The City of Long Beach, California, is rolling out an exciting initiative to support local entrepreneurs through its Sidewalk to Success program. A key component of this program is a Food Cart giveaway, designed to empower sidewalk vendors and ease their transition into full compliance with city regulations. This initiative aims to provide up to 40 free carts to eligible food vendors, offering a significant boost to small businesses in the Long Beach area.
Empowering Micro-Businesses with Food Carts
Mayor Rex Richardson emphasized the program’s commitment to nurturing local micro-businesses. “The Sidewalk to Success program has been instrumental in providing financial incentives and essential resources to our micro businesses, enabling them to better serve our community,” he stated. “This next phase, offering free food carts, will give aspiring sidewalk vending entrepreneurs the crucial support they need to launch and grow their businesses.”
This giveaway offers a selection of four different food cart types, catering to diverse culinary offerings:
- Fruit Carts with Coolers: Ideal for vendors specializing in fresh cut fruits, ensuring freshness and appeal.
- Grilled Food Carts: Equipped for serving pre-cooked grilled items like hot dogs, and conveniently wrapped and labeled burritos or tacos.
- Tamale Carts: Designed for vendors offering prepackaged or hot food items like tamales, maintaining food safety and temperature.
- Ice Cream Carts: Perfect for those looking to sell frozen treats, especially in sunny Long Beach, offering a classic food cart experience.
Eligibility Criteria for Free Food Carts
To ensure the food cart giveaway program reaches those who need it most, the City has established clear eligibility requirements for applicants. Vendors must meet the following criteria to qualify for a free food cart:
- Long Beach Residency and Operation: Applicants must reside in Long Beach and operate their food cart business within the city limits.
- Micro-Business Status: The program is designed for micro-businesses, defined as businesses with no more than two full-time employees.
- Single Cart Operation: Applicants can only operate one food cart, including the one they are applying for through this program.
- Business License Application: Completion of a business license application with the City of Long Beach is mandatory.
- Compact Mobile Food Operation Health Permit Application: Applicants must complete the necessary health permit application for compact mobile food operations.
The application process is structured in three parts, starting with a business license form and readiness checklist, progressing to a plan submittal checklist and menu, and culminating in a final approval checklist. Depending on the specific business plan, additional forms, such as a restroom agreement, may be required. Detailed information and application documents are readily available on the program webpage: webpage.
Support Resources for Aspiring Food Cart Vendors
The City of Long Beach is committed to providing comprehensive support to applicants throughout the process. The Health Department offers assistance with health permit applications and can be reached at 562.570.4132 or [email protected]. Staff are available for consultations via phone, video conference, or in person, and can provide support in multiple languages including English, Spanish, Khmer, and Tagalog. For business license inquiries, applicants can contact [email protected] or call 562.570.7852.
Further technical assistance is accessible through the Economic Development Department’s Inclusive Business Navigators Program. This program provides free workshops, business coaching, and advising services to Long Beach small businesses. Multilingual assistance is available through longbeach.gov/biznavigators or by calling BizCare at 562-570.4BIZ (4249).
Priority Enrollment and Program Funding
Recognizing the need to expand economic opportunities in low- and moderate-income areas, the food cart giveaway program will prioritize applicants residing in designated priority areas funded by Community Development Block Grants during the first three months. However, all eligible vendors are encouraged to apply early to secure their place in line, as the program will eventually open to all eligible applicants city-wide.
The City has allocated $429,500 from the Long Beach Recovery Act to fund the purchase of these food carts. Carts will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis to qualified applicants. As different food cart types have varying costs, the program will continue until the allocated funds are exhausted. The total number of food carts distributed will depend on the types of carts selected by vendors and the overall program participation.
Building on Existing Sidewalk Vendor Support
This food cart giveaway is an expansion of the Sidewalk to Success Program, which already offers substantial incentives to sidewalk vendors. These include covering business license and health permit fees and reimbursing insurance costs for the first year of operation. To date, 14 vendors have already benefited from these financial support measures. More information about sidewalk vending regulations and available financial assistance can be found at longbeach.gov/sidewalkvending.
The Sidewalk to Success program is a key initiative of the Long Beach Recovery Act, designed to support residents, workers, and businesses significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. More details about the Long Beach Recovery Act can be found at longbeach.gov/recovery. The program also aligns with Long Beach’s Racial and Reconciliation Initiative, specifically Goal 4, which aims to improve community health and wellness by addressing social and economic disparities.
About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach, California, is a vibrant coastal city with a population of approximately 466,000 residents. A full-service charter city, Long Beach offers a blend of metropolitan amenities and a strong sense of diverse community neighborhoods. Home to iconic attractions like the Queen Mary, the Aquarium of the Pacific, and the Port of Long Beach, it is a renowned destination for tourists and businesses alike.
For further information about the City of Long Beach, please visit longbeach.gov/. Stay updated on the latest news by following the City on social media: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
