1st resource fair designed for San Jose street vendors helps with safety, growing business

ByLauren Martinez KGO logo

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

San Jose holds first resource fair designed for street vendors

For the first time, the city of San Jose hosted a resource fair designed for street vendors.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- For the first time, the city of San Jose hosted a resource fair designed for street vendors.

Viral videos have captured assaults on local vendors. On Monday, three workshops provided information on workers' rights, crime prevention, and marketing a small business.

A video taken by the victim and shared on TikTok shows the employee carrying a bat while demanding the street vendor employee to leave the area.

"Pues creo que es un buen inicio."

Nallely said she thinks this fair is a good start. She sells chamoy-covered apples and other fruits. She said support from the city will benefit the array of vendors out there.

"Pues mas que nada lo de los permisios."

She said more than anything, information about permits was the most important to her. She wants to stabilize her business, so she no longer has to worry.

Councilmember Omar Torres said this resource fair is about safety but also how to grow a business.

"The stories we hear from these storefronts is that they actually started off as street vendors or they actually started out as food trucks," Torres said.

Torres said the hope is these business owners are going to expand and help the city fill more than 70 vacant storefronts in San Jose.

Video shared with ABC7 News shows a violent attack on a street vendor outside the SAP Center in San Jose.

"We as a city want to make it easier for street vendors and microbusinesses to open storefronts here in the city of San Jose," Torres said.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said the fair is about what vendors need and also to make sure they are aware of the rules.

"Our street vendors deserve to be safe and respected and have the opportunity to make an honest living - we also want to make sure the community is safe and people are following health code and clearing the public right of way and allow people to walk safely around downtown," Mahan said.