Minneapolis City Council passes the sidewalk food cart ordinance after two years of work.
The Minneapolis City Council unanimously passed an ordinance Thursday making it easier for street vendors to work on Minneapolis’ streets.
The Sidewalk Street Car ordinance expands the area in which streetcar vendors can operate, from commercial corridors to goods and service corridors as well as in three locations, said Amy Lingo, the manager of business and licensing at the City of Minneapolis.
Originally, licensed street vendors could only work in certain areas, but now vendors can sell on different roads like Nicollet Avenue with the correct permit, Lingo said.
The ordinance was made in response to an increase in unlicensed sidewalk vendors in 2023, according to reporting from the Sahan Journal.
City Council Member Jason Chavez (Ward 9) worked with City Council Member Aurin Chowdhury (Ward 12) to make an ordinance to streamline the street vendor licensing process after hearing concerns from Minneapolis residents, Chavez said.
“We wanted to make sure that we at least had an ordinance that was more accessible to more people and more expenses. So, this ordinance allows more vendors and entrepreneurs to apply for registration and basically it makes it easier to go through the process,” Chavez said.
From 2023 to 2024, the city issued 37 citations and around $16,000 in fines to unlicensed street car vendors, according to Lingo.
Chavez said this is one way the city can help business owners from all communities, and for him the ordinance is personal as an immigrant.
Allowing more street vendors will help spur economic growth in the city, especially among the city’s immigrant population, Chavez said.
“I think we are living in a time when our immigrant community is struggling to get by,” Chavez said. “I think it’s important that we do everything that we can at the local level to protect our immigrant community, to support the economic development of our city, to support employment opportunities for our residents, regardless of immigration status or if you’re an immigrant or not.”
Even though the ordinance passed, Chowdhury said work still needs to be done to clarify all of the regulations for the license.
Minneapolis resident Milton Gutierrez, who immigrated to Minneapolis from Ecuador a year ago, said the support for street vendors is an opportunity for him to expand his business.
Gutierrez, who runs a food truck that sells fast food and marble figures for animals, said through a translator that he wants to use the ordinance to expand his business to Lake Street and possibly sell his food and art at different events.
For Petra Blas Espinoza, the ordinance in place represents a new opportunity for her and her family. Espinoza, who has lived in Minneapolis for 30 years and originally immigrated from Mexico with her family, said
She wants to get a license for a food cart to sell chamoy candy, a sweet-savory candy from Mexico, and pastries like tres leches.
Past selling food for economic reasons, Espinoza said it is a way to achieve her happiness and support her family.
“It’s for myself, for my family. We are migrants. This is getting really hard,” Espinoza said. “We are in a really tough position right now. But my goal is to actually get a cart, an awning and to be able to be close to my home.”