Sidewalk vending in the Gaslamp Quarter has been a hot topic for approximately four years.
Last year, the city of San Diego cracked down on street vendors by passing a sidewalk vending ordinance, which proved to be effective temporarily.
But despite the law banning street vendors in the area and no vending signs posted, business owners say they're flocking back and that it isn't fair.
"Two weeks after we opened, the law was enforced, and they just disappeared," Adrian Gutierrez, the owner of Taco Centro in Gaslamp Quarter, said. "They put signs everywhere, as you can see, and it was like that for the past six months."
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A noticeable shift has taken place this summer.
“We started noticing since last month that they started to come out again,” Gutierrez said.
He says the illegal sidewalk vendors caused about a 10% revenue loss for his business.
In addition to taking profits from nearby restaurants, the sidewalk vendors don't have to comply with health safety rules or pay taxes and fees, according to downtown businesses.
City of San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria released a statement on Friday about increasing the enforcement of the Sidewalk Vending Ordinance that read:
“We will not allow the brazen disregard of our City’s Sidewalk Vending Ordinance. As part of today’s meeting, I shared our plan of action for increased enforcement of the regulations, which will now include immediate impoundment of illegal food vendors’ equipment. Further, in partnership with Councilmember Jennifer Campbell, we are advancing amendments to the Sidewalk Vending Ordinance that will provide clarity around enforcement in order to address illegal vending in our beach and bay communities.”
