Food safety inspectors struggling to keep up with 'criminal organization' of unpermitted taco stands in Spokane

May 5-People might want to think twice about that late-night taco stand in the middle of an abandoned Spokane lot.

The past year has produced a proliferation of unlicensed food stands popping up across Spokane. These are not local mom-and-pop stands but an organized group of unlicensed food vendors, according to the Spokane Regional Health District.

"There are people who make a mistake and don't go through the right process. This is an organized group that is purposely operating without a permit or doing basic food safety. It is a criminal organization," said SRHD Food Safety Program Manager Jessica Martin.

The nature of this organization is unclear, she added, but these related taco stands have traveled north from California and proliferated across Washington state. These stands first became prevalent in Seattle and have moved across the state in the past year and a half, according to Martin.

These food stands typically serve tacos al pastor, where various meats are cooked together over a grill in a cone shape. The meat is often not properly refrigerated, and the stands do not have required hand-washing stations for workers.

In the past year, the health district has seen unlicensed stands pop up late at night across the Spokane area, including near Gonzaga University , the NorthTown Mall , Hillyard and parts of Spokane Valley. They typically set up shop in an abandoned lot or the lot of a business that is closed late in the night.

When a complaint is made or the district becomes aware of one of these stands, a team of three workers is sent to shut down and cite the food vendor. In previous years, these types of food stands were typically operated by locals unaware of food safety restrictions.

When health district food safety specialist Alyson Wiley is sent to cite and break up these food stands, the workers are unwilling to listen to guidance.

"These vendors are not receptive to education. They just shut down in our presence," Wiley said. "We stay and make sure they pack up and leave, but it is very common they will just drive that food unrefrigerated somewhere else and set right back up."

The health district has limited staff to address these stands and little ability to permanently stop these food vendors.

"We're just playing whack-a-mole," Wiley said.

Those cited for unlicensed food stand must pay a $450 fee. These vendors do not pay the fee and continue to operate. According to Martin, the health district has limited authority to enforce the fee, and they cannot take the food or property of an unlicensed vendor they cite.

"We can ask them to discard the food. We can issue a closure. We can issue a fine, but if they say no to all of that, that's the extent we can go," Martin said.

In 2025, there were more than 180 unpermitted food vendors cited in King County. In the same year, Spokane's health district only received 32 complaints and closed 33 unpermitted food vendors. The issue is far more widespread than the health district is able to contain, Martin said.

Many patrons of these stands are unaware they are unlicensed, she added. In Spokane and across Washington, food stands are typically only permitted for special events. If there is a single food stand by the side of the road or set up in an adjacent lot, it is likely unpermitted.

Six months ago, a task force was created between the health district, city and county governments, and other stakeholders on how the broader community can address this issue.

"Unpermitted food vendor regulation falls under the authority of SRHD, but the City is actively participating and remains a committed partner in the work of the task force," city spokesperson Erin Hut said in a statement.

Stands are often set up on the parking lots of existing restaurants to insinuate the unlicensed taco business is associated with the restaurant. In a letter to the city, De Leon's Taco & Bar owner Sergio De Leon wrote these stands have set up at various locations of his restaurant.

"I have personally witnessed unpermitted food carts setting up in parking lots right in front of my stores. This is a huge risk to my businesses and to public health," De Leon wrote in the Washington Hospitality Association letter.

Derek Baziotis, who works for the association and serves on the SRHD board, called the stands a "crisis" for Spokane.

"When we get an outbreak of foodborne illness or an inspector gets hurt while shutting down one of these shops, it is going to ripple through the entire industry. That stain will impact legitimate restaurants or food vendors throughout the city," Baziotis said.

Spokane Councilman Michael Cathcart, who also chairs the SRHD board, wants the city to consider an increase in penalties for unlicensed food vendors.

"It might be symbolic in some ways, because many of these folks do not pay their penalties, but I do think that right now, the penalties are so low, I would argue, it's hard to really, truly take them seriously," Cathcart said at a health district board meeting last week.

Rather than a flat $450 fine, Cathcart suggested penalties should increase to the thousands of dollars on a second or third offense.

"That would actually suggest that we are taking this very seriously, and we want to hold folks to account," he said.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 1:40 PM.