This vendor has taken over the sidewalk making it impassable for the elderly.
Residents are unable to walk down some public sidewalks in Pacific Palisades because they are blocked by food vendors.
Particularly egregious is the vendor that hauls food and a grill out of a dirty van and then strings up an awning over the sidewalk in front of the Ralphs grocery store.
One Palisades resident wrote, “I parked on Carey on way to Chase bank at 11 a.m. and walked on Sunset. There were three food trucks (are they feeding the parking meters as well as people?) and a table set up for dining. I had to walk into the Ralphs’ parking lot to pass by. At age 82, I am still able to walk distances in order to shop and bank in ‘town,’ but many of my peers are not so able. Having a handicapped placard is not useful if there are no parking spaces on the public streets.”
Another reader wrote that the food trucks that park along Sunset Boulevard are a hazard with the early morning traffic, especially since private school buses pick up at the corner of Carey and Sunset.
These food trucks line up along Sunset, taking away parking and their customers park in a private lot.
When the food trucks park along Sunset (whether they put money in the meter or not — parking is limited to only two hours), the only place for truck customers to park is in the private lot. That lot services customers at Ralphs’ grocery store, Anawalt Hardware and the gas station/car wash.
Another reader wrote “I don’t mind the food trucks, but I dislike the food vendor that cooks on the street and has taken over the entire sidewalk.” That reader reported it to the City, after spending 30 minutes on hold with 311 to report that vendor was blocking the sidewalk. The reader was told that street services will investigate.
This editor spoke to a guard hired to patrol the parking lot in the a.m. and he said that if someone goes and buys something in Ralphs and then comes out and also buys something from a food truck, parking is allowed, but it was not right to park and take spaces away from customers to the store.
California has a Food Handler Card Law that requires all food employees who prepare, store or serve food to take a basic food safety training course and score 70 percent or better. Who is exempt? Temporary food facilities (food booths).
People who work with food in L.A. County must complete a California Department of Public Health food processor course within three months of obtaining a cottage food permit. Some requirements include food surfaces and equipment must be washed, rinsed and sanitized before each use and hands must be properly washed before food preparation.
Obviously, the vendor on Sunset does not follow the extensive health and safety rules, is not inspected nor certified by the city or county, such as brick-and-mortar businesses. There was no permit displayed by this stand.
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors passed new fees, effective March 6, 2024. A public health permit for a food cart, high risk, (grill handling meat) is $592. A food truck, high risk (raw meats), must pay $761 for a permit.
This sidewalk vendor, known as a popup, is not considered part of the Compact Mobile Food Operation’s, and supposedly is not permitted under the law.
The Mobile Food Facilities (MFF) Program conducts annual certification inspections, routine graded inspections and complaint investigations of MFF as well as routine and complaint investigations at the commissaries that service these MFF.
The above inspections are performed to ensure compliance with the applicable guidelines outlined in the California Health and Safety Code and the Los Angeles County, California – Code of Ordinances.
To report a problem with a food truck or cart, call Public Health’s Mobile Food Program at (626) 430-5500 or send email to ehvip@ph.lacounty.gov.
Circling the News sent an email to the county about the vendor and noted that “meat is cooked on the street and there is no space or handwashing or cleaning facilities.”
The taco stand is on the sidewalk is at 15120 W. Sunset Boulevard in front of Ralphs (between Monument and Carey), and does not fall under the definition of Compact Mobile Food Operation. The County was asked to do an investigation.
A copy of the email was also sent to County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s field deputy Zach Gaidzik and to Councilmember Traci Park’s field deputy Michael Amster.
Gaidzik responded “I’ve cc’d our constituent advocate Kim Solis who will go ahead and reach out to Public Health’s Environmental Health Liaison to report this location for investigation.”
City News Service reported that on December 11, Ralphs filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction against multiple food truck operators who the grocer says is creating a nuisance with congestion, trash generation and rudeness to Ralphs employees.
The Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order as well as a preliminary and permanent injunction preventing the mobile food vendors from coming within 200 feet of the store’s perimeter. Ralphs additionally seeks compensatory and punitive damages. Along with public and private nuisance, the suit alleges trespass, negligence and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage.
Good reporting! Thanks.
In addition to the assorted cooking apparatus under the canopy, there is also a red charcoal grill on the sidewalk that has a perpetual stream of smoke pouring out of it, and a large bag of charcoal spilling into the street. Why on earth has the fire station (almost directly across the street) not shut down this operation? There are too many fire code violations to mention, but among them are prohibitions on public grilling in a very high fire severity zone. There are also zero fire extinguishers at this illegal operation. I have called the fire station and spoken to fire chiefs and they plead ignorance.