Food trucks back in business in Downtown Long Beach after alleged error by city council

Long Beach foot truck owners were back on Shoreline Drive Friday after being sidelined Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. 

Regular food vendors who line up on West Shoreline Drive had to scramble after being met with “No Parking signs” that the city of Long Beach posted on Thursday. 

As a result, many of the food vendors had to scramble to find a new location to set up.

“They doing this to us? It’s like putting us unemployed,” Jorge Mercado told CBSLA Reporter Rina Nakano. 

Mercado operates the Inglorious Funnels truck. He and other vendors made their voices heard outside of Long Beach City Hall Friday, searching answers for the impromptu no parking signs. 

The street has been a battleground between brick-and-mortar restaurants and the food trucks.

During an August city council meeting, food truck operators were told that as long as they had the correct city and Los Angeles County Health Department permits, they would be able to operate until the council voted in a new food truck ordinance in 2023.

Nakano reached out to the Long Beach City Council asking why the “no parking signs” for tall vehicles were posted. 

This is the statement the council responded with:

“Oversized parking prohibition signage was erroneously installed, as these are temporary restrictions only, and will be removed,” the statement read. 

Immediately, Mercado and his fellow food truck owners set up shop in their usual location on Shoreline and were serving up food to hungry customers.

“So happy. I can go back to do what I love to do. Work! That’s what we want to do,” Mercado said.

CBSLA Staff

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