Food from an unpermitted roadside vendor may look delicious.

But it’s impossible to know where that food came from.

We recently visited a home being used as a kitchen space by multiple unpermitted roadside food vendors in Pierce County.

As you can see in the pictures, we found obvious food-safety violations, including:

• Meat stored outside with flies and no refrigeration.
• Raw meat and vegetables stored on the ground.
• Raw meat stored next to bags of trash.
• Food cooking next to trash.

We found out about this space after someone complained to us about it. City of Tacoma Tax & License Compliance and police joined us for the visit. Because we didn’t have a warrant, we could only render the food inedible and ask the operators to stop. The City of Tacoma issued the renters a business license violation.

The Tacoma Police Department was requested to stand by to provide support and ensure a safe environment during the incident.

We’ve recently seen an increase in unpermitted vendors like the ones that used this kitchen. Every food establishment in Pierce County must be permitted with us.

When you see a permit from us, you know we inspect the establishment regularly. When operators know we can inspect them at any time, they tend to not do things like leave meat sitting unrefrigerated on the ground outside next to the trash.

Food permits and inspections might not seem like a big deal. But foodborne illness can be bad news.

Stay safe! Only eat at permitted food vendors. They’ve done the work to keep people safe. If you see a vendor who doesn’t have a permit, you can call (253) 649-1697 or submit a complaint online. When we find one, we can issue a permit then and there if they meet requirements!

Find out more about what vendors need for a permit, and how to tell if a vendor is permitted.

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