SF passes street‑food rules — vendors worried
San Francisco supervisors approved a new street‑food law that vendors say could force them out of business, with sellers warning increased rules will squeeze operations. The change is already triggering concern in the vendor community about fines, compliance costs and loss of livelihood. (missionlocal.org)
The Board of Supervisors took the final vote at its March 24, 2026 regular meeting; ten supervisors were recorded present and Supervisor Jackie Fielder was noted absent on the roll call. (sfbos.org) The ordinance requires most vendors who prepare fresh or hot food to operate from a cart with a designated hand‑washing station and to do the bulk of food prep at a licensed commissary kitchen. (kalw.org) City and reporting estimates put the upfront cost of complying — cart retrofits, commissary rental and permit fees — as high as roughly $16,000 for some vendors, while individual vendors quoted needing nearly $20,000 to meet the new requirements. (kalw.org) The ordinance was drafted to align San Francisco with state law SB 972 (chaptered in 2022), which recognized compact mobile food operations and required local jurisdictions to create implementing rules for vending. (legiscan.com) Vendors and advocates staged protests and packed Budget & Finance Committee hearings in February at sites including the 24th Street BART plaza, urging the city to adopt a Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations (MEHKO) pathway instead of mandatory commissary requirements. (eltecolote.org) Supporters and vendors pointed to other cities’ programs — Los Angeles adopted a $2.8 million cart program after its ordinance — as a model for financial assistance that would offset equipment and compliance costs, a step advocates urged San Francisco to consider. (missionlocal.org)
