Viral video shows packed illegal food vendors as legal businesses fume over ‘two sets of rules’

A viral video of a packed San Fernando Valley street-vending strip is sparking backlash from legal vendors and restaurant owners who say they’re drowning in permits and fees while illegal operators thrive in plain sight.

The clip, filmed near Sherman Way and Independence Avenue in Canoga Park, shows a solid wall of sidewalk stands blasting smoky grills, charcoal fires, and full food setups — complete with tables and chairs — transforming the street into what looks like an open-air night market.

“It’s insane,” the person filming says. “The illegal street vending block … is totally packed tonight.”

People weighing in on the video noted the scene exposed a glaring double standard — coal-fired restaurant ovens face strict limits in Los Angeles, yet vendors openly cook with charcoal on public sidewalks late into the night.

“I follow the rules — inspections, health standards, permitted areas,” said Anthony Devgenio, owner of Big Dix Hot Dogs, a high-end mobile hot dog cart in West Hollywood. “Meanwhile, unlicensed vendors break the rules openly.”

Devgenio said he faced a mountain of costly requirements to get approved: a hand-washing sink, temperature controls, hot water at mandated levels, refrigeration, food-handler certification, insurance, and regular inspections. His cart must be kept indoors at a certified facility when not in use.

Meanwhile he said he is losing half his profits to unlicensed vendors.

“I had to register a business, pass a criminal background check, get a seller’s permit, tax ID — everything. This cost a lot of money to set up. I pay inspection fees, taxes to the city. And now I’m losing half my profits to people who don’t follow the same set of rules.”

Devgenio said city officials have acknowledged his concerns but taken no meaningful action, leaving him feeling the rules aren’t enforced equally.

“They say we should treat everyone equally,” he said. “But some vendors are left alone while I’m held to every rule. For me, it’s not about race or gender — it’s about fair business practices when I’m doing everything by the book.”

Los Angeles County and the City of Los Angeles recently launched a $2.8 million Sidewalk Vending Cart Program, promising more than 280 free, health-code-compliant food carts for eligible vendors who complete the permitting process.

Officials say the goal is to help low-income entrepreneurs overcome the high costs of going legit and comply with new state laws governing street food operations.

The initiative follows sweeping changes under California’s Safe Sidewalk Vending Act and updated food safety rules that created a new permit category for compact mobile food operations.

County leaders have also waived or subsidized several fees and offered grants to cover additional expenses. But participation requires vendors to secure multiple permits, meet health standards and commit to full compliance — steps critics say many informal operators simply skip while continuing to sell.

Still, clashes are unfolding across Los Angeles, including a high-stakes lawsuit tied to a longtime swap meet near Los Angeles City College.

The swap meet’s owners are suing the City of Los Angeles. The complaint targets Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, claiming his office blocked sidewalk vending enforcement and other requests for help, driven by what the suit calls a “personal vendetta.”

The swap meet has operated in LACC’s parking lot for nearly 30 years. According to the lawsuit, vendors moved onto surrounding sidewalks when the market shut down during COVID-19 — and many never returned inside after it reopened.

LAist reports co-owner Phillip Dane called LAPD repeatedly about problems tied to the vendors but says enforcement requests were blocked. Applications for temporary parking restrictions were also denied, according to the complaint.

The councilmember did not address the specific accusations to The Post but has said said he is seeking a solution that works for both vendors and the market. Soto-Martinez is the son of street vendors and even his own website talks about how the “city’s harassment of street vendors impacted families like his.” He has said he wants a system that benefits everyone.

Other cities have taken a harder line. In 2022, Santa Monica stepped up enforcement while launching a low-cost sidewalk vending program, offering permits for $75 a year. The initiative was launched after numerous videos surfaced of vendors pouring used oil and other hazard material in the sand and cooking on open flames on the wooden pier.

“What we will not tolerate is the unsafe practices that are happening at the pier,” Councilwoman Lana Negrete said at the time, citing vendors using propane tanks with open flames on the wooden structure. She said illegal vending there had “quadrupled.”

“Why is no one talking about how unjust and unfair this is to the people paying the money and following the rules?”