. Advocates believe it’s too complicated.
A viewer sent FOX5 video of hot dog vendor running with his cart being chased away from EDC by a Metro officer.
They report it was Sunday morning about 4 a.m. when at least two dozen vendors rolled their carts into a parking lot. Since strict new rules went into effect, many street vendors stopped showing up to big events and are also avoiding the Strip.
“Are we giving a warning before we are seizing people’s equipment?,” questioned Assemblymember Cecelia González of Clark County last week as state lawmakers discussed the bill to clarify the rules.
“There’s been a lot of illegal restaurants that have popped up in Clark County. We typically will give a notice and educate about why you shouldn’t have an illegal restaurant on the side of the road,” Joanna Jacob, Government Affairs Manager for Clark County responded.
SB295 aims to streamline health and safety protocols, lower costs, and would require local health boards to help sidewalk vendors with the permitting process.
“We currently have eight street food vendors who are permitted/licensed in Nevada,” revealed Tony Ramirez, Government Affairs Director with vendor advocacy group Make the Road Nevada.
Ramirez hoped that number would be in the hundreds now more than a year since vendors could get a permit.
“It is incredibly complicated and it’s too costly to become a street food vendor,” Ramirez contended.
There’s also an effort underway within Clark County to make it easier. Clark County and the cities of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and Henderson are working together to create a multijurisdictional license. This would let vendors apply once instead of having to apply separately in each city.
The new multijurisdictional license will be discussed at public meetings over the next couple weeks.
FOX5 reached out to SNHD Monday to confirm that number of licenses given out since permitting began last year is still in the single digits – it was 5 back in September. They said they would get back to us.
FOX5 also reached out to Metro about the enforcement at EDC asking if any vendor in the video was cited. So far, we have not heard back.
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