SF Opens Two New Mission Street Marketplaces As Street Vending Ban Takes Effect

San Francisco opens two new Mission street marketplaces to support permitted street vendors and fill empty storefronts as street vending moratorium begins.

Mayor London N. Breed and Supervisor Hillary Ronen announced today the unveiling of a plan to support permitted street vendors as the temporary moratorium on street vending begins along Mission Street, between 14th and Cesar Chavez Streets. The plan includes the opening of two temporary spaces where permitted street vendors will be able to sell goods and products. In addition, the City will provide complimentary wraparound services, including a resource fair, to support vendors.

This moratorium on Mission Street is the result of unprecedented safety concerns due to unauthorized vending and illegal activities which have been negatively impacting small business owners, permitted vendors, Mission residents, and visitors along one of the City’s busiest transit corridors.

“We need to disrupt the dangerous conditions around unpermitted vending and create a safer neighborhood for residents, small businesses, and our permitted street vendors,” said Mayor Breed. “We want to support people who are trying to make a living and following our permits and guidelines, and these new spaces and support will do just that. This is about helping the entire Mission community and making sure that merchants, residents, and City workers feel safe and that the neighborhood can thrive.”

The City is partnering with community nonprofits including Clecha, Calle 24 Latino Cultural District, and the Latino Task Force Resource Hub on a plan that includes complimentary programs to support permitted vendors throughout the moratorium which will allow the selling of goods and products in the Mission.

The plan includes the opening of two temporary spaces for permitted vendors:

• Tiangue Marketplace – The formerly empty storefront will accommodate up to 50 vendors. The marketplace located at 2137 Mission Street will open daily from 10:00 am-6:00 pm starting on Monday, November 27th.
• La Placita – The outdoor parking lot operated by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) will be repurposed to accommodate up to nine permitted street vendors. Located on 24th Street, between Capp and Lilac Streets, the space will open Tuesday-Saturday from 10am-6pm. The space will officially open on Tuesday, November 28th.

Leading up to the moratorium, various City agencies worked collaboratively to devise comprehensive ways to mitigate concerns from the community and permitted vendors while protecting the health and wellbeing of Mission residents, small businesses, and workers. The interventions, planned with community input, included extensive outreach and education, supportive and technical services, street vending guidelines and permitting requirements. They also included public activations and events, increased policing, the addition of barriers and other traffic and pedestrian installations, and ambassadors to assist with daily cleaning programs.

The unpermitted vending activities that led to the moratorium involve fencing, the sale of stolen items, inaccessible sidewalks, and other hazards that have created a harmful environment in the area. Some of these activities are connected to organized retail theft operations. According to the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), there was an increase in police calls for public safety services along Mission Street, between October 2022 through October 2023. Around 580 calls were made during this time, largely related to assault and battery, petty theft, and vandalism.

“While I am incredibly empathetic to the vendors’ situation and constantly fight for economic opportunities for our newcomers, safety in the Mission is paramount and the chaos on the street must end. Public Works has already delayed the implementation of the new ban until we can obtain two off-street locations for legitimate vendors to sell their goods. We have held several meetings with vendors and the city has been doing outreach on the moratorium for over a month. We have heard their concerns and acted quickly to secure locations off the street where permitted vendors can continue to sell their goods,” said Supervisor Hillary Ronen. “There has already been a murder and several stabbings associated with fencing operations and we must act to address serious safety concerns as soon as possible; we can simply no longer wait. It is my duty to balance the needs of brick-and-mortar businesses, residents, city workers, and legitimate vendors. I’m trying to balance the conflicting needs of all parties in the fairest and best way I know how.”

“Public Works and our street inspection team remain committed to working with the community and City partners to create a safe experience for residents, businesses and visitors along the vibrant Mission Street corridor, and to providing support for permitted vendors,” said San Francisco Public Works Director Carla Short. “The temporary moratorium on sidewalk sales aims to improve street conditions to benefit the neighborhood.”

Training and Support

• Resource Fair- Organized to provide resources to impacted street vendors wraparound services such as workforce training and placement opportunities, entrepreneurship training and connection to workshops and immigration, health and housing support including assisting with applications, etc. The fair will be hosted on December 15, starting at 9:00 am at the Tiangue Marketplace, 2137 Mission Street.
• Latino Task Force Hub Intake- The organization will work in partnership with the City to connect vendors with economic opportunities through trainings and services, including for those that qualify for the Family Relief Fund.
• Holiday Shopping Campaign- marketing to promote the two temporary locations and a holiday pop-up at the Latino Task Force Hub. Special holiday and community events will be hosted at Tiangue Marketplace and La Placita.

“The Latino Task Force stands with our vendors and we continue through our Small Business committee to work on solutions to ensure that our vendors have access to resources,” the Latino Task Force shared. “We are excited to launch new spaces for vendors to sell.  We look forward to the continued partnership and hope to see you all out supporting our vendors!”

“I have absolutely no problem with vendors that sell their arts and crafts that are mom and pop vendors, respect the community and pick up after themselves. What I do not agree with is this neighborhood making room for folks that call themselves ‘vendors’ and are posing as legitimate vendors but in fact are the folks that are publicly using drugs or alcohol, selling drugs, selling stolen merchandise or a combination of these things,” said Ana Valle, founder of Abanico Coffee Roasters.

The temporary moratorium along Mission Streets between 14th and Cesar Chavez Streets begins November 27, 2023 and is effective until February 24, 2024. The moratorium will also be enforced at 16th Street and 24th Street BART plazas.  The rules, regulations, and guidelines of this moratorium and information on permitted street vending activities can be found under the Department of Public Works directive, here.

Read more at the Office of the Mayor.