Richard Gomez along with two of his friends have revolutionized street vending by creating the first carts for street vendors to formally dispense their hot food with a permit from the Los Angeles County Department of Health.
“From activism, two friends and I created the company Revolution Carts to design carts for street vendors. and we put Revolution Carts because many people told us that we were making a revolution by offering a safe and new way of selling hot food on the street”.
Of the three, Richard is the only Hispanic. He was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, but at the age of 9 his parents brought him to live in south-central Los Angeles.
“I am an engineer and for 23 years I have worked in a company that designs lunch box trucks (food trucks) for large chains and independent individuals”, says Richard.
But before becoming a businessman, he became an activist for lunch box owners and street vendors.
“It all started when in 2008, the Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance introduced by Gloria Molina that limited lunch box sales to 30 minutes on the street, and then they had to move to another location.”
Richard’s concern about street sales was born at that moment when he saw that this measure put lunch boxes at risk.
“That’s how a movement of activists started, and we started suing the cities and fighting the people who write the laws.”
He says they succeeded in striking down the 30-minute ordinance, and won a lawsuit against the city of Monrovia, which planned to do the same.
“Since 2015 we began to think about a design for street food carts to formalize these businesses.”
“When the pandemic hit, the only ones on the street were lunch boxes and street food stalls. Many of the vendors who put the skin on died affected by covid, without having access to any help.
Between 2021 and 2022, the first carts designed by Revolution Carts to sell tamales and hot dogs made their public appearance under the name of the tamalero.
“To design it I went to the code book so that the carts complied with all the rules and we also had to talk to the street vendors to get their opinion.”
He says that in this first stage they focused on the cart the tamalero because there are more than 5,000 tamale vendors on the streets of Los Angeles.
“The first permit from the Los Angeles County Department of Health, we put it out in our name because we wanted to experience the process ourselves, but then we worked to get four more permits approved for street vendors and we got the company to rock star that sells energy drinks, will donate the first carts.”
Among the first tamale vendors to get their donated carts were Beverly Estrada, owner of At Best Tamales, who sells out of the Downey City Home Depot; the second was Cristina Torres, a teacher’s assistant who lost her job during the pandemic and started selling tamales. She “Now she sells tamales in her cart only at special events.”
Cristina Torres – @lamasitafina.la
Yunia Funes – @olmeca._
Beverly Estrada @AtBev’s_Tamales
Alfonso (Poncho) Martinez @ponchostlayudas
Richard recalled that the design of the cart the tamalero it was approved in 2021 after a three-year process. “It works with propane gas contained in a gallon, it has a burner and a drawer to store utensils. It has insolation to prevent it from getting hot and someone could get burned,” he says.
And it specifies that the safety and health of the cart the tamalero It was certified by a national laboratory.
“He weighs 280 to 300 pounds,” he says.
He says he put so much emphasis on the aesthetics of the cart that when it was ready he took it to Beverly Grove in Beverly Hills to see people’s reactions. “It got a lot of attention, and people stopped to see what we were selling.”
He adds that the Dodgers bought 50 carts from him to sell their hot dogs at the stadium.
“I am working with Tortas Ahogadas El Rey because its owner wants to create a system to provide cakes to street vendors, and establish the first collaboration between them and a restaurant”.
The price of the cart the tamalero it is $7,500 plus tax and $393 for the Los Angeles County Health Department annual permit fee.
“We sell them their cart and direct them to obtain their health permit. We help them fill out the paperwork and prepare them to present their work plan because it is very difficult to get the permit and the requirements”.
But he also says that it is very important that people know that there are low-interest financing options to purchase the cart through institutions such as Inclusive Action either Accesity who work with government-backed programs.
The little car the tamalero It can be stored in the house or in a place in the house that is indoors and locked up.
Richard, who is a member of the National Fire Association, confesses that he is very proud and motivated to see the change and how excited the street vendors who have purchased the cart are. the tamalero.
“That motivates me more to continue because it is not only about going to throw food at street vendors, but about motivating them to be part of the formality, showing them all the benefits and opportunities they can obtain.”
It is also very important that people become aware of and respect street vendors. “We must pay them just. We pay $7 for a Starbucks coffee and haggle over the price of $5 for a tamale without realizing all the work that goes into it.”
Under SB 972, burritos or any other packaged hot food may also be sold.
Along with Patrick Lennon and Matt Geller, Richard owns the company Revolution Carts.