By Angelica Gualpa
Maria Buena took her first steps as a business owner yesterday, launching Mago’s Fruits & Snacks at the Vermont/Sunset Metro Station in East Hollywood.
The opportunity was celebrated at the Metro station, where representatives from ICON Community Development Corporation, the City of Los Angeles, Metro, and partner organization Make Good highlighted the technical assistance Buena received as she navigated the licensing and permitting process to establish her business.
Buena received free technical assistance in Spanish through ICON CDC’s Sidewalk Vending Program, in partnership with the City of Los Angeles Community Investment Department. The assistance helped her secure the documents needed to legally operate, including her business license, seller’s permit, business tax registration certificate and health permit.
“My business is called Magos Fruits and Cart. I am starting for the first time in this business,” said Buena. “Thank you to ICON for helping me make this business.”
Eric Lara, Entrepreneur Training Director and Program Director at ICON CDC, said the event was held to recognize both Buena’s achievement and the collaborative effort that made it possible.
“We are here today to celebrate Maria Buena’s vending cart opportunity here at the Vermont/Sunset Metro Station,” said Lara. “This has been a collaborative effort. We’ve provided her technical assistance through the Sidewalk Vending Program through the City of LA’s Community Investment Department.”
Lara said ICON CDC helped Buena navigate the full permitting process from start to finish, and that the assistance was provided at no cost.
“We provided all this technical assistance free of charge and in Spanish, since she is a Spanish speaker,” he said.
For vendors operating within the city of Los Angeles, ICON’s Sidewalk Vending Program offers similar assistance with permitting, compliance and business resources to eligible applicants.
A separate program run by the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity offers registration assistance, workshops and technical assistance for vendors operating in unincorporated areas of the county.
For Buena, the process marks the start of a new chapter as she begins serving customers at one of the city’s busiest transit hubs, at the intersection of two rail lines connecting riders across East Hollywood and beyond.
