Merced County cracks down on unpermitted pop-up food vendors
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- Countywide enforcement shut down unpermitted pop-up food vendors Oct. 11.
- Officials issued four citations, confiscated equipment and offered legal steps.
- Business owners previously petitioned Merced to crack down on the vendors.
An empty lot greeted those looking for their favorite pop-up food vendor in the Bank of America parking lot on West Main Street on Friday, Oct. 11. Vendors were shut down and had equipment confiscated as part of a countywide enforcement action against unlicensed vendors.
Four citations were issued — two in Merced, one each in Los Banos and Winton, Mike Noth, county public information officer said.
“Our efforts are focused on preserving public health,” North said. “Unpermitted food vendors pose a clear and present threat to public health and safety.”
At least two vendors had their equipment confiscated, according to Merced police Sgt. Alicia Gorman. The vendors were provided instructions on how to become a legal food vendor in Merced County by county officials, Gorman said.
“The enforcement necessarily isn’t so much as punitive because (Merced County Environmental Health) does provide the vendors with educational resources,” she said. “... The goal is not so much punitive as it is education and keeping the public safe.”
The joint-operation comes as some local businesses have become restless about unauthorized pop-up food vendors. Recently, representatives from a variety of businesses filed a petition with the City of Merced asking for action against the pop-ups.
Their primary concerns were sanitation and unfair economic competition.
“Honest business owners who pay taxes, carry insurance, maintain permits, and follow health codes cannot compete with vendors who bypass all of that overhead,” a public commenter said at an October City Council meeting.
This story was originally published October 17, 2025 at 12:33 PM.